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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
[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] Tengwar (working title) by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through 'Arda…
[Writing] I Stood Aside by Flora-lass
Maedhros thinks about the burning ships. Inspired by a painting (see notes).
[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
Forbidden Lore
Create a fanwork about knowledge that is considered forbidden or taboo. 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.
Rejects
Not every idea makes it into a finished piece in its original form! J.R.R. Tolkien worked on his legendarium for decades, and while a few things didn’t change much, over that time some of the early ideas were altered considerably. In this month’s challenge, we invite you to consider some of the rejected concepts from the early legendarium.
Prompts for this challenge can be used in any way that you want. You do not have to create something about the specific "rejected canon" that is in the prompt. You could consider another character's perspective if this canon detail was true, or you could consider what happened in the story on either side of the event: the history leading to the rejected canon, or the history that came after it. The prompt can factor in to your fanwork as much or as little as you would like. If a prompt is not a good fit for you, let the mods know, and we'll pick something new for you.
To receive a prompt, comment on our Dreamwidth, send us an ask on Tumblr, post in the the #monthly-challenges channel on our Discord, or message us through the SWG site.
Many thanks to Zdenka for creating this month's banner and stamps!
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
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- Sons of Fëanor (except Maglor) slay each other over Dior's Silmaril ("Sketch of the Mythology")
- Celegorm and Curufin found Nargothrond (“Sketch of the Mythology”)
- Maeglin is sent to Gondolin by his mother (“Sketch of the Mythology”)
- Maglor steals a Silmaril and casts himself into the earth with it (“Sketch of the Mythology”)
- The Valar rule the last Silmaril is Eärendil’s because of the deeds of the Sons of Fëanor (“Sketch of the Mythology”)
- Dead Elves are reborn as the children of their children (Laws and Customs, etc)
- The lords of Gondolin (The Book of Lost Tales)
- When Beren first comes upon Lúthien, she is surrounded by moths (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Beren seeks dancing lessons from Lúthien, and Lúthien loves him for praising her dancing skills (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Captured by Melkor, Beren pretends to want to work for him, so Melkor puts him to work in the kitchens, where he is assigned all the worst tasks (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Some Noldor were "twisted to the evil of Melko and mingled among [the] Orcs" (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Ecthelion slays Gothmog with the spike on his helmet (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Melkor captured the Eagles of Thorondor and, when they refused to reveal the secret of flight, cut off their wings to fashion a pair for himself (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Dwarves have no children and never laugh (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Tuor leaves Middle-earth without Idril; she swims after him (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Elwing is captured at Sirion—by whom is unclear (The Book of Lost Tales)
- "Voronwë could not swim" (The Book of Lost Tales)
- Turgon sent a messenger to Valinor who, "enmeshed in magics" at the edge of the Twilit Isles, becomes the Sleeper in the Tower of Pearl (The Book of Lost Tales)
Fanworks Tagged with Rejects
A good day by daughterofshadows
Salgant gets some unexpected gifts
Eyes In The Dark by LadySternchen
-Arda is filled with "brownies, fays, pixies, leprawns, and what else are they not called, for their number is very great"-
Little Denethor is playing by the river, when he happens to look up into the trees. And the trees look back.
In Sweet Music is Such Art by reindeer_pizza
Little Luthien has a strange encounter one night.
A Place for Such Joy as Theirs by Himring
Embittered by Aldarion's departure on a long overseas journey against her will, Erendis dismisses the pair of wonderful Elven-birds that were given to her by visitors from Tol Eressea during her honeymoon. The birds briefly visit Erendis's parents on their flight back to Tol Eressea, but will not let themselves be touched and afterwards, it seems, they are not seen or heard again in Numenor.
"Sweet fools, fly away!" Erendis said. "This is no place for such joy as yours."
I have written a fix-it for the loss of the Elven-birds, sort of.
Back to the Surface by chrissystriped
Two dwarves have a special catch in their nets. Old oaths and curses need a solution before the last witnesses of the First Age sail to the West.
If Ever She Sang by sallysavestheday
Elwë was not the first Elf Melian drew into Nan Elmoth. He was the first of them to survive. A love story, of sorts.
The Horns of Ylmir by cuarthol
The sea-longing returns to Tuor, and he hopes he might be allowed to sail West, for the miseries of Middle-earth only grow and no place feels safe enough.
Telling Tales by StarSpray
Earendil's stories of his voyages are passed down through the years.
For the Love of Beleriand by Varda delle Stelle
The men were found by the avarin elf Nuin and after this the avari decided to adopt pretty much the atani and this change a lot of things in the history of Beleriand, all thanks to a curious elf
Guileless Son by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Carphadril, Queen of the Evair, moves against the King and Queen of Doriath, a threat to her rule. She raises a son who - she hopes - will wed Luthien and claim the throne of the other great forest realm for her.
Ungoliant's Bane by polutropos
A spooky story has instilled a fear of spiders in young Elrond and Elros. Fortunately, Eärendil has returned from his latest sea voyage with a tale that will put their fears to rest.
Later, the boys tell Maglor of their father's exploits.
The Fates of Man by AdmirableMonster
Two natural philosophers struggle to warn the Faithful that the end of Númenor is approaching. But can sworn enemies find a way forward in the midst of the final tumult?
Pages from the Archives of Cîr Imladris by Lferion
Elrond took his library with him to Valinor. In that archive are many things, and the librarians and archivists of Cîr Imladris (New Rivendell) are kept delightfully busy.
