Tolkien's lecture and essay On Fairy-Stories presents a theory of fantasy literature, including the idea of a Cauldron of Story. Here, Tolkien draws an analogy between a pot of soup, with all its ingredients boiling in the same broth, and the construction of a story, drawing "ingredients" from the "cauldron" in combinations unique and flavorful.

This month's Cultus Dispatches column, which focuses on Tolkien fandom history and culture, began with the question: How do fanfiction authors use Jackson's films in their stories? A previous column had shown the world of Tolkien fanfic is very much a book-based one, yet the films are undoubtedly influential. What did navigating the sometimes contradictory film and book texts look like for authors who chose to challenge themselves in this way?

The result of my research—which relied on Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data and interviews with fanfiction authors who wrote movieverse fic—brought the Cauldron of Story immediately to mind. Although the ways authors used the films were diverse—no single person I interviewed used them in quite the same way—the pattern that emerged was one of selection and critique. Authors were both selective and purposeful in their choices, which they made with a blend of story, commentary, and personal preference in mind.

And so we end up with a Cauldron of Fanfic, and just like Tolkien's cooks in the original metaphor, they do not dip their ladle blindly. To read more about what I learned from my research, check out Cauldron of Fanfic: The Use of Jackson's Films in Constructing Tolkien-Based.

SWG News

New Challenge: Stars
Create a fanwork using star-themed prompts presented in a bingo board format.

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.

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.

Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.

Video and Multimedia Fanwork Types Are Coming
As we begin building the video and multimedia fanwork types, we are interested in feedback from creators who would use these types of fanwork.

New Fanworks

As Fire and Tempest by Zdenka [Writing]

Gwindor and Celebrimbor share their fears, after a council meeting in which Túrin got his way.

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incessantly softly wash again, and ever again by Zdenka [Writing]

A lament for Nargothrond, in the aftermath of the Battle of Tumhalad. (Prose poem, also an exact drabble according to MS Word.)

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Lindórië looks to the future by Anérea [Artwork]

silhouette portrait of Lindórië, grandmother of Tar-Palantir

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An Alluring Offer by octopus_fool [Writing]

Tata is offered a solution to a grave problem, at a very low price...

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most days I don't recognize me by annarobots [Writing]

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 moments, even in Valinor. Her heart needed a break.

A story about Nerdanel, the total self-obliteration of motherhood, and what comes after.

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Rise from the Ashes by AdmirableMonster [Writing]

In the wake of Sauron's death, his Mouth remembers Númenor.

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Crossing the Great Sea by elennalore [Writing]

He has perhaps made a great mistake, but it's too late now.

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Updated Fanworks

A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray [Writing]

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.

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From That Rubble by StarSpray [Writing]

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 have much else to do. I need to build something new there,” he said after a few moments. “To do that, I must first clear away the old and broken things.”

Decades out of Mandos, too many things in Fëanor's life remain broken. He can't do anything except wait for his sons to come to him, but he can do something about the old and crumbling house where they once lived. 

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The Mirror Crack'd by AdmirableMonster [Writing]

Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new life and finds he has a queer connection with Maedhros, Himring's lord. As their intimacy grows, however, so do the dangers surrounding them, both without and within. What secrets are hidden inside the depths of Anniavas's lost memories--and how will those with whom he is forging and deepening bonds react, when those secrets are at last revealed?

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Eat, Pray, Love by AdmirableMonster [Series]

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.

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Around the World and Web

LotR Week 2026
A week-long event for The Lord of the Rings

Fingon x Finrod x Maedhros Day 2026
A day to celebrate the relationship of the three eldest princes.

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

Silm Smut Week 2026
Silm Smut Week is a Tumblr event celebrating sexually explicit fanworks.

Erestober 2026
An event running throughout October, to show appreciation for Erestor!

Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.

Finwëan Ladies Week 2026
Finwëan Ladies Week will run from September 21-27, 2026!