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
In Rare Form
Try something "in rare form," using a format or genre that is rarely utilized in Tolkien fanfiction. 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 Melian
Lúcë (Enchantment) by Anérea
When Melian and Thingol met they silently stared at each other for two hundred years. What actually happened between them during that time? And why could no one find them?
Three Bredlik Poems by Himring
Three bredlik poems featuring an unnamed orc, Melian and Tilion.
Sleepless in Lórien by elennalore
Elwë is one of the three Elven ambassadors in Valinor. Melyanna is a Maia, and their guardian. Their story did not begin in Nan Elmoth. It first began here, in the gardens of Lórien, when Elwë could not sleep.
Lúcëmetta (Enchantment's End) by Anérea
Melian and Thingol awake from their enchantment in Nan Elmoth.
Enchantment by Anérea
When Melian and Thingol met they silently stared at each other for two hundred years. What actually happened between them during that time? And why could no one find them?
King of beech and oak and elm by polutropos
Thingol contemplates the carvings of Menegroth, remembering Lúthien.
Queen's Counsel by StarSpray
It was not Melian’s wont to speak against her husband in public. When she did she tried to do so gently. She would not undermine his authority before his people—she was not one of Bauglir’s creatures to bend others by force to her will.
But in the privacy of their chambers it was a different matter.
Shadow's Instadrabbles by daughterofshadows
The home of my insta-drabbling pieces!
(and the odd drabble of undetermined origin)
Holiday Party Instadrabbling by Lindariel
From the Instadrabbling session on the SWG Discord server, 2 January 2022.
Echo as of a Child's Voice by StarSpray
He heard the voice again, and turned towards it, westward, but as he did he saw the girl again, with her green dress and her yellow hair. She ran up to him on light feet, leaving no trace behind on the snow. “Are you leaving?” she cried. “Please don’t leave!”
“But I am called,” said Elurín. “Don’t you hear?”
“Yes. He calls me, too, but I cannot go!” She cried, and it was the sound on the wind and in the river. “I am afraid.”
Unexpected Nesting by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Earendil comes home to Elwing's Tower in Aewellond (the Bird-haven) to rest from his labors, and finds her just beginning hers. She's been...nesting in his absence.
He hadn't counted on Elwing's bird-skinchanging affecting her like this...
By the Lake of Lorellin by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Melian, scrying in the lake of Lorellin, sees a troubling sight - and her great-granddaughter is equally troubled by the repetition of troubles throughout her life and their people's.
The Return of the King by Kaylee Arafinwiel
The Eglath were lost without Elwe. But eventually, they found him. What did that reunion look like? Let's find out.
[podfic] The Sorceress' Apprentice by Chestnut_pod
From her mother, Galadriel had learned grace, composure, and how to veil the teeth of diplomacy in silk and soft words. From her grandmother, she learned when to bare those teeth. From her cousin she learned the value of will and the power of independence.
Her ambition was her own, and carefully stoked.
(And from Melian she learned nothing at all.)
The Seven Gates by Laerthel
The impossible happened – a Silmaril has been stolen from Morgoth’s crown. Maedhros decides to reunite the People of Beleriand against the Enemy and attack him while he is still unprepared (which is by no means less impossible). Meanwhile, in the hidden city of Gondolin, Lord Glorfindel of the Golden Flower pursues the meaning of his recurring nightmares, only to find himself in the centre of a secret ploy against the ever-growing power of Maeglin Lómion in the King’s Council.
The People of Beleriand are astir; and as the strings of our heroes’ fates tangle, a dark shadow creeps above the North – the Fifth Battle approaches. And to what end, no one could dream...
Cosmological Poems of Arda by AaronAzrael
I would like to share my revelations of Tolkien's Universe in the form of narrative and emotional poems.
Intoxicated. by hennethgalad
Finrod learns more.
"Words of wit and whimsy" all of line 3 (free spac: weald)
In Time. by hennethgalad
At the 'anniversary' of the delving of Menegroth, Finrod wears a waistcoat...
for “Words of Wit and Whimsy” bingo. (includes all the words of the top line.) Especially 'waistcoat'
Fair Things Yet to Be by Lindariel
Alatáriel undertakes to learn an art long forbidden by her family.
In Time. by hennethgalad
Finrod and Galadriel in Doriath
Dances with Tilion by Alassante
Various Silmarillion based drabbles.
Stories of the Sindar by oshun
I write mainly about the Noldor. And even writing about them, write mainly about the Feanorians and those who love them. This is my collection of stories featuring the Sindar and those who love them.
The Tale of Turin by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Turin Turambar, Master of Doom by Doom mastered! We know the life of the son of Hurin, but more mundane events...hmm. So far I\'ve written of his coming to Doriath and a brief incident in his fostering there. As for more, we\'ll see...
Concerning Dior. by hennethgalad
perspectives.
Graven on Stone. by hennethgalad
Daeron devises the Cirth.
for back to middle earth month 2021
day 1: Music.
