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.
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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.
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
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.
[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] Explain This by Elrond's Library
Melkor demands an account of Mairon’s failures.
[Writing] Message in a Bottle by StarSpray
Over the course of his very long life he had found a handful of messages in bottles, but it had been a very long time. So when he found the glass bottle on his little stretch of pebbly beach, he picked it up with the intention of tossing it into his recycling. But it wasn’t, he found, just…
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
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.
[Artwork] Nerdanel/Nienna moodboard by Independence1776
A Nerdanel/Nienna moodboard.
[Writing] The Stars of Home by Idrils Scribe
Elrohir has been found after his long abduction by the Black Númenóreans of Umbar. He comes home to Rivendell, but all is not well: the Elf-child that was taken is now a Man grown. War and darkness have left Elrohir deeply scarred, and even at home there is danger...
An alternate universe…
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
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.
[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.
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
Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.
Gigolas Week 2026
Gigolas Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Legolas and Gimli
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
Oh, this is wonderful! I've been so bad at commenting on your whole series, but it's been such a delight to read over the last few, rather difficult, months, with the very regular updates. Your writing is so soothing, somehow, even when the subject-matter is anguished, with your beautiful descriptions of scenery and nature and the elements, and so many attempts at comfort. Thank you!
So, I'll try and do better at commenting on these challenge responses. I love the fact that you're producing letters from Feanor to all his sons, and thinking of all the different gifts he makes for them. And it says so much that he wants to send Curufin his imperfect attempts at gem-craft. I'm so glad Curufin eventually follows his heart and goes to see his father - he's been mourning for so long - and the reunion right at the end was lovely. These two really want things to be different this time around, and I hope they'll find it easier together, whatever anyone else thinks.
I really like this insight into Caranthir! How he loves butterflies and flowers and gardens, and loved Thargelion so much but didn't want to be a lord, and more than anything just wants to be a brother (as previously seen in his closeness to Maglor, as well as with Maedhros here). He seems so gentle - apart from when he's angry or feels inadequate.
I'm in awe of how much you write! Looking forward to more letters (although it sounds as though Celegorm may have disposed of his? :( )
I really enjoyed this quiet chapter, with its glimpse into the house in the woods, and the fact that the twins receive separate letters and gifts. It's interesting how Amrod at first isn't sure what to feel, but then starts thinking about seeking out his grandmother - and likes his gift, as Amras does, and appreciates what Feanor has remembered. I'm wondering if they might decide to reply to him?
(And it's great that Celegorm's letter and gift have been rescued...)
I love how calm and reasonable Amras is; how he thinks about everything his brothers did for him when he and Amrod were young, and how he appreciates never having been lonely; how he lets himself cry for a while, but then puts Feanor's gift on display and enjoys it. I'm so glad we get to see Celegorm's arrival, and the warm welcone and practical comfort he receives - Amras and Amrod truly seem to have found peace, and are able and willing to share it, which is such a relief - I love to think of them like this.
These have all be very beautiful to read. I know you were finding the gift for Celegorm hard to work out, but honestly this feels perfect.
Thank you! The problem I was running into with Celegorm is that he's known as a hunter and my mind kept going to thinks like hunting knives or something and I really didn't want Feanor to be making anything close to weaponry, lol. I'm glad the thing I settled on feels right. <3
Oh, poor Celegorm! This is powerful and painful - I feel so bad for him, with everything he's going through and struggling with; Maedhros and Maglor going away, and then actually reading Feanor's letter at last, and all those tears. I like how Feanor compares him to the moon - and the gift is lovely. I hope he can find that thing to focus on, to help him heal - and I really hope you'll write more about him!
You already know how much I liked the other chapters, I think!
I finally got back to Curufin, too, just in time, to catch up as you continue with the series!
It is great how well you managed to integrate those prompts; it feels very much like an integral part of the story you are telling about the brothers and (for want of a better work) their network.
Thank you! I already had this fic on my mind when I went looking through the prompts, and all the ones I picked really helped bring each of the chapters into focus as I wrote them.
It felt integral to me to write this fic just so I could figure out where everyone's at, and something of their individual relationships with Feanor, going into A Hundred Miles Through the Desert, and I'm glad it works for you as a reader as well! <3
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