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!
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
Plot Thickens
Create a fanwork that depicts characters in the act of plotting something. 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.
Opposites Attract
Yavanna and Aulë. Andreth and Aegnor. Gimli and Legolas. You know what they say, opposites attract…or do they? In this month’s challenge, it’s entirely up to you! We’ll present you with a pair of opposites to do with as you choose, whether that’s romance in the air or tragedy in the offing.
As in years past, because February is Black History Month, we encourage fanworks about characters of color and will have a special stamp for them. In addition, we are opening our new Art section, so artwork will also receive a special stamp.
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
-
Praise - scorn
Large - small
Love - hate
War - peace
Wet - dry
Sea - sky
Rise - fall
Fast - slow
Fire - ice
First - last
Beginning - ending
Give - receive
Night - day
Arrive - depart
Interest - bore
Brilliant - dull
Bright - dim
Combine - separate
Generous - parsimonious
Famous - unknown
Merry - sad
Dead - alive
Contract - expand
Accept - refuse
Ally - enemy
Strong - weak
Vast - minute
Create - destroy
Break - repair
Busy - idle
Hot - cold
Foreign - native
Sunrise - sunset
Autumn - spring
East - west
North - south
Drunk - sober
Easy - hard
Wide - narrow
Neat - messy
Natural - artificial
Polite - rude
Leather - lace
Harsh - gentle
Pen - sword
Methodical - scattershot
Logical - random
Reason - nonsense
Canoe - yacht
Fire - water
Vibrant-muted
Fanworks Tagged with Opposites Attract
Bits and Pieces Under 300 Words by sallysavestheday
An evolving collection of little bits and drabbles, too short to publish on their own.
How I met your mother by daughterofshadows
Rog tells Celebrilmal how he first met her mother when Celebrilmal is in need of some patching up
The way of things by firstamazon
Maitimo helps Fëanáro, and Fëanáro decides something important.
Written for the Monthly Challenge Opposites Attract with the prompt "organized-chaotic"
Come Back to the Valley by StarSpray
Celebrían sees Elrond off when he departs for Mordor, and she is there to greet him when he returns.
the marks that bind us by polutropos
In Ossiriand after Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Celegorm meets the Green-elf he deserves.
Calm and Storm by Independence1776
The Third Kinslaying: the calm before the storm and the aftereffects.
After the Dragon by Lferion
After his first encounter with Glaurung, Fingon reflects on what it means to be brave.
The king perishes with his city by elennalore
Turgon watches Gondolin burn. Someone watches Turgon.
What remains by chrissystriped
After the destruction of the Ring, Eonwe searches for Sauron and takes him home.
Starlit Waves by Raiyana
“Congratulations, my love, you have made a plank. Yet again.” Dry tones teased his ears softly, the silent footsteps of his beloved Ngilith giving him no warning of her approach.
Círdan smiled, running the pad of his thumb over the smooth surface of the wide board. “Not a plank, this, dearest,” he mused, leaning back against her chest for a moment when she drew near. Lifting the waiting pot, he watched a thin stream of oil catch the light of the torches someone had lit while he was busy smoothing the wood. “A board.” He spread the pool of oil with his fingers, feeling the smooth glide of skin against wood with a joyful satisfaction. “I wish to travel as the waves do, bare and unfettered as we rush towards shore.” He could see it so clearly, feel the rush and song of waves racing with him, Ossë’s laughter bright as noonlight on water.
She laughed, a sound he had missed more than he knew in her absence, pressing herself against his back, her chin resting lightly against his shoulder.
Círdan Falben by Anérea
After living for hundreds, never mind thousands, of years by the sea there's no way that Círdan wasn't a) as brown as a berry, and b) didn't invent surfing.
