Character of the Month: Marach
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
SWG News
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.
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.
New & Updated Fanworks
[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] most days I don't recognize me by annarobots
Of course, she knew that in the Blessed Land, true harm was unlikely to come to him. The Valar watched over them all, and the lesser spirits were everywhere. It was a great hound of Oromë who had found him happily splashing in the creek, in fact. But anyone could drown in mere…
[Series] Eat, Pray, Love by AdmirableMonster
The Darkest Timeline AU for my Steampunk Númenor series.
In which the Mouth of Sauron is originally a Númenorean chemister rescued from Ar-Pharazôn's intimate attentions by Sauron himself.
[Writing] Rise from the Ashes by AdmirableMonster
In the wake of Sauron's death, his Mouth remembers Númenor.
[Reference] Speak Friend and Enter: Trends in Fandom Entry Year by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
[Writing] Crossing the Great Sea by elennalore
He has perhaps made a great mistake, but it's too late now.
[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.
Current Challenge
Allusive
Choose from our list of allusions to history, literature, mythology, and art to create a fanwork. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Potluck Bingo
Help yourself to a collection of prompts on bingo boards designed by members and friends of the SWG. Read more ...
New in References
Speak Friend and Enter: Trends in Fandom Entry Year by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
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
Finwëan Ladies Week 2026
Finwëan Ladies Week will run from September 21-27, 2026!
Fingon x Finrod x Maedhros Day 2026
A day to celebrate the relationship of the three eldest princes.
Forgotten Ground Regained Features Tolkien-Inspired Alliterative Poetry
The quarterly journal "Forgotten Ground Regained" publishes alliterative poetry and, in Issue 11, turns to focus on poems written about Tolkien's world, including several pieces by SWG poets.
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
SWG News
New Challenge: Kings & Kink
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
Throughout history, wherever there is writing, there is erotica. The first Mesopotamian scribe to take stylus in hand likely wasn't long before making lurid comparisons to the rising floods of the Tigris. Medieval scribes certainly tossed more than nightsoil in the gutter, and even those buttoned-up Victorians unbuttoned on the page.
Prompts for this month's challenge will be a passage or image from a "vintage" work of erotica or romance. You can use your prompt however you want: the entire passage or image, its emotional coloring, or just a passage, phrase, or even single word. Responses do not need to be erotica, include adult-rated content, or have anything to do with sex or romance. If you'd like to receive a prompt for this month's challenge, comment on our Dreamwidth, comment on our LiveJournal, send us an ask here on Tumblr, or contact us. Please let us know if you would like a NSFW, romance, or affectionate prompt, and if you prefer a text excerpt or an image.
August is also Akallabêth in August, so fanworks that take place during the Second Age will receive a special stamp.
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 10 September 2021.
Middle-earth Olympics Closing Ceremony RESCHEDULED
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
The Middle-earth Olympics challenge is coming to a close, and to round out a fabulous monthlong event, we will host a closing ceremony on 22 August 2021 at 15:00 UTC. (Find the closing ceremonies in your own timezone here.) While there are only a few days left of the challenge, it is not too late to get involved!
- We have extended the challenge deadline this month to 15 August. All fanworks posted to the archive on or before that date are eligible for a stamp. As always, late fanworks are welcome but do not receive stamps. Find the Middle-earth Olympics challenge prompts here.
- Award a medal. Even if you weren't involved in the challenge, you can award a medal to someone who was. You can award medals for any kind of involvement in the challenge: creators, commenters, teammates, betas, fellow fans who inspired and helped you in any way as part of the challenge. Here is a chance to take just a few moments to show your appreciation for someone! (Find all of the fanworks created for the Middle-earth Olympics here.)
- All are welcome to join the closing ceremonies as readers or just as listeners. See below for more!
Closing Ceremonies
The closing ceremonies will be held on Sunday, 22 August 2021, at 15:00 UTC, on the SWG's Discord server. (Find the closing ceremonies in your own timezone here.) The closing ceremonies will consist of two components:
- Medal Ceremony. What is an Olympics without medals? While our event was not competitive, medals are available to show appreciation for anyone who participated in the challenge, not matter how big or small their role. We will announce the medal recipients at the closing ceremonies; medals awarded will also be posted on our website after the event. You can award a medal here.
- Middle-earth Olympics Fanwork Reading. We will close the event with an open mic portion for anyone who wants to read a fanwork or excerpt from a fanwork created for the challenge.
- Please read only fanworks that you have created.
- Readings should be kept to around five minutes or less.
- Once everyone who wants to has had a chance to read, if we are still under an hour for the event, we will be glad to have participants read a second selection.
- Participants who only want to listen are more than welcome.
If you're not a member of our Discord server, you can join in several ways:
- If you're a logged-in member of our website, scroll to the bottom and find an open invite in the site's footer.
- Contact the site mods and request an invite.
- Shortly before the event, we will post an open invite to our social media and here on our website. Here it is.
Award a Medal for the Middle-earth Olympics
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
We're about halfway through the Middle-earth Olympics, so it's time to start thinking about medals!
Middle-earth Olympics is not a competition. However, what is an Olympic games without a medal ceremony? This is the chance to recognize challenge participants for absolutely anything that you appreciate about them, their work, or their contributions to our community. We will award medals on August 15.
Any SWG member can award a medal. (We count "SWG members" as people who are registered on our site and/or follow one of our social media accounts.) You do not need to be a challenge participant, but the recipient should be a challenge participant. Remember that "participant" means more than just fanworks creators. Commenters, betas, the people who help you with research and brainstorming for a challenge piece--all are eligible to be recognized!
You can award as many medals as you want and you decide what you're awarding the medal for! Get creative and have fun if you want! Of course, medals should be positive-focused. (Hopefully that doesn't need saying but just in case.) While the medal should be relevant to the challenge, you can certainly say nice things as well about what the recipient does in fandom spaces outside the challenge as well.
Middle-earth Olympics Live Events
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
We have several live events forthcoming for the Middle-earth Olympics, all held on our Discord server. All are welcome!
- Sunday, July 25, 15:00 UTC: Relay Writing
- Sunday, August 1, 1:00 UTC: Instadrabbling
- Sunday, August 1, 15:00 UTC: Instadrabbling
- Sunday, August 15, time TBA: Medal Ceremony
More information on relay writing and instadrabbling can be found on the Middle-earth Olympics challenge page.
Not a member of our Discord server but want to be? There are several ways to join!
- If you're an SWG member, when you log in, you will find a link in the footer of the site.
- You can contact the mods at any time for an invite.
- We will post an open invite shortly before an event begins on our site (here!) and our social media.
Middle-earth Olympics Opening Ceremony on Sunday, July 18
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
The Middle-earth Olympics are coming!
While we will post prompts on the 15th as usual, we will officially kick off our challenge this month with an opening ceremony, held on the SWG's Discord server. In keeping with the Olympic spirit, we will host a live reading on the theme of cultural harmony.
The opening ceremonies will be held on Sunday, July 18, at 15:00/3:00 PM UTC. Find the opening ceremony date and time in your own timezone.
How to Sign Up for the Reading
- Anyone is welcome to read. You do not need to be an SWG member, though you will need to join our Discord server for the duration of the event.
- You can read an excerpt from Tolkien or a fanwork you wrote. The reading should relate to the theme of cultural harmony.
- If you read a fanwork, you must be the author.
- Please limit your reading to five minutes.
- If you know you plan to attend and read and would like to be on the event program, you can sign up for the opening ceremony reading here. There will be an open mic time open to anyone who wants to read, whether they signed up or not.
If you just want to listen to the reading, you are very welcome as well!
How to Join the SWG Discord
You can join the SWG Discord here.
Opening Ceremony Reading Program
Opening Remarks and Introductions of the Teams
In Praise of the Feastat Ivrin by Himring
Excerpt from Song of the Stone by Dawn Felagund
Open Mic! Anyone who wants to read is welcome to do so!
Closing Remarks
Middle-earth Olympics Team List Now Available
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
The Middle-earth Olympics are coming! If you want to check out the teams that have registered so far, see our team list. To join a team, contact the team captain or contact the SWG mods to join. New team registrations are welcome through Sunday, July 11. Once we have the list complete on July 12, you will be able to register for a team via form.
Remember that you don't need to join a team to participate. Individual participants are very welcome! For full details on the challenge, see the Middle-earth Olympics challenge page.
Website Errors
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
Update: All issues with the website should be fixed. Please report any errors or problems you may encounter to the moderator team or by emailing us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org.
The website is currently throwing errors on some pages (known problems are on user and reference pages). We're aware of the problem and working on it so no need to report issues.
Character of the Month: Idril Celebrindal
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
This month's character biography brings to life Idril Celebrindal, a character at the center of some of Tolkien's oldest and most important writings whose tale can be stitched together from a patchwork of sources. Read Idril Celebrindal's biography, written by Lindariel, here.
Middle-earth Olympics Team Sign-Ups Open
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
Quick Links: Register a Team | Team List
The Summer Olympics … a time when the world unites to cheer on their favorite teams in popular sports while pretending to understand the finer points of the more obscure events. Sports and games were likewise a part of the legendarium, whether the Galadriel's prowess as a swimmer, undertaken in Arda's salad days, or Maedhros's single-handed fencing skills and similar militaristic exercises from Middle-earth's darker eras.
This month, in honor of the 20201 Summer Olympics and sport in Middle-earth, we present our own Olympic games! This month will feature a series of prompts that can be done as an individual or a team. Want to join a team? Sign-ups are open to set up a national team for your favorite group of characters from the legendarium!
Right now, registration is open for national teams. If you'd like to register a team, check out the Middle-earth Olympics guidelines and register your team for Middle-earth Olympics. If you'd like to join a team, see the team list and contact the team captain or the mods to join. If you want to participate individually, you don't need to do anything at all yet--just create something for one or more of the challenge prompts when they open on July 15!
Important Dates
July 11: Last day to create a team
July 12: Open sign-ups for teams begin
July 15: Challenge prompts posted
July 16: Last day to join a team
July 17, time TBD: Opening Ceremony on Discord
August 10: Last day for challenge entries
August 15, time TBD: Medal and Closing Ceremonies
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 10 August 2021. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
New Challenge: Back to the Future
Posted by Dawn Felagund on . Last updated on .
"I imagine the gap to be about 6000 years: that is we are now at the end of the Fifth Age, if the Ages were of about the same length as S.A. and T.A. But they have, I think, quickened; and I imagine we are actually at the end of the Sixth Age, or in the Seventh."
J.R.R. Tolkien, "Letter 211 to Rhona Beare" (1958)
In the same letter to Ms. Beare quoted above, Tolkien also wrote, "I have, I suppose, constructed an imaginary time, but kept my feet on my own mother-earth for place," leading many fans to interpret our current time as the Seventh Age. However, as the quote shows, Tolkien was far from certain of that conclusion--and the rapidity with which his ideas were evolving at this point in his work on The Silmarillion casts similar doubt on just about anything he wrote during this time. (Dome of Varda, anyone?)
This month's challenge asks you to put a character, culture, or place in Arda in the Seventh Age. When the Seventh Age actually is--is it right now? in the future? or was Tolkien totally wrong and it's actually passed?--is completely up to you.
Furthermore, June is Pride Month, and as in years past, fanworks that include LGBTQ+ charcters will receive a special stamp.
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 10 July 2021. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
