New Challenge: Crossroads of the Fallen King
Cross "The Silmarillion" with a second text or fandom in this month's crossover challenge.
SWG News
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.
Choose a Name for Our New Column!
Our temporarily titled "location bio" will focus on the landscapes and locations of Middle-earth. We need your help naming it!
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] On a night of stars, a bird by Quente
Nimloth and Dior meet, and he is naked.
Alternatively,
Melian travels south to visit her daughter, and meets a familiar looking bird.
Written for the Tengwar prompt, Quessë (feather).
[Writing] Apprentice by Quente
Dior is in Menegroth learning to be his grandfather's heir -- but his grandmother decides to take him as apprentice too.
Written for the Tengwar Challenge, May 15: Súlë (spirit).
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge.
All 36 prompts plus bonus chapter
[Writing] A blip on the radar by daughterofshadows
Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.
[Writing] History abandons us by AdmirableMonster
During his incarceration in Roderick Burgess' basement, Dream receives a strange, ancient visitor.
[Writing] Tengwar Acrostics by Himring
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)
[Writing] Tengwar Drabbles by cílil
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
Current Challenge
Crossroads of the Fallen King
Create a fanwork that crosses with a second text or fandom. Read more ...
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Songs of Arda
Create a fanwork about music. Read more ...
New in References
Thálatta! Thálatta! by Simon J. Cook
[]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.
[]
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.
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]In a book as full of death as the Quenta Silmarillion, grief and mourning are surprisingly absent. The characters who receive grief and mourning—and those who don't—appear to do so due to narrative bias. Grief and mourning (or a lack of them) serve to draw attention toward and away from objectionable actions committed by characters.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Waybread (The Waybredlik) by Himring
[]Lembas speaks out.
[Series] Apr 1st Stories by Uvatha the Horseman
[]Once a year on April 1st, a canon character from LOTR or the Silmarillion gets pranked.
[Writing] Crossing Forest River by Dawn Felagund
[]Bilbo recounts, in verse, the attempt of Gandalf, Beorn, and him to cross the Forest River after the Battle of Five Armies. Written for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's 2024 Mailing Competition.
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!
Sunrise Before I Ever Saw the Sun by Himring
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A Little Slow
Between two trips, Maedhros returns to Tirion, eagerly awaited by young Findekano. At first, it is not entirely a success.
Fingon's POV
Warnings: none
First posted written and posted to the b2mem community on LiveJournal for the B2MeM 2013 prompt (Day 19, O): "Fëanor and his sons abode seldom in one place for long, but travelled far and wide upon the confines of Valinor, going even to the borders of the Dark and the cold shores of the Outer Sea, seeking the unknown".
‘Maitimo, Maitimo, I missed you! Did you miss me?’
He looks quite startled at the question. I feel a lump rise in my throat.
‘You didn’t, did you?’
‘You’re jumping to conclusions, Findekano’, he says, quietly.
It doesn’t take me long to work out that although he looks positively dazzling—all decked out in finery for the all-royal occasion—he is feeling very uncomfortable, for reasons that have little to do with me. I guess another incident happened, as my mother calls them, one of those incidents that never get discussed. But nevertheless…!
He knows I’m disappointed. At dinner, he passes me the salt and an apologetic look.
***
‘…and then naturally Ecthelion had to take him up on it and—Maitimo, why are you smiling like that?’
‘I did miss you, Findekano. I missed you a great deal.’
‘Maitimo, it’s taken you a whole day to answer that question!’
‘I know. Sometimes I’m a little slow. Is it too late now?’
He’s looking as if he thinks that might really be the case. Sometimes, he is a little strange. How could it be too late?
‘Of course it isn’t!’
He’s wearing his plain copper circlet today. He is good-looking enough to carry off wearing his father’s handiwork, but I think he looks even better without half the contents of a jewellery shop in his hair.
He laughs as I pull him down the street.
***
He’s only just reached the bottom of the steps when suddenly he stops and starts dashing up them again. There’s something he’s forgotten to pack? No. We’ve made our farewells already, but here he comes, swooping down to pull me into one last hug.
‘Sometimes I’m just a little slow, cousin’, he whispers. ‘Remember, will you?’
I hadn’t realized it bothered him still.
‘I will, Maitimo!’, I promise.
Over his shoulder, I see Uncle Feanaro impatiently tapping his foot at the bottom of the stair. So maybe it’s not entirely noble of me—but for once it is not me who is being kept waiting.
It feels good.
