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] Shepherd Princess by Himring
A princess and her sheepdog. (Drabble featuring a young Ancalime.)
[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] 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] Nasyalossë by Lovimmy3365
Erestor lay up against a tree, brown washed to black in the wet of the snow. The black disc of the new moon sailed across the dark sky. Erestor wished it were gone. He had no need to look into dark eyes any longer.
He was dying.
(AKA Erestor unwittingly travels back in time to the…
[Playlist] Yacht Rock Silmarillion by Dawn Felagund
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the characters in The Silmarillion were smoooooth like they were sippin' a Sex on the Beach on a party barge in the harbor at Alqualondë? The "Yacht Rock Silmarillion" retells The Silmarillion as though the characters all had perms…
[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?”
Epic 80s
Create a fanwork using on of our righteous prompts based on popular culture from the 1980s. Read more ...
First Lines
Choose a famous first line to start your own story or inspire a non-written 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.
I like the idea that it was the Guild of Venturers that inspired by the Gwaith-i-Mirdain! I enjoyed your descriptions of all this.
And it was nice to see the idea being so inclusive from the beginning so that a Numenorean OC is among the first members and even ensures that it will actually happen.
Nice that Celebrimbor finds his direction again, but also gets an opportunity to write a letter.
Thank you for your comment! I'm happy you liked it.
I love this fic!
Celebrimbor gets the idea for the Gwaith-i-Mirdain from Aldarion and Telda wants to join. I love that it is her question that makes him realise he'd already made up his mind.
Erestor and Celebrimbor wonder who the returned elf might be and if it is possible for the Feanorians, too, and they are so surprised when they are offered to go back to Aman. They still think of themselves as exiles, even when the ban has been lifted.
Celebrimbor writing a letter to his mother is so touching. I wonder what she will think when she gets it.
I'm happy you liked it!
I think Celebrimbor's mother will be quite surprised when she gets the letter. She has accepted the fact that her son has gone away, but now she realizes that there might be a way to contact him through Númenor. She feels too shy to try to contact Celebrimbor, though, but the letter she received will be dear to her.
Thank you for your comment! And sorry for answering late.
This trip to Númenor has been good for Celebrimbor. He feels rejuvenated and has found in the Guild of Venturers an inspiration for his own inclusive guild of jewel-smiths (and other makers). And his mum will get a lovely postcard (and probably cry).
Erestor spending his time in Númenor sorting out the King's library is hilarious really.
The news from the Telerin elves that an Exiled elf has been re-embodied is intriguing to them both, and brings hope that those they have lost may also return from the Halls of Mandos.
Thank you for your comment! It was a really fun story to write and I enjoyed putting there all those little things about their life in the early second age.
This was a lovely story!!
I chuckled (sympathetically) with Erestor's sea-aversion. The detail of him getting to set all the First Age records straight was nice! The friendship between Celebrimbor and Aldarion (against all odds), and the dark humor Celebrimbor and Erestor share (the 'unpaid debts' to Cirdan) was also a very realistic touch.
Having to constantly assert 'It's not the ships!' lol I love that this is the spark which inspired the Gwaith-i-Mirdain! I like Telda, too!
That awkward meeting with the Tol Eressea elves was a nice touch.
Aww, Erestor's oath to stick with Elrond! (Probably best not to mention it to him lol)
Ah this was just lovely!! <3
Thank you! Erestor was a new character for me to write, but I found him very interesting, and I'll probably write about him again.
I'm happy you liked Telda, too, she's one of my rare true original characters (who are not just unnamed canon characters). This is my second fic where she appears, in addition to one drabble.
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