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] A blip on the radar by daughterofshadows
Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through '…
[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
Manwë's Mailbag
This challenge has two parts—making postcards which will be used as prompts, and using postcard prompts to create a fanwork—and will run slightly longer than usual. 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 B2MeM 2020
Latest Edition by Himring
There may be an afterlife, but there is no final version of the Silmarillion.
Neither its in-universe author nor its IRL author are the kind of writers that just finish a work and then move on...
A Star Shines On The Hour Of Our Meeting by Ysilme
Maglor wanders. Elrond dreams of Maglor and goes on a search.
Into Darkness Fell His Star by Narya
A bard of Annúminas cannot find the right melody for his song - but help is waiting in the shadows.
Written for Back to Middle-earth Month 2020, Endings and Beginnings.
Eorl the Young. by hennethgalad
Cirion, Steward of Gondo, faces ruin...
30: “…their enemies shall be our enemies, their need shall be our need, and whatsoever evil, or threat, or assault may come upon them we will aid them to the utmost end of our strength.” (Unfinished Tales, Part Three, II, iii, Cirion and Eorl)
New Neighbor by StarSpray
Roverandom catches up with friends, both canine and otherwise.
Uttermost West by Sasha Honeypalm
On the eve of the War of Wrath, a reborn Nando is not quite sure which side of the Sea she belongs on.
The Glitter of Snow, The Sparkle of Mist by Lferion
Luckier. By whose definition, luckier?
Little Galadriel. by hennethgalad
Finarfin and his family make a garden for Galadriel's seventh begetting day present.
25: 'start' (photo prompt, sign painted on a gate by a child)
The Firework. by hennethgalad
Elladan struggles with his painting.
22: 'Nocturn:black and gold' Whistler
Halls of Waiting by StarSpray
Dior comes to Mandos, and must decide how he will leave it.
A Septad of Silvestris Variables by Lferion
Fingon and inexplicable kittens
Distractions by Lferion
Fingon, unfocused, distracted and distressed. A double-drabble and three drabbles.
Death rides to Gondolin. by hennethgalad
The elves of Vinyamar move to Gondolin.
18: "Because I could not stop for death
Death kindly stopped for me
The carriage held but just ourselves and
Immortality".
Emily Dickinson.
Perfection. by hennethgalad
Mairon chooses his form.
17: "For nothing is evil in the beginning; even Sauron was not so."
Elwing's Soliloquy. by hennethgalad
Elwing confronts Maedhros and Maglor stand over her sleeping children.
day 15: "an important moment"
The Kingdom. by hennethgalad
Family life at the Havens of Sirion.
13: "Your kingdom is gone. If it is to be restore, which I doubt, it must be from small beginnings". Unfinished Tales
Nothing Collapses by StarSpray
Dor Firn-i-Guinar did not sink with the rest of Beleriand, and it is a place heavy with memory.
In My End Is My Beginning by Lilith
A collection of works written for B2MeM 2020.
The Straight Path. by hennethgalad
The Eldar become aware of the reshaping of the world after the fall of Númenor.
11: 'The Milky Way'
Diplomacy. by hennethgalad
Gimli and Glóin after the Council of Elrond.
9: "They had begun to forget: forget their own beginnings and legends, forget what little they had known about the greatness of the world.” (Unfinished Tales, Part Three, III, The Quest of Erebor)
Fell Winter. by hennethgalad
Bilbo tells Frodo of the heroics of hobbits in the Fell Winter.
8: the aftermath of a disaster.
At Tharbad. by hennethgalad
Boromir loses his horse and meets some Rangers.
4: "He thought that his adventure had come to an end, and a bad one, but the thought hardened him."
