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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 (working title) by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through 'Anca'
[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
Solve a Problem
Create a fanwork that solves a canon problem using your own favorite (or most frustrating!) canon problem to solve or by choosing one of the member-submitted canon problems. 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 Tom Bombadil
eat earth, dig deep by kimaracretak
Merry knows an awful lot about the old forest
Merry is very young
The forest misses being that young
Once upon a moon on the brink of June by Himring
Quirky Tom is stumped in his investigation; his partner delivers the goods. (Deliberately misleading summary inspired by the challenge prompts! See Story Notes for more reliable information.)
With What a Glory by StarSpray
Goldberry has a song for each season.
Starlight, Moonlight, light my sky tonight by Himring
Celeborn and Tom Bombadil watch the moon above the Ered Luin.
For the first time, Celeborn begins to have faith in the Second Age.
Clear Skies and Bright Stars by StarSpray
“Come eat your supper, Eluréd,” said Nellas. “Afterward we’ll build a bonfire on the hillside, and I’ll teach you how they used to dance at Cuiviénen.”
Air All Full of Singing by StarSpray
Roverandom is left behind and bored when his boy goes off on holiday, but then a strange magical musician comes through town...
The Story of the Silent from the Beginning of the World by SteveofCallie
The story of the Quorin, the Silent People, and their home on Tol Úpahtëa.
In the River Valley by StarSpray
"Ah!" The strange man peered more closely at them. "Elves coming east!" He seemed to find the idea funny, and sat down with them on the grass to laugh. "And what are your names, little elf children?"
Chess game, difficulty: Valar level by Cirilla9
Valar play a chess game which has consequences in the real lives of the folk below them.
And She Slept by LadyBrooke
As Valinor is created, there are those who stay behind in the darkness to wait for those that come.
The World Ahead by StarSpray
It's the beginning of a new Age, and now that the world is (relatively) safe, Eluréd and Elurín want to see everything. Starting with the Misty Mountains.
River-Mother and River-Daughter by Zdenka
Before the Sun or Moon rose, the River-mother sang to the waters and they awoke.
Morning Mist and Silver Sun by StarSpray
A place to store drabbles and ficlets, mostly written for various prompts.
It Shall Be Cloudy Come Afternoon by Huinare
As war presses in from the north, a woman of Cardolan meets a strange friend in the downs.
Written during B2MeM 2015, responding to a prompt by Elleth for a gen or slash story involving Goldberry and the lady of the blue brooch (mentioned in Fellowship, "Fog on the Barrow Downs").
Moving Forward by StarSpray
A drabble series written for Tolkien Weekly's "Trees" challenge, centered around the beginning of the Second Age.
Warping Arda by Clodia
A collection of drabbles, mostly written for the LJ comm Tolkien_Weekly. Some of these drabbles received awards in MEFA 2010; see inside for details.
10. Good as New. Glorfindel, his father and a piece of the past. One drabble.
Nightingales and Starlight by Clodia
For many years, Thingol's minstrel Daeron made lament for Lúthien Tinúviel beside dark waters... but not forever. A look at love, loss and the Lay of Leithian. MEFA 2009 First Place (Genres: Character Study: The Silmarillion).
