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] 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!
[Writing] If i get home before daylight by BloodwingBlackbird
a traveler meets a stranger at a crossroads.
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
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!
To Whom It May Concern by Anne Wolfe
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Chapter One
To Whom It May Concern
Chapter One
Mt. St. Helens, Washington
“You are so lucky to live up here, Becca!” Ethel grinned through her shivers. “Back home it’s been an oven all month.” She shoved a persistent clump of dense curls back under her hat.
“What I’d give…” Rebecca’s three scarves muffled her voice considerably. “I don’t see how you can stand the cold, Eth. I’d rob a whole bank to be able to work from Mom and Dad’s.”
“Too bad I didn’t go into accounting. I’d go hiking every day after work if I had your job.” Ethel plunked her hiking stick on the rocky trail with every step.
“You can paint anywhere, can’t you? You could just move in with me.” Rebecca plied her stick with but the faintest whisper of sound, as if thinking she might see a moose plod into her field of vision if only she was quiet enough.
Ethel pursed her lips. “I guess, but Mom and Dad would get lonely.”
“Ahh.” Rebecca nodded. “Can’t have that. Maybe they could move up here?”
“Like they’re ever going to leave Great-grandpa’s farm.”
“Oh, yeah… Well, I’m sure we can figure something out. If you want.”
They walked in silence for some time, frequently pausing for water or a small snack.
Ethel squinted into the distance. “Hey, Becca. You see that?” She pointed a mittened finger in the pertinent direction.
Rebecca also squinted. “Well, I sure see something weird. Do you suppose someone tripped and dropped their flashlight?”
“Perhaps… Hey, there isn’t any rule against getting off the trail, is there?”
“I’m sure it’s disapproved of at the very least. The ground can’t be very stable— Ethel Sarah Meyer, what on this green earth are you doing?”
Ethel hopped off the beaten path and bolted for the glowing splotch in the distance. “I’m just getting the flashlight— I’ll be back in a jiffy!”
The light source was buried under a pile of small rocks, and indeed one more pebble might have obscured it from view entirely. Ethel swiped the top layer away, revealing—
“Oh, say it ain’t so.”
A brilliant white gem lay nestled among other, more common stones. It glowed.
She had read about such things as these, forbidden things which brought an ill fate to any who dared possess them. If her knees had not failed her, she might have stood. She might have returned to Rebecca. She might have left the whole ages-old, supposed-to-be-fictional mess behind her.
She could not stand. Her knees collapsed under her, and her saliva seemed to boil in her mouth. Oh goodness, she was going to throw up if she didn’t do something. She pulled her scarf off, and took deep breaths of the cold air. Eventually her mouth returned to its normal temperature. She replaced her scarf.
Since she could not stand, she sat.
Well. Perhaps she ought to think about things— it would certainly be better than running blindfolded, so to speak. She looked away from the jewel and shut her eyes.
The entire Silmarillion stood as good evidence for why she ought to calmly leave without even touching the thing— but someone who hadn’t even read The Hobbit might come across it and decide it would be a cool souvenir. Ethel shuddered to think of the bloodshed that would result from that— oh, bother it all.
She’d have to take it. She couldn’t trust anyone else with it.
Not wanting it to burn her hand, Ethel left her mittens on to grab the Silmaril and stuff it in her backpack. Shoving it down under the extra water and trail mix, she began the walk back to where Rebecca still waited with tapping toe and crossed arms.
“I got it!” Ethel forced a carefree grin.
“You’d better have. Why’d you sit down for so long?”
“Had to take a breather. I’m absolute garbage at sprinting.”
“Wimp.” Rebecca punched Ethel’s shoulder.
Ethel laughed. “Oh, sure, Miss can’t-take-the-cold.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Come on, let’s finish this hike.”
