At the Crossroads (Volume 19, Issue 20)
Writing or creating a crossover is like adding another ball or three when learning to juggle. It's one thing to keep everything required of writing or creating a fanwork effortlessly aloft when you're dealing with one fandom. But crossovers demand that you add another (or more?) fandom and all that entails in terms of character, setting, plot, style, and the myriad other elements that creators juggle in their work.
This month's challenge is Crossroads of the Fallen King and it is, quite simply, a crossover challenge: Mix The Silmarillion with something else. What that "something else" is is entirely up to you. It could be a media text or another book. It could be another Tolkien book! It could be mythology, folklore, or real-world history.
If you're looking for inspiration, check out one of the 78 crossover fanworks already on our site.
Some housekeeping: We tag fanworks on our site by crossover text. Here is a list of the crossover texts already on our site. If the one you need isn't there, use the Moderator Request field when posting your fanwork, or let us know ahead of time and we'll make sure it is added. (Just reply to this email!)
We're having one of those wild months where we have two challenges running at the same time. The Tengwar challenge is still ongoing (since there are more tengwar than days in the month), and you can post Tengwar fanworks and receive a stamp up to June 15. (This is also the deadline for creator stamps for the Crossroads of the Fallen King challenge.)
If you've never done one of our challenges before, you should join us! Full challenge guidelines can be found here.
SWG News
New Challenge: Crossroads of the Fallen King
Cross "The Silmarillion" with a second text or fandom in this month's crossover challenge.
A Sense of History: Thálatta! Thálatta!
While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
Cultus Dispatches: Canon Deviations, Multifandoms, and Original Content
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data gives some insight into what connections, if any, exist between fanfiction and original fiction.
New Fanworks
A blip on the radar by by daughterofshadows [Writing]
Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.
Read more ...History abandons us by by AdmirableMonster [Writing]
During his incarceration in Roderick Burgess' basement, Dream receives a strange, ancient visitor.
Read more ...Tengwar Acrostics by by Himring [Writing]
Responses to the Tengwar Challenge in which first letters spell out the name of a tengwa.
1) Early Encounter (Nerdanel, Indis)
2) Numenorean Lullaby (Almarian, Aldarion)
Read more ...If i get home before daylight by by BloodwingBlackbird [Writing]
a traveler meets a stranger at a crossroads.
Read more ...Tengwar Drabbles by by cílil [Writing]
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
Read more ...Updated Fanworks
Tengwar: To The Letter by by cuarthol [Writing]
For the Tengwar prompt challenge.
All 36 prompts plus bonus chapter
Around the World and Web
Mythcon 53: Fantasies of the Middle Lands
Mythcon 53 will be held 2-5 August 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the theme "Fantasies of the Middle Lands."
Teitho May/June Challenge: Joker
For the May/June Teitho challenge, you can pick ANY of our past challenges that stir your imagination and write a story or create art for it.
Monstrous May 2024
Monstrous May is a Tumblr event where, for each day of the month of May, there is a prompt involving and invoking the monstrous.
Fellowship of the Fics: Modern AU May
During May, Fellowship of the Fics offers modern AU prompt lists for setting, character occupation, and dialogue on Tumblr.
May challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The May challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic challenge: name; formal challenge: acrostic. As usual, these can be filled independently and freely combined with other prompts such as the SWG challenges. New participants welcome!
Teitho April/May Challenge: Quotes
Teitho is a monthly fanfiction contest. Our April/May prompt uses the source material directly for inspiration with quotes to choose from.
Forgotten Ground Regained: Call for Submissions
Forgotten Ground Regained is looking for alliterative poetry on the themes of love, devotion, and desire for their upcoming fall issue.
WIP Big Bang 2024
The WIP Big Bang has one goal in mind: to clean out your fanfic drafts folder. Complete a story and receive art to go with it.
May 2024 Calls for Papers
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers in May 2024.
Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (TRSB) 2024
Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang is an annual event where authors create a story of at least 5,000 words in response to an artwork created for the event.
Tolkien Ekphrasis Week 2024
This is a Tolkien-fandom-wide event dedicated to the art of ekphrasis in Tolkien's worlds, hosted on Tumblr and Dreamwidth.
Acorns and Oak Leaves: A Year of Bagginshield
Throughout 2024, the Bagginshield community Acorns and Oak Leaves offers monthly prompts to encourage new creations of all kinds.