New Challenge: Allusive
Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] The Mirror Crack'd by AdmirableMonster
Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new…
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
[Writing] Into the West by Grundy
Dawn does not call sailing off into the unknown with a guy they've only known a few days a great plan.
[Writing] Explain This by Elrond's Library
Melkor demands an account of Mairon’s failures.
[Writing] Message in a Bottle by StarSpray
Over the course of his very long life he had found a handful of messages in bottles, but it had been a very long time. So when he found the glass bottle on his little stretch of pebbly beach, he picked it up with the intention of tossing it into his recycling. But it wasn’t, he found, just…
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
Current Challenge
Random Challenge
Pride
Create a fanwork using a prompt from an LGBTQIA+ person, choosing from music, art, poetry, and quotations. Read more ...
New in References
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Artwork] A Memento of Faery by Grundy
TRSB26 art 144 - an artifact brought back from Faerie by a Starbearer.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
Around the World and Web
Sindar Week 2026
A Tolkien event week for the Sindar, the Grey-Elves, from the Years of the Trees to the Third Age.
Finwean Sibblings Prompt Fest 2026
A prompt-based fandom event aiming to focus on celebrating Finwë's children: Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Lalwen, & Finarfin - ships, gen relationships, or character-centric
Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.
Gigolas Week 2026
Gigolas Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Legolas and Gimli
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
New and Updated Fanworks
Include Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
"Tengwar" artworks by chrissystriped
Artworks created for the "Tengwar" challenge
| Major Characters: Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Moodboard/Collage |
| Genres: | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (5) |
Language Contact by between_thepages
Drabbles for the Tengwar challenge, featuring Elemmakil and Laegwen
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Elemmakil |
| Major Relationships: Elemmakil & Original Character |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, General | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 100 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Calma, Lambe, Lambe, Óre by sallysavestheday
Maglor prepares some Instructional Art for the Sindar to learn from at the Mereth Aderthad.
| Major Characters: Daeron, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 674 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Stranded by Flora-lass
Maglor sits by the sea, and thinks about hair. A sequel to 'Strands'.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, General | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 847 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
The Siege of Himring by Dawn Felagund
Fingon attacks Himring; Maedhros defends. A calligraphy piece done for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's Mailing Competition.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingon & Maedhros |
| Artwork Type: Calligraphy |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (11) |
The Fissure by Dawn Felagund
Maeglin witnesses a coming-of-age ceremony among the Dwarves of Belegost. Written for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's 2024 Mailing Competition.
| Major Characters: Dwarves, Eöl, Maeglin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 710 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
The leaves were long, the grass was green by Quente
The Giving Tree, but Beren and Luthien. Written for the Tengwar prompt, “Aldi.”
| Major Characters: Beren, Lúthien Tinúviel |
| Major Relationships: Beren/Luthien |
| Genres: Ficlet | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 558 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
If Time Run True and Away by Anne Wolfe
In Tol Eressëa, Celebrían and Galadriel talk about Arwen. Written for the "It Comes in Threes" challenge, inspired by Maiden, Mother and Crone.
| Major Characters: Arwen, Celebrían, Galadriel |
| Major Relationships: Celebrían & Galadriel, Arwen & Celebrían |
| Genres: General | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 756 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
Crossroads by Simon J. Cook
With Gildor Inglorion we finally climb the stairs of Elostirion and look on the view, and what we see appears to reveal a hidden thread in the story of Frodo Baggins. This post reads two annotated translations of two Elvish songs to step through a crossroads in the narrative to arrive at the tower on the margin of the story, wherein is a stone that is a window onto Valinor.
Shore Beyond the Shadowy Sea by Quente
In which Elfwine goes to sea to find himself, but finds Beleriand instead, and then finds himself.
Or
Ulmo sends another human in a swan crest to Gondolin, with expected results.
- This tale is a paean (and sequel of sorts) to Bunn’s work, the Undying Lands. This will have a few spoilers, so you might go and read this glorious work, and the one before it.
- But long story short, Beleriand is back, and Fëanor might have built a few pathways between Middle-earth and Beleriand, just for fun.
| Major Characters: Ælfwine, Caranthir, Celegorm, Elenwë, Elladan, Elrohir, Éomer, Fingon, Gondolindrim, Maedhros, Pengolodh, Théodred, Tuor, Turgon, Ulmo |
| Major Relationships: Ælfwine/Pengolodh, Ælfwine & Fëanor |
| Genres: Adventure | Challenges: Ancestors, Back To The Future, Canon with a Twist, Hero's Journey, Sea Voyages, Songs of Arda, You Can't Go Home Again |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 11 | Word Count: 38, 595 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Aratar by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Eight emblems for the eight most powerful of the Valar. Drawn for "Scribbles and Drabbles" 2021.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
Waltzing with you by daughterofshadows
It's a nice evening and Laurendil is trying to teach Rog to dance.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Original Nonbinary Character(s), Rog, Salgant |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 106 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Calma by elennalore
Celebrimbor is reading a novel, but there's a distraction.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Ficlet | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 251 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Atmospherics by Anérea, sallysavestheday
The three atmospheres of Arda celebrated in three drabbles and three photos...
| Major Characters: Círdan, Eärendil, Elrond, Elros, Uinen |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (15) |
Three Strands in a Braid by between_thepages
Ecthelion tries to braid Glorfindel's hair.
| Major Characters: Ecthelion of the Fountain, Glorfindel |
| Major Relationships: Ecthelion/Glorfindel |
| Genres: Ficlet, Fluff | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 598 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
The Hands of the Prince by Valxyri
Someone is planting bombs in Minas Tirith.
Early in the Forth Age, when King Elessar's life is threatened, it is up to the young prince and an unlikely ally to bring down the threat to the realms of Men.
But in the chaos of a city rocked by violence, Prince Eldarion Telcontar will discover the true meaning of his inheritance.
| Major Characters: Aragorn, Arwen, Curufin, Eldarion, Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond, Finrod Felagund, Lórien, Sons of Fëanor |
| Major Relationships: Aragorn/Arwen |
| Genres: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Suicide, Torture, Violence (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 687 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
A Special Find by Himring
Minor catastrophes cluster on the site of an archaeological dig and someone even gets hurt. But it could be worse, as an unexpected arrival changes the course of events. Then something happens in the middle of the night... And it turns out that our heroine can't tell anybody, at least not in (academic) print.
Now with bonus gapfiller from Maglor's point of view.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Meet & Greet |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 1, 660 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (18) |
In the House of the Fairbairns by Simon J. Cook
The first of some posts on the Elf-tower on the western margin of The Lord of the Rings attempts to frame the relationship between the narrative and the appendices of The Lord of the Rings and an analysis of Frodo's dream-visions.
Ready, Aim, Fire by Tehta
Or, Three Attempts to Get Out of Archery Practice
| Major Characters: Egalmoth, Glorfindel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 624 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
It comes in Threes by cílil
Three triple drabbles written for the It comes in Threes challenge, featuring various Ainur.
| Major Characters: Arien, Eönwë, Lórien, Mandos, Melkor, Nienna, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Melkor/Sauron, Eönwë/Sauron, Arien/Eönwë, Arien/Sauron |
| Genres: Ficlet, Fixed-Length Ficlet, Het, Poly, Romance, Slash | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 915 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
The Unrest of the Noldor by StarSpray
Minyelmë comes to Tirion to see Lalwen, arriving just in time to see things come to a head.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Lalwen |
| Major Relationships: Lalwen/Original Character |
| Genres: Drama, Family, Femslash | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 181 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Wingfeet: Racing across Ard-galen by Himring
A Dwarf, a Man, and an Elf race across a grassy plain... Except that these three are original characters of the First Age racing across the plain of Ard-galen and their plight is rather different.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 400 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Cliffhanger by Tehta
Climbing partners get very accustomed to saving each other's lives. The habit can prove hard to break, as Findekáno and Maitimo discover.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 534 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
Betting on Family by Tehta
We are told that Galadriel was “the only woman of the Noldor to stand ... tall and valiant among the contending princes” upon the summit of Túna, when Feanor made his Oath. But why? What about Aredhel: what was she up to?
In this story, I attempt to answer that question, while Írissë and Artanis discuss family matters.
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Galadriel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 963 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Gilded Knife by elennalore
Ar-Pharazôn takes part in the first ceremony of the new Temple, and Zigûr is there to help him.
| Major Characters: Ar-Pharazôn, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Ar-Pharazôn & Sauron |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: It Comes in Threes |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Character Death, Violence (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 737 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
