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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
It's All in the Numbers
Create a fanwork focused on numbers: how they were invented or used by a culture or character. 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.
Fanworks Tagged with Gimli
I Comfort You by Flora-lass
This is more than inspired by sallysavestheday's 'Rash Words and Bitter Hopes' (see notes), in which Legolas and Gimli are riding together on Arod, towards Fangorn, and poor Legolas is seriously overwrought following the encounter with Eomer. My version might have qualified for last year's Understory challenge, if only it had been Silmfic!
Ever Northward Gaze by StarSpray
The lands of the north and the south are coming together again in friendship and alliance, and a celebration is planned, to take place on the lawn of Parth Galen. Gimli makes something particularly special for the occasion.
Divine Things Well Envelop'd by StarSpray
Legolas and Gimli pass through Fangorn Forest, and it isn't as bad as Gimli had expected.
Distant Peaks by Himring
In the Blue Mountains, quite some time before the Quest for Erebor, Gimli learns a bit of important dwarven lore from Ori.
Restoration and Rebuilding Instadrabbling by Lindariel
Instadrabbles from the sessions on the SWG Discord server, 20-21 August 2022
Of Perfect Make by StarSpray
A letter comes to the Lonely Mountain from Bag End, requesting a large number of birthday gifts for Bilbo's upcoming eleventy-first birthday. The Mountain gets to work immediately.
SWG Vintage Challenge by Lferion
25 chapters assembled into five stories. Each chapter fills four prompts, one from each of the four cards in the SWG May 2022 Vintage Bingo Challenge, for a total of 100 prompts filled.
The five stories are not all in the same continuity/universe -- for one thing, Ilverien and Red Crow cannot coexist, though there are elements they have in common -- but all of them can be read as part of an overall set of ideas.
The Precious Baby Phenomenon Unpacked: A Treatise on Obstetric Care in The Returned by I.L. Finwiel and the Istar Institute by herenortherenearnorfar
He didn't marry Sauron the Deceiver for the peace and quiet. A baby before noon still feels like a step too far.
The Sea Within Me by chrissystriped
Legolas feels aimless, the sea-longing still tugging at his heart, after reaching Aman. Finrod, asked by Galadriel to keep him company, has an answer for him -- and more.
The Bowman from Greenwood by Russandol
All of my Silmfic stories featuring Legolas are in this collection, ordered chronologically.</p><p>Please heed the warnings for each individual story.
Diplomacy. by hennethgalad
Gimli and Glóin after the Council of Elrond.
9: "They had begun to forget: forget their own beginnings and legends, forget what little they had known about the greatness of the world.” (Unfinished Tales, Part Three, III, The Quest of Erebor)
Ashes by Anne Wolfe
A box of ashes, and its journey back to the beginning. Featuring ithildin, Smaug, and a surprising number of dwarves.
Chess game, difficulty: Valar level by Cirilla9
Valar play a chess game which has consequences in the real lives of the folk below them.
A Candle for the Hollow City by Lordnelson100
About the Nauglamír and the other side of the story. Of culture clash, betrayal, and lost art.
We have our teaching, and the Elves have theirs. Through countless years, they have continued to tell their own version of events about the Nauglamír. Ever they turn the story against us, saying it reveals the greed of the Dwarves, and our treachery.
They say that Elven memory is perfect. And yet it seems not so.
Artanis to Alatiriel: Earweniel's Homecoming by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Written for B2MEM 2017 and the March Strength and Beauty challenge: loosely linked tales of Galadriel's welcome in Alqualonde at the end of the Third Age.
Idril remembers, as she walks on the shore of Alqualonde.
Some time after Idril greeted Galadriel at the quay (see "Itarilde and Tani"), they, Elwing, and Nimloth get together for a good catch-up. They don't intend to run into Galadriel's uncles (and aunt) at the tavern...Lindar s the term the Teleri use for themselves.
Livinlävidä by Russandol
In the bliss of the Blessed Realm, Legolas makes a wager with Gimli and does something that has never been done before. Manwë is not impressed.
