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] On a night of stars, a bird by Quente
Nimloth and Dior meet, and he is naked.
Alternatively,
Melian travels south to visit her daughter, and meets a familiar looking bird.
Written for the Tengwar prompt, Quessë (feather).
[Writing] Apprentice by Quente
Dior is in Menegroth learning to be his grandfather's heir -- but his grandmother decides to take him as apprentice too.
Written for the Tengwar Challenge, May 15: Súlë (spirit).
[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!
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
Songs of Arda
Create a fanwork about music. 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 Suicide
The Trees of Numenor by Himring
A sequence of eight drabbles spanning the history of Numenor, with a particular focus on the period of Aldarion.
Now added: an extra drabble on Amandil for the Akallabeth in August challenge
Tenn' Ambar-metta by Almare
AU in which the Ainur are a powerful magically/technologically advanced species and Ilúvatar was an invention to aid them in controlling the elves. Nothing that happened before the Awakening is necessarily true.
Dark-tempered child by ford_of_bruinen
For dreamflower; Little Turin and Sador Labadal attempt 2
Sador muses on Turin's personallity.
Wolf at the Door by Agelast
Finrod returns to Nargothrond. Curufin readjusts.
A Lonely Bride by alquawende
Erendis reflects upon her life.
Love is no argument by Himring
Poem (or song lyrics) for two voices. Well, Fingon and Maedhros, obviously.
For International Poetry Month.
Down. Out. Up. by Himring
What I was not going to write, but did:
Down. What Maedhros thought as he jumped.
Out. Up. Fingon takes Maedhros home to Tirion after his reincarnation. Finarfin insists on confronting him. Told from different points of view (Fingon, Finarfin and, briefly, Maedhros).
Now illustrated by Alasse!
A Walk in the Forest, an Evening by the Fire by Himring
In East Beleriand: Elrond gets upset and runs away. Maedhros comes and finds him in the woods. Maedhros ends up being given a new name. Later, Elrond and Elros learn lessons and pretend not to--why? Finally, Elrond, now in Gil-galad's camp, learns of Maedhros' death by his own means.
A Long Time Falling by Himring
Maedhros and Maglor decide to surrender to Eonwe to be put on trial back in Valinor. And then, at the last moment, they don't. Framing Maglor's memories of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and the attacks on Doriath and the Havens of Sirion (or rather, mostly, the discussions among the brothers that led up to those attacks).
Maedhros/Fingon slash (very mild here). Definitely not Maedhros/Maglor slash; however, the subject is raised and the (false) accusation made by others in the story, so if this worries you, please regard yourself as warned.
Also, Maedhros's suicide isn't explicitly told, but strongly hinted at, so has been marked.
This story has been nominated for the MEFAs 2010 by Lyra. Thank you very much!
At The Precipice by Beatrisu
Maedhros stands at the precipice and ponders his choices, his folly, and his release.
The Fire of Maedhros by Cirdan
Sauron is freed from Morgoth by Maedhros, but he falls back into evil after the death of Maedhros.
For What I Wait by Dawn Felagund
For Hannah, an "AU in which Fëanor outlives all of his children." Fëanor and Maglor, together at the end. MEFA 2008 nominee.
Full of Wisdom and Perfect in Beauty by Gadira
The History of the Downfall, from Ar Sakalthôr's accession to Ar Pharazôn's Armada. EPILOGUE: In Middle-earth, life begins anew, and hope lies hidden in the most unlikely places. Story now complete.
