New Challenge: Crossroads of the Fallen King
Cross "The Silmarillion" with a second text or fandom in this month's crossover challenge.
SWG News
A Sense of History: Thálatta! Thálatta!
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.
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!
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge.
All 36 prompts plus bonus chapter
[Writing] A blip on the radar by daughterofshadows
Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.
[Writing] History abandons us by AdmirableMonster
During his incarceration in Roderick Burgess' basement, Dream receives a strange, ancient visitor.
[Writing] Tengwar Acrostics by Himring
Responses to the Tengwar Challenge in which first letters spell out the name of a tengwa.
1) Early Encounter (Nerdanel, Indis)
2) Numenorean Lullaby (Almarian, Aldarion)
[Writing] Tengwar Drabbles by cílil
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
[Writing] If i get home before daylight by BloodwingBlackbird
a traveler meets a stranger at a crossroads.
Current Challenge
Crossroads of the Fallen King
Create a fanwork that crosses with a second text or fandom. Read more ...
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Breaking Boundaries
Create a fanwork that shows a meeting between characters of two or more cultures. 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
Mythcon 53: Fantasies of the Middle Lands
Mythcon 53 will be held 2-5 August 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the theme "Fantasies of the Middle Lands."
Teitho May/June Challenge: Joker
For the May/June Teitho challenge, you can pick ANY of our past challenges that stir your imagination and write a story or create art for it.
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!
Fanworks Tagged with Elves
Wolves And Shattered Shields by Hoglorfen
An Orc and an Elf tries to learn to live with a bond that should not be, but as the War between the Elves and Sauron picks up things go from bad to worse. Sequel to "The Ties that Bind".
The Ties that Bind by Hoglorfen
Middle Earth, early Second Age. An Orc captures a young Noldo during an ambush in the White Mountains. He plans to use her for some "sport", but things don't go according to plan. Or perhaps they do?
Of Ingwë Ingweron by heget
Of the history of the Elves at Cuiviénen and the development of the the three tribes, of the family of Elwë and the discovery of Oromë, of how Indis received her name and Ingwë earned his, and of the honor duel between Imin and Ingwë to decide the leadership of the Minyar and the future of the Eldar.
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky and the Land by StarSpray
Eärendil has gone sailing again--this time through the skies--and Elwing is left to find a place for herself in Valinor, while the Valar prepare for war.
Bloody silmarils, book I by Dilly
In Gondolin, Turgon is depressed... A comedy and parody of the Silmarillion with a lot of characters and chapters. Chapter 20: Fear.
Time to Uproot by StarSpray
"...and the cruel servants of Celegorm seized his young sons and left them to starve in the forest. Of this Maedhros indeed repented, and sought for them long in the woods of Doriath; but his search was unavailing, and of the fate of Eluréd and Elurín no tale tells.”
Bringing Trouble to Barad-dur by Aiwen
In the Halls of Mandos, Celebrimbor and Gil-galad receive a unique assignment: go as ghosts to Barad-dur and distract Sauron from his war against the free peoples of Middle-earth. MEFA 2010 Humor Incomplete 3rd place winner.
Omega: It Is Finished by ElrondsScribe
Alternate Universe. This is my very first fanfiction. You can find it posted on my FFN dot net profile under the name Elrond's Scribe. The ending of Arda Marred with a twist. You will have to read this little piece to make sense of many of my future stories. Includes the fate of the Silmarilli and much more. Hope you enjoy!
Caught in the Running Flames (The Damned Kind Remix) by Elleth
A Remix Redux fic for Astris' Noise of Thunder: The Dagor Bragollach... from the other side, and a brief crossing of paths.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention by MisbehavingMaiar
The First Music goes off without a hitch; Arda is unmarred, and the Theme goes on and on without one dissonant voice in the choir.
Maudits silmarils, livre 1 by Dilly
A Gondolin, Turgon déprime... Une parodie crack du Silmarillion façon Kaamelott et Sacré Graal. Livre terminé !
Nothing in the World is Single by StarSpray
Befriending Elwing is not an easy task. Neither is trying to kiss her.
On Writing Tolkien's Elves by oshun
I took the opportunity of the August 2012 Non-fiction challenge at the LotR Community Live Journal to write up some very personal thoughts of my own. I spend a part of every month, trying to write a character biography for the Silmarillion Writers Guild. Those are certainly not free of opinion, but are hopefully written in a more objective and overall more scholarly tone than this one. Anyway, for your kind perusal is this piece, halfway between a rant and a whine, but filled with not only with heart, but references to the texts.
Sunday Scriberies by Elleth
A collection of answers and essays originally written as guest contributions to Ask Middle-earth's Scribe Sunday project on tumblr. Will be updated bi-weekly. Discontinued.
While These Visions Did Appear by oshun
These are my responses in graphic format to B2MeM 2013 prompts.
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
--Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Súlimëo Quentar: March Stories by Elleth
A collection of Elleth's 2012 B2MeM Bingo fics. Individual summaries (and warnings, if necessary) are provided in the chapter notes.
Taking Readings I by Himring
Very short pieces set in Beleriand or Valinor, some of which are slightly experimental.
Now added: Shadowy Cloak (Beren and Luthien, after the fall of Tol-in-Gaurhoth)
About words by Aerlinn
Your brother would have me believe it was your noble spirit that made you turn away from me. Yet I would not be so easily convinced, talk of the One be damned.
Andreth speaks her mind. About Finrod, about words. About Aegnor, about fear.
Song against ink, voice against fire.
Postcards from Arda by Elleth
A set of ficlets for B2MeM 2011 (continued for the Season of Writing Dangerously).
New --- Day Twenty: As the new High King of the Noldor after the Dagor Bragollach, Fingon receives a reminder that not all is as grey as it seems. A double-drabble according to Open Office.
'Star People' & 'Orc' by Himring
A short scene from the dungeons of Angband.
No actual gore, but Angband is Angband...
Now added: 'Orc' - an orc escapes from the Fall of Angband.
Reflections by Angelica
Eldar and Avari meet for the first time in the forest and discover similarities among their differences.
Shiny Little Things by Meril
My Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales-based drabbles.
Elf Academy by Fiondil
Desperate for employment, six Elves who never left Middle-earth, decide to apply for the one position that is ready-made for them — being Elves. There’s just one catch. My thanks to Alassiel as always for the beta.
