The Only Thing To Fear

SWG Challenge - The Only Thing to Fear - 15 October through 15 November 2025 - a pallid beam of light pours from a single window in a house in a dark forest

Fear developed for a good reason, to keep animals—including people—safe in dangerous and uncertain situations. For our characters in Arda, some of those fears make perfect sense in their world. But as we know from our world, fear can also manifest in maladaptive ways, causing us to react strongly when there is no danger present or even make unsafe choices to avoid the object of fear.

For this month's challenge, creators will make a fanwork about fear using one or more of the common fears from the prompt list below. While your fanwork should involve fear in some way, it does not need to be scary, and as always, we encourage creative interpretation of challenge prompts.

Thank you to Grundy for this month's stamps and Janeways for the banner!

This challenge opened in .

Prompts

Choose your prompt from the collection below.

View Prompts
  • heights
  • crowds
  • public speaking
  • thousands of tiny holes
  • small, closed-in spaces
  • open spaces
  • clowns
  • ghosts
  • falling
  • flying
  • 13
  • numbers
  • colors
  • technology
  • needles
  • the dentist
  • illness/disease
  • blood/injury
  • vomiting
  • pain
  • death/dead things
  • germs
  • dirt
  • disorder/untidyness
  • change
  • thunder/lightning
  • storms
  • tornadoes
  • rain
  • floods
  • the dark
  • the sun
  • the moon
  • outer space
  • fire
  • air
  • water
  • the ocean
  • drowning
  • dogs
  • cats
  • horses
  • birds
  • mice/rats
  • sharks
  • fish
  • snakes
  • insects
  • spiders
  • bees/wasps
  • monsters
  • plants
  • trees
  • sex
  • childbirth
  • children
  • dolls
  • teenagers
  • women
  • men
  • being alone
  • being touched
  • being trapped
  • judgement
  • failure
  • giving offense
  • commitment
  • being stared at
  • sleep
  • mirrors
  • the unknown
  • god
  • phobias
  • everything

Fanworks Tagged with The Only Thing To Fear

This is a Writing fanwork

The Snake's Lesson by octopus_fool

On a walk with Findaráto, Findis learns about her nephew's fear, and decides to do something against it. 

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Artwork fanwork

Beclouded by Anérea

Lake Mithrim from North Sinda's pov on a calm misty overcast day

Fanwork Information

This is a Writing fanwork

Fear of Falling by elennalore

Maedhros stands at the battlements of Himring and faces Thangorodrim.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Triskaidekawhat? by Grundy

Galadriel is curious about one facet of Mithrandir's plan for dealing with the dragon.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

What if the Sleeper in the Tower of Pearl were an Orc by Himring

Sheer terror helps an orc escape Morgoth, but their troubles are not over. AU.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

A Man Who Flies From His Fear May Find He Has Only Taken A Shortcut To Meet It by LadySternchen

For this month’s ‘The Only Thing To Fear’-challenge, I tried something a little different- which was to write short ficlets for as many prompts as possible. (Admittedly, I wanted them to be drabbles at first, but I just couldn’t manage).

Some of these turned more into PTSD-stories than phobias, but I think it still fits the challenge.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

A Candle To This Everlasting Night by plutoniumsx

Maedhros has been captured by Morgoth's forces after the Dagor-nuin-Giliath. Left to rot on his own in a dark cell who knows where, he almost starts believing this will be the end to his story. He was wrong. They were coming for him, as well.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Of Stars and Solitude Unbearable by Isilme_among_the_stars

Bad dreams?” I ask, and Elrond nods. When I brush against his mind it laps like the tide against some desolate shore, and he stands alone in the washed out landscape. Young eyes rove over a heartless sea where the horizon is empty of all but tossing waves. White cliffs are at his back, reeds peek over sandy dunes southward along the shore, and Elrond’s heart fills with the hollow echo: no longer my home, no longer my home.

There is a new star in the sky and and old fears surface. Maedhros supports through Elrond and Elros through their ensuing emotional turmoil as he battles his own.

Written for the SWG October Challenge 2025: The Only Thing to Fear using the prompt: fear of being alone.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Bitter As by Babblecat

The day Melkor was almost overcome by the only creature more vile than himself.

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This is a Writing fanwork

The Last Desperate Seed by Dawn Felagund

Terentaulë, the wife of Curufin, follows her husband and his family into banishment to Formenos. She leaves everything she loves behind to endure a cold and ever-maddening life making a political point she isn't sure she fully believes in. A Gothic story for Samhain, told in four triple drabbles.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Soul made of sky by AdmirableMonster

A stranger and a stranger stranger talk and dream about their fears.

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This is a Writing fanwork

A small but insistent ache by Quente

Arwen's stomach hurts and she ponders mortality; Éowyn provides medicine and a sympathetic ear.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Love me and leave me to die by Flora-lass

Fëanor dreams of darkness, and there is only so much Finwë can do to help. Written for the 'The Only Thing to Fear' challenge.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Bug Magnet by Elrond's Library

Vingilot was a magnet for bugs, and Eärendil feared coming back to land because of it. 

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This is a Writing fanwork

Keep You Like an Oath by StarSpray

"Gather your strength, Daeron. I will get you to the Ford of Bruinen.”
“Will you swear it, kinslayer?” Daeron asked, voice heavy with irony and with something else Maglor couldn’t quite identify. 
He paused for a moment. Then he said, “Yes.” 

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents