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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
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through 'Malta'
[Writing] I Stood Aside by Flora-lass
Maedhros' horror at the burning of the ships. Inspired by a painting (see notes).
[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] 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
Start to Finish
Choose one of the famous first lines from the list below and use it to start your story. If you are creating a fanwork other than writing, you may use one of the first lines to inspire your fanwork. 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 Radagast
The Crow's Flight by Himring
One of the crebain drops out of the hunt for the Fellowship over Hollin.
Song of Spring by StarSpray
The war is over, and now Radagast's real work can begin.
The Eagle. by hennethgalad
Olwë witnesses Estë soothing an injured eagle.
back to middle earth month 2021
day 2: Valar.
The Owl Who Would Sing. by hennethgalad
once upon a time there was an owl who wanted to sing...
Conduct Unbecoming... by hennethgalad
sex pollen in Valinor: Olórin summons a council.
On Wings of Storm by StarSpray
When the dragons come, so does Vingilot--and Earendil is not alone on board.
To Look Across the Wide Seas by StarSpray
Elwing receives some unexpected news.
Bears and Bees by StarSpray
Eluréd, Elurín, and Radagast are traveling through Wilderland, and discover the Carrock—and that someone has carved steps into it.
Wargs by hennethgalad
Radagast takes Thranduil warg-hunting.
Radagast the Brown by oshun
One of the Istari or Wizards, Radagast is a blink-or-you-miss-him character with particular connections to animals and nature.
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky and the Land by StarSpray
Eärendil has gone sailing again--this time through the skies--and Elwing is left to find a place for herself in Valinor, while the Valar prepare for war.
Ere the Nightingales cry by Rhapsody
After her husband is slain, Melian returns to Valinor and finds that even her home of old has been marred...
Light Over the Mountain by pandemonium_213
Long before the Ainur entered the Circles of Arda, the Guardians, greatest of the Ainur, rescued an unusual group of children from a war-torn land. In this series of vignettes, one of those rescued recounts the terrible events of his childhood that set him on a path to control his destiny and the world around him, a path that would lead to infamy.
MEFA 2011 Winner. Second Place, Incomplete, Drama
Song of Summer by pandemonium_213
While visiting Imladris during the 20th year of the Fourth Age, Radagast overhears an elf-woman singing in the kitchen gardens of the House of Elrond. There he finds Mélamírë bending to pull weeds, but when she stands straight by a row of tomatoes, she sings a song in Radagast's mother tongue. When the wizard observes that she has used a Song of Making, she informs him of her purpose and priorities.
Inspired by a peculiar confluence of recent discussion of Lúthien on The Heretic Loremaster and ripe New Jersey tomatoes.
MEFA 2011 Winner. First Place, Ficlet, Later Age Elves
Goldilocks and the Three Balrogs by Clodia
Ca. 1000 TA, Glorfindel finds himself unexpectedly alive and on a ship to Middle-earth in the company of five not-quite-Men. Where next? Imladris, of course...
MEFA 2010 Second Place (Genres: Character Study: Silmarillion).
