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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.
Breaking Boundaries
The ages of Arda are punctuated by encounters between peoples of different cultures.They fight and fall in love and battle and betray and colonize and corrupt one another, forging understandings on one hand and rejecting them on the other. This month's challenge asks you to create a fanwork that shows a meeting between characters of two or more cultures. There are no prompts this month. And since February is Black History Month, we encourage participants to include characters of color or or characters from cultural groups we don't hear from a lot in the texts.
This challenge opened in .
Fanworks Tagged with Breaking Boundaries
Steel Rose by HannaGoldworthy
A clan of Easterlings makes their way into Beleriand, where they forge an unlikely friendship with the very people they are supposed to betray.
First Impressions by Grundy
Thingol trusts his kin above all others. When he receives word from Finrod, it is his young kin he sends to meet the representatives of the Noldor.
A Kinslayer and A Queen by LadyBrooke
Amras knows who the elf in his lands is, if only because her children do not understand that why they fled Doriath when their father kept the Silmaril.
Arrival Of A King by Tyelca
A few years after the War of the Ring, the new King visits Umbar for the first time.
The Waterlily. by hennethgalad
A sailor of the Avari, from the distant South, has a vision of the War of Wrath.
To The East by LadyBrooke
In a different world, Andreth wanders to the East and meets another wise-woman instead of Aegnor.
The Longest Journey I Have Known by grey_gazania
When Celebrían sails to Valinor following her attack and injury, she is accompanied by her friend Ianneth, wife of Fingon and mother of Gil-galad. Together, the two women seek to find a place in an unfamiliar land.
Market Day by grey_gazania
Ulfang's granddaughter encounters Dwarves for the first time. A slice-of-life ficlet featuring characters from my Loyalty series.
Hidden Gems by eris_of_imladris
Nerdanel realizes her true feelings for Fëanor at a gathering ball. Based on a headcanon lent to me by firsthousepacifist.
The Songs: A Story of East Beleriand by Himring
In the early days of the Noldorin settlement in East Beleriand, an ominous arrival disturbs the peace of mind of Maedhros and his people.
Love Unfulfilled in Dorthonion by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Andreth, called Saelind by the Elves, had her heart broken by Aegnor...
...but Aegnor was no less wounded by his actions. He poured out his heart to his beloved twin, Nerwen, just before flame engulfed Dorthonion...
...and later, remembering his death, he relates his last moments to Findis.
