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SWG News
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
A Sense of History: Crossroads
In the ongoing series on towers in Tolkien's work, a thread runs through "The Lord of the Rings," revealing the divine assistance of Varda in the travails of the Fellowship.
Cultus Dispatches: Canon Deviations, Multifandoms, and Original Content
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data gives some insight into what connections, if any, exist between fanfiction and original fiction.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Tengwar (working title) by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through 'Anca'
[Writing] I Stood Aside by Flora-lass
Maedhros' horror at the burning of the ships. Inspired by a painting (see notes).
[Reference] 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.
[Writing] Words of Wisdom by AdmirableMonster
One or more drabbles about Pengolodh and his babysitter Salgant.
[Writing] Les Mots de Sagesse by AdmirableMonster
Plusieurs petites histoires qui parle de Pengolodh et Salgant pendant des moments differents.
[Writing] "Tengwar" ficlets by chrissystriped
Fics written for the "Tengwar" challenge.
[Writing] Upon Cirith Thoronath by StarSpray
A horrid cacophony of cries erupts ahead of them, as orcs appear—up the cliff on hidden ledges, on the path, with bows and swords. And behind them rises a figure of darkness and flame. The heat rolls down the path over them, bringing the smell of burning flesh and bitter fear with it. Someone…
Current Challenge
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Middle-earth Museum
Stroll the halls of an imaginary Middle-earth Museum and choose one (or more!) objects from our prompt list to inspire the creation of a fanwork. 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
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!
May 2024 Calls for Papers
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers in May 2024.
Angbang Week 2024
All new, unpublished fanworks about the Angbang (Melron) ship are welcome during this Tumblr event, running 6-12 May 2024.
Words of Wit and Wisdom
J.R.R. Tolkien wasn’t just the creator of Middle-earth. He was also a scholar of philology. One of his first jobs was with the Oxford English Dictionary, where he was assigned a welter of words beginning with W. In this month’s challenge, we’re presenting you a bingo card with Prof. Tolkien’s W words we hope will inspire a wealth of wonder, wit, worldbuilding, and general whimsy.
You are free to work in as many of the prompts as you wish in your creation. Responses do not have to attempt to complete a row or another bingo pattern--using even just one prompts is fine! However, as in years past, there will be special stamps for completed rows or card blackouts, so please include in your story notes if you complete a row or the entire card (or email us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org to let us know you need those stamps.)
If you'd like an additional challenge or inspiration, click on a square to read the original OED entry.
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
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- Words of Wit & Whimsy Bingo Text-Only Prompts
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If you need assistance at any time, including devising prompt combinations that fill rows or other bingo patterns, please email the SWG moderators at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org.
B1: waggle
B2: wallop
B3: water
B4: wasp
B5: warlock
I1: winter
I2: wane
I3: want
I4: warm
I5: wake
N1: waistcoat
N2: wander
FREE SPACE
N4: wild
N5: wield
G1: wruxled
G2: waiting
G3: wain
G4: wick
G5: wandreth
O1: whole
O2: wampum
O3: walrus
O4: walnut
O5: walm
Fanworks Tagged with Words of Wit and Wisdom
Aesthetic Appreciation by Lferion
Fingon, Returned, takes in some of the sights of spring. A quadruple drabble.
The Shipwright and the Hobbit by daughterofshadows
Belladonna goes to the sea and understands something of importance.
Círdan is there for emotional support, even if he doesn't know it.
It'll All Be Clear by StarSpray
Eluréd and Elurín return to Imladris after their search for Daeron, but all is not well with them.
Words of Whimsy and Wit by Lferion
Fills for the March 2021 Silmarillion Writer's Guild bingo challenge, based on W words edited by JRRTolkien from the Oxford English Dictionary. Poems, drabbles and half drabbles ranging from silly to solemn.
Wruxled in White by Lindariel
I did the entire "Words of Wit and Whimsey" bingo card.
Intoxicated. by hennethgalad
Finrod learns more.
"Words of wit and whimsy" all of line 3 (free spac: weald)
The Wild of the Helcaraxë by ArizonaPoppy
A dare between siblings on the icy expanse leads to an encounter with the local fauna
In Time. by hennethgalad
At the 'anniversary' of the delving of Menegroth, Finrod wears a waistcoat...
for “Words of Wit and Whimsy” bingo. (includes all the words of the top line.) Especially 'waistcoat'
