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] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through '…
[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!
[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
Tolkien Femslash Week Bingo
A joint event with silmladylove for creating femslash fanworks using bingo cards as prompts. 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!
New Year's Resolution
Happy New Year! To help you start 2024 off right, we’re giving you a chance to catch up on any challenges you missed in 2023. Our annual amnesty allows you to pick from any of the previous year’s challenges. Whether finishing that epic novel for the challenge that ran away or making a sketch or writing a drabble, the idea is to make something fannish with one of our challenges as inspiration!
You do not need to use a new prompt to be eligible for this challenge. Participants can choose to complete any of the previous year's challenges. Did you miss a challenge you wanted to complete? Do it now. Did you start a fanwork for a challenge but never completed it? Here is your chance to finish. If you didn't leave any unrealized or unfinished projects behind you (congratulations!) or if none of the unfinished challenges strike your fancy, choose from any of our past challenges. (For a summary of the 2023 challenges and direct links, see the Challenge Prompts section below!)
You will receive a stamp on your 2024 collection for any challenges that you complete now*, as well as a stamp for the New Year's Resolution challenge on your 2023 collection. When you post to the SWG archive, please make sure you select the 2023 challenge you're completing and the New Year's Resolution challenge.
*If you choose to complete a challenge older than 2023, we will not be giving out past stamps; you will, however, receive your January 2024 stamp.
To help the mods correctly process stamps for this challenge:
- Inform the mods if you need commenting stamps for 2023 challenges prior to Experimental, and which stamps you need. (All challenges have commenter and 5 comment stamps; some challenges have stamps for 10 or higher numbers of comments.)
- For August's Roaring Twenties challenge, please let us know if you need column, row, diagonal, or card blackout stamps.
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
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February | Cheesy Corn Chips
Celebrate the corny and the cheesy, the sappy and sweet and schmaltzy and saccharine in popular culture by choosing from our collection of corny, sentimental, and heartstring-rending prompts.March | Middle-earth Is Multitudes
Use our daily prompt calendar to populate your fanworks with a more diverse array of characters.April | Rejects
Create a fanwork around one of Tolkien's rejected ideas from the legendarium. Choose a prompt at the link above.May | Bestiary of Arda
Choose a prompt from our "bestiary" of music and images of animals found in Arda.June | Secret Gate
A Matryoshka challenge where prompts are based on the common plot points and tropes from mystery novels. Message the mods for a prompt set. Specify if you would like two, three, five, or seven prompts. If you've never done this type of challenge, read our Matryoshka challenge FAQ.July | Dip the Ladle
Tolkien had many tales, places, and artists who inspired his work. For this challenge, prompts invite creating a fanwork using one of Tolkien's influences. Select one of the unassigned prompts, available at the link above.August | Roaring 20s
Use bingo prompts from 1920s-themed cards to create a fanwork.September | Turgon's Rock Opera
On the anniversary of the publication of "The Silmarillion," we’re reflecting on the importance of music in Arda with prompts that come from rock songs. Choose from one of the unassigned prompts, available at the link above.October | Experimental
Tolkien was an experimental writer, pushing the boundaries of literary and artistic convention. This month, we invite you to experiment with a new technique or approach to your fanworks. We’ve listed some prompts you can select from, but you’re also free to develop your own.November/December | Understory
This month's challenge is a remix challenge, meaning that you will use another person's fanwork as your inspiration. You will choose a minor character, small detail, or minor plot point and develop it into its own fanwork. Make sure you review the schedule and expectations for using another fan's work in the challenge guidelines. The link above includes a list of SWG creators who are willing to give permission to use their work in this challenge.
Fanworks Tagged with New Year's Resolution
Artifacts of Ice by Lferion
Fingon's new hröa did not cross the Ice.
The Shipwright and the Hobbit by daughterofshadows
Belladonna goes to the sea and understands something of importance.
Círdan is there for emotional support, even if he doesn't know it.
King of beech and oak and elm by polutropos
Thingol contemplates the carvings of Menegroth, remembering Lúthien.
Light in a Ruined House by Himring
Celebrian asks Elrond about Maedhros and Maglor.
Elrond does not find it easy to talk to her about them, so he begins in a somewhat roundabout way...
The Last Home at the End of the World by elennalore
After stepping into a chasm filled with fire, Maedhros finds himself in an eerily familiar house.
Adanel: never have I ever by Anérea
A young Adanel in two drabbles from the Holiday Party Instadrabbling event using the "Never have I ever" prompt.
Elendil! Elendil! by Himring
Fixed length-ficlets featuring Elendil the Tall, one set during this childhood in Numenor, the other after the Fall of Numenor.
Queen's Counsel by StarSpray
It was not Melian’s wont to speak against her husband in public. When she did she tried to do so gently. She would not undermine his authority before his people—she was not one of Bauglir’s creatures to bend others by force to her will.
But in the privacy of their chambers it was a different matter.
Summoned to Council by Lindariel
A road trip in six drabbles.
A Return is Heralded by Lferion
Eönwë makes an announcement. Four drabbles.
Aurora: What Cold, Clear Air May Show by Lferion
Having traveled North and up a mountain in Aman, Fingon builds himself a house, and works on putting himself back together. A drabble sequence. Follows Aurora: Seeking the Northern Sky.
Cliffhanging by Grundy
Turukano gets a surprise visit. Written for the Soap Opera challenge.
Glimpses of a Life in Ennore by Lferion
Maentâl Sílorion appeared in chapter 7 of Pages from the Archives of Cîr Imladris. He insisted on having more of his story told. Each chapter is intended to be able to stand alone.
Adventures in Arda and Aman by Lferion
Ficlets of Valinor, Beleriand, Ennor, and Middle Earth through the Ages.
In the Light of the Trees and After by Lferion
Ficlets, drabbles, and other small pieces set primarily in early Valinor.
Reflection, Refraction, Release by Lferion
A view from two sides of a mirror, and what happens when those trapped are freed.
A Drabble sequence: 1,2,2,1.
Intimate Adventures in Arda and Aman by Lferion
Ficlets of an intimate nature set in various places and times, generally with minimal angst.
Superheroes by Lferion
Fulfilling a promise, Fingon and Celegorm discover they are remembered as Superheroes by the circus children.
A King Fingon's Menagerie quintuple drabble/ficlet.
Drabble Poems by Lferion
Poems that are drabbles, drabbles that are poems.
A New Day in Valinor by Lferion
Non-angsty ficlets set in Valinor (and one or two in Middle Earth), many featuring Feanor.
The Bitter Glass by Himring
Do not look in the bitter glass...
A poem drawing on the account of the song battle of Finrod Felagund with Sauron in the First Age.
A poem against pessimism and disillusionment, if you will.
I also had the Mirror of Galadriel and Galadriel's advice to Sam in mind.
Winds of Change by Lferion
Anairë, Nerdanel, and Faniel are visited by Ëonwë's sisters, the Winds of Sunset, Midnight, and Dawn.
Four drabbles.
