New Challenge: Title Track
Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
SWG News
Our Annual Amnesty Challenge: New Year's Resolution
Start 2026 off with creativity! If you missed a challenge or didn't get to finish or post a challenge fanwork, complete any 2025 challenge before 15 February to receive the stamp.
"The Fëanorian Zine" Available to Read and Download
We are pleased to be able to offer "The Fëanorian Zine" to read and download on the SWG for free.
Call for Artists for the 2026 Challenge Stamps
We are soliciting help from artists who want to help create the stamps we award to challenge participants.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] One Flesh, One Soul. Part I by FellFireFan
As beautiful as he is dangerous, Aegnor, an elven prince, stands against the looming shadows of Angband. Brother to Galadriel, he commands the siege with a fierce intensity, a duty that exacts a heavy toll on him. Beneath the iron walls he has built lies a broken soul, haunted by a devastating…
[Series] Instadrabbling, 2026-Present by SWG Moderators
We get together from time to time on the SWG Discord and produce spontaneous fanworks based on randomly chosen prompts. This collection includes drabbles, ficlets, and other flash fanworks produced as part of our instadrabbling sessions beginning in 2026.
[Writing] A meeting at the Trees by ethanray
Nerdanel goes to the Two Trees after Fëanor is banished and meets Indis there
For March 2026 Instadrabbling
[Writing] Grief is not the only geography I know by Himring
Indis explains how she took to wandering around Valinor.
[Writing] The Tale of Tar-Ciryatan's Daughter by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Ailinel, orphan of Numenor, is one of the poor girls dowered by Tar-Ciryatan and titled a "King's Daughter", encouraged to sail East to his colonies and find herself a husband.
It doesn't take her that long.
But even after she and Shipman Gaerondur find love, life in the colony isn…
[Writing] In Early Spring by Serinquanion
In what Maedhros was re-embodied early and was sent back to Middle Earth on his volition with Glorfindel.
This isn't about what happened right then but years after Fall of Sauron when he still refused to return to Valinor.
He found a strange sapling at the shore of what remains of…
[Writing] Umnenyalië by Serinquanion
He was going to die. The molten rocks would burn him just like the cursed gem in his palm did. Maybe less painfully but still being burnt hurt and Maedhros knew it. He intimately knew it from his time in Angband where Þauron burnt him often in frustration and to toy with him and his master…
Current Challenge
Title Track
Create a fanwork using our collection of 125 titles from Tolkien's books, chapters, essays, poems, and fragments as inspiration. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Parting's Sorrow
Create a fanwork about the separation of friends and family. Read more ...
New in References
Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the parallels between the concept of abnegation in the scientific work surrounding the atomic bomb and in The Silmarillion. The relinquishment of self-interest in favor of the interests of others, abnegation was identified by Tolkien as a powerful act of spirit and reason. The legendarium has many examples of the complexities of abnegation, which parallel similar discussions held by physicists during and after World War II.
Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel by JazTheBard
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the many similarities between Tolkien's three "twilight children," Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel (Luthien, Maeglin, and Arwen) in terms of appearance, plot, and cultural background. Yet these three characters play very different roles in the text.
The Aromantic in Tolkien by daughterofshadows
Presented at Mereth Aderthad 2025, this paper makes the case thata, although the term "aromantic" had not yet been coined in Tolkien's day, many of his characters can be read as aromantic. The paper takes a closer look at Aredhel, Bilbo, and Boromir as three examples of characters who can be read as aromantic.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] here you will dwell, bound to your grief by Elrond's Library
Arwen grieves, and loves.
[Writing] Faramir's Verse by losselen
“Come, Faramir. Let us not stand in ceremony. I think words are due between you and I, and not only those between a King and his Steward.”
Faramir has speech with Gandalf and his King.
[Writing] In a Hole in the Ground... by StarSpray
“There’s a goblin hiding in the taters, Dad!” Pippin hefted the pan, which was much too big for him to carry, let alone wield.
Around the World and Web
March Challenge - Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge for the month of March to create a Back to Middle-earth Month themed challenge.
Tolkien Fashion Week 2026
This two-week-long Tumblr event is dedicated to honoring the world of fashion and textiles Tolkien wrote about in his books.
Celegorm and Curufin Week 2026
Celegorm and Curufin Week is a Tumblr week celebrating the relationship between Celegorm and Curufin Feanorion
Back to Middle-earth Month 2026
Back to Middle-earth Month is returning for it's 20th year with many prompts and archival efforts.
Kids These Days
If there is a unifier among generations, it is complaining about the kids and teens in the generations coming up behind them. There was likely an ancient Mesopotamian complaining about the brainrot effects of that newfangled cuneiform and kids carving their names on the ziggurat walls. Likewise, there is no reason to believe our beloved Tolkien characters were immune to these timeless worries and whinges about the young people around them (or experienced the ever-helpful "advice" of their elders when they were themselves whippersnappers).
This month's challenge will offer a bingo card chock-full of perennial complaints about kids and teens. Choose one or several prompts to include in your fanwork. Numbers will not be called; you can select any prompt you want at any time. Your fanwork does not have to be about kids and teens; as always, we welcome creative interpretations of our prompts.
There are special stamps available for completing rows, columns, diagonals, or (if you are old enough to withstand the effort of going uphill both ways) a full card blackout where you manage every prompt. Note that, to complete rows and blackouts, you do not need to use all of the prompts in a single fanwork but can use them across multiple fanworks. Let the moderators know if you need one of the special stamps.
Thank you to hîn_isil for this month's adorable stamps!
The challenge banner includes a still from the film Johnny Learns His Manners (1946) by Hugh Harman Productions.
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
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Text Prompts
B1: scandalous dancing
B2: Back in my day…
B3: Destroying established industries
B4: full of themselves
B5: loose morals
I1: loud music
I2: New media causes brainrot
I3: spoiled & coddled
I4: "Why is THAT back in style??"
I5: bad language
N1: need to toughen up
N2: bizarre fads
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: incomprehensible slang
N5: don’t respect elders
G1: inscrutable technology
G2: know less
G3: whine & complain
G4: "They just don’t listen!"
G5: lack discipline
O1: lazy
O2: ... but think they know everything
O3: poor fashion choices
O4: love luxury
O5: terrible manners
To complete a row, use all prompts that include the same number.
To complete a column, use all prompts that include the same letter.
To complete a diagonal, complete the follow prompts sets: B1, I2, G4, O5 or B5, I4, G2, O1.
Fanworks Tagged with Kids These Days
East Away! by Flora-lass
Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.
A Glimpse of Túrin by Anérea
Abstract sketch from Tuor's pov of Túrin running through the dead trees at Eithel Ivrin after it was despoiled by Glaurung.
Kids These Days by Babblecat
Ungoliant's brood cause her annoyance as they grow up and turn into normies.
Into that land he gathered most of his kin by Himring
Hador has been granted the lordship of Dor-lomin. Persuading his father to relocate there from the southern slopes of Ered Wethrin will not be easy, though.
Patience and Quiet by Zdenka
In Dor-lómin, Tuor and Lady Aerin both dream of a golden-haired child. (Lalaith is doing her best, considering that she's a young child and also dead.)
Only for a Moment, and Never Again by StarSpray
Then Dírhavel sung of Túrin’s flight north after the Fall of Nargothrond, past the defiled waters of Ivrin as he sought for the Princess Finduilas Faelivrin, and Tuor rose suddenly from his seat, passing out of the hall without a word.
Dancing In The Dark by Grundy
History remembers Curufin as the villain. There are a few who think better of him.
Written for the Taboo challenge - will give warnings on chapters as appropriate.
