New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
Comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
New Challenge: Scavenger Hunt
In this Matryoshka-with-a-twist, you will solve clues that point you to the challenge prompts.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Artwork] A private audience by skywardstruck
After wandering through the forests of Oromë, Maitimo and Makalaurë discover a quiet clearing, stopping to rest. With lyre in hand, the private audience begins— for this song, Makalaurë will only allow his brother to hear.
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
[Writing] Is it raining with you? by AdmirableMonster
In the last days of Númenor, two very different men meet in Umbar and fall in love.
(Please note that while this work is heavily inspired by Disco Elysium, no knowledge of the game is necessary to read the fic!)
[Writing] Nasyalossë by Lovimmy3365
Erestor lay up against a tree, brown washed to black in the wet of the snow. The black disc of the new moon sailed across the dark sky. Erestor wished it were gone. He had no need to look into dark eyes any longer.
He was dying.
(AKA Erestor unwittingly travels back in time to the…
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] Wrensong and Roses by Isilme_among_the_stars
Concerned by his responses to the paraphernalia of healing, Fingon steals Maedhros from his room for an impromptu garden excursion. Maedhros battles with dark thoughts.
Current Challenge
Epic 80s
Create a fanwork using on of our righteous prompts based on popular culture from the 1980s. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Book by Its Cover
Go ahead and judge a book by its cover! Prompts are vintage book covers. Read more ...
New in References
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
By definition, fanworks fandom does not draw a lot of boundaries, but community archives and events have taken a strong stance against AI-generated fanworks due to ethical considerations and member input.
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.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Around the World and Web
Tolkien Gen Week 2026
Tolkien Gen Week will run from July 6-12, 2026 to appreciate all of the incredible characters and relationships within Tolkien’s legendarium that fall under the broad category of “gen.”
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
Fanworks Tagged with Check Notes for Warnings
The Wolf and the Woman by chrissystriped
Carnlóme finds some of his soldiers about to have their way with a prisoner and steps in to protect her. He soon comes to like her.
Red Thread and Thorns by Lferion
A look at a single life in Angband, a study in hope.
Watch by Lingwiloke
Túrin has been pushing the king to give up on Nargothrond's policy of secrecy, and now Orodreth comes to a decision.
Sweet Violets and Golden Cowslip by StarSpray
Lalwen has dug too many graves. After the attack on the Havens of Sirion, she digs another.
Alive at the Wake by herenortherenearnorfar
"Now Celebrimbor was not corrupted in heart or faith, but had accepted Sauron as what he posed to be; and when at length he discovered the existence of the One Ring he revolted against Sauron, and went to Lórinand to take counsel once more with Galadriel. They should have destroyed all the Rings of Power at this time, "but they failed to find the strength.""
They find the strength.
An unexpected journey - getting into the Tolkien fandom by daughterofshadows
A short exploration of my time in the Tolkien fandom: How did I get here, why did I stay, what did I learn.
For the Middle-earth Olympics Diving prompt.
Going to War by chrissystriped
Eonwe leaves to fight in the War of Wrath, hoping he'll be able to take vengeance for what Sauron did to Reviahûn. Reviahûn just hopes he'll come back home safely.
Vengeance is Mine by chrissystriped
An elf escapes from Angband and earns himself a new name.
Si la mar fuera de leche by Chestnut_pod
Ten years after the Valar pulled Númenor dripping from the sea, Elros receives a visitor.
[podfic] The foam like flowers on the shore by Chestnut_pod
They have no choice but to build a life together.
At the end of days, again by Himring
Sometime, somewhere, in the Seventh Age, another distant descendant of Elendil dreams of Numenor.
[podfic] Away to the Waters by Chestnut_pod, Elleth
After the Five Armies, Tauriel travels East.
A Restless Night in Armenelos by Himring
Tar-Palantir, king of Numenor, at some point in the later part of his reign: night thoughts and a dream.
To gather in a flourishing way by Chestnut_pod
It is renowned among both the Teleri and the Noldor, though perhaps for different reasons among each, that Eärwen Swan-Maiden of Alqualondë was married to Arafinwë of the Noldor in a dress broidered with one thousand pearls, and more draped around her neck and woven through her hair like sea spray.
Always there for you by chrissystriped
After Fingolfin gets a worrying letter from Maedhros, he rides to Himring to be there for him.
[podfic] Athrabeth Amarië ah Elenwë by Chestnut_pod, zopyrus
Elenwë returns early from the Halls of Mandos, and only Amarië knows how to comfort her.
Elrond to Maglor by Himring
Elrond, looking back.
"...love grew after between them, as little might be thought..."
Beyond the Sunset by elennalore
Arafinwë finds his sister in the battlefield, but not his brother. Will Lalwendë come with him back to Valinor? And what are his nephews up to?
[podfic] a double dream by Chestnut_pod
She came through the night like a stone, hurled across leagues. He only knew that she had wings when she struck the deck.
[podfic] kâtha batîna lôkhî by Chestnut_pod
Podfic of Vardasvapors' story.
For even after the ruin the hearts of the Dúnedain were still set westwards; and though they knew indeed that the world was changed, they said: 'Avallónë is vanished from the Earth and the Land of Aman is taken away, and in the world of this present darkness they cannot be found. Yet once they were, and therefore they still are, in true being and in the whole shape of the world as at first it was devised.'
When Blossoms Bloomed by Himring
The refugees from Dorthonion arrive in Dor-lomin.
Rian attempts to embrace their new environment, while her cousin Morwen mourns.
Laughing Water by Himring
A glimpse of Rian after Lalaith, the little daughter of her cousin Morwen, died from a plague sent by the Enemy.
Such a lovely sight by chrissystriped
He knew all the signs – the small, desperate, aroused sounds he made with every breath; the way he squeezed his eyes shut; his hips moving rhythmically – that indicated that the slave was nearing the point where it wasn’t a question of his will anymore if he came.
----
Melkor enjoys to see his slave aroused and the new toy Sauron sent him is really good at keeping him there.
Mablung just desperately wants to come.
Ceven i Nesta by Chestnut_pod
It happened in the days of the First Age--
Or, how Elwing got those ships.
Scout of the Third House by Himring
In the days of Fingolfin and Malach Aradan, an unnamed scout of the Third House of the Edain (later called the House of Hador) returns from a long journey in the North to Hithlum.
Now with an added narrative frame, in which our no longer unnamed scout in his old age talks to young Hador about his past.
