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.
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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 Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
Comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
[Writing] and let's be winners by mistake by atlantablack
"Move farther north," Caranthir says to her a month after the attack, gaze steady on her even as his hands continue briskly gutting fish. "There is plenty of land closer to my fortress, and my people can help protect yours if there is another attack."
Haleth looks up from her…
[Writing] Changing Styles by StarSpray
“What did you do to your hair?”
[Writing] A Song Amidst His Torment by Elrond's Library
Of course it was a trap.
Maitimo has to survive. He must. But what price is too high to pay for survival?
[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] Star of Hope by Fuin
A new star shines in the sky. They claim it brings hope.
[Writing] The Message by Flora-lass
Borondir carries Steward Cirion's urgent request to Eorl the Young, with the help of his horse but at great personal cost.
Epic 80s
Create a fanwork using on of our righteous prompts based on popular culture from the 1980s. Read more ...
Also Appearing
Choose from 120 alternate universe prompts, both settings and genres, to inspire a fanwork. Read more ...
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.
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
By definition, fanworks fandom does not draw a lot of boundaries, but community archives and events have taken a strong stance against AI-generated fanworks due to ethical considerations and member input.
[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…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Celedriel Week 2026
A Tumblr event week focusing on the relationship between Celeborn and Galadriel.
Esoteric Tolkien Week 2026
A fandom event dedicated to the strange, otherworldly, and inexplicable in Middle-earth and beyond.
Tolkien Gen Week 2026
Tolkien Gen Week will run from July 6-12, 2026 to appreciate all of the incredible characters and relationships within Tolkien’s legendarium that fall under the broad category of “gen.”
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
Ahaha, fun! I especially liked that part where Maedhros knows exactly when Fingon isn't paying any attention to him. I always love not-so-dark-and-driven First Age Maedhros, since fics seem to like to depict him as either a soulless wreck or someone hardened and deadened past all human emotion post-Thangorodrim. I do like to think of him as very focused on the war in the north - and very observant due to self-delusions being burned away - but surely nobody, even an elf lord, can live totally dark and driven for 400 years.
Thank you! Maedhros doesn't just know exactly that Fingon isn't paying attention to him, but he is also declining to be humoured like a victim you have to be sorry for (or, worse, a soulless wreck!).
I love this! (And am very honored--and surprised!--that it was inspired by "Love by Moonlight." :) Having the wandering mind of a writer, I've been in Fingon's shoes before (though, luckily, my husband does not embarrass me as Maedhros did! ;). The observation that Maedhros's voice sounds so like it did in Valinor is a lovely and poignant detail, as is Fingon's inability to remember exactly what they spoke about. Now you've got my mind turning over the possibilities; it may be that this piece will inspire another from me in turn! :D
I would be so delighted if you wrote anything about a light-hearted conversation that Maitimo and Findekano had in Valinor! I hope you do! I was a great deal moved by Love by Moonlight, especially by your delicate description of Fingon's endurance. However, I couldn't help thinking in an irreverent corner of my mind: Why are you nattering on about allegiance, Maedhros, when you are talking to the person most loyal to you in all of Beleriand (except perhaps Maglor)? Well, you notice this is the summer version, so to speak! (Umm... I didn't want to weigh the piece down too much with notes, in case people thought it was all very slight and silly, but in terms of the series, this is after Maedhros has decided that it’s all right for him to be in love with Fingon, as long as he doesn’t let Fingon know, so playing the same trick on him that he played on him once in Valinor is a bit of a smoke screen, a way of saying: Look, things are back to normal between us, in spite of everything that has happened since! That also might throw some light on why his voice sounds as it does...)
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Comments on Pink Biscuits
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