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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
Holiday Feast
A multi-course "feast" of prompts for writing, artwork, reading, commenting, and meta. 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.
Fanworks Tagged with Original Nonbinary Character(s)
Waltzing with you by daughterofshadows
It's a nice evening and Laurendil is trying to teach Rog to dance.
A good day by daughterofshadows
Salgant gets some unexpected gifts
They Can Nearly Talk by Chestnut_pod
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
Eru Ilúvatar made them all.For an Age of the world, Valinorean readers have devoured Doctor Heriel's bestselling tales of animal leeching in the beautiful environs of the Elf-city of Alqualondë. This new translation into Westron will introduce a generation of readers in the Eastern Lands to the gentleness of spirit, warm humor, and love for the animal world that have secured Doctor Heriel's literary reputation across the Sea.
The Mercy of the Fallen by AdmirableMonster
Rather than killing him, Dior curses Celegorm with his dying breath. Someone that Celegorm once helped helps him a little in turn.
Círdan's Guide to sailing the Straight Road by daughterofshadows
The sea is full of dangers, and the Straight Road is no exception.
As my people now leave these shores behind, it is my hope that this book will be of aid to those who choose to sail in the years to come.
May it guide you safely across the sea and to the shores of Valinor and may the wind and the waves be ever in your favour.
"Travel advice was very helpful, but we were glad the people of Dol Amroth helped us to build the boat. 4/5 stars." - L&G
"Perhaps finding this book was a sign to finally sail and face whatever awaits me across the sea." - M. F.
"Mighty helpful book. Wouldn't have made it across the sea without it. Hope I'll get to say thank you in person someday. 5/5 stars." - S. G.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall by kimikocha
“Nana,” Legolas asks one day through a mouthful of stewed berries, “How come your eyes are so shiny?”
It’s an innocent question, and predictable in hindsight — neither of which help his parents in knowing how to answer it.
[Written for TRSB 2023, Art #77 - Exploring the Past. Posted for SWG Roaring Twenties Challenge - N1, Bright Young Things.]
Artifacts in Archive by Lferion
In Valinor, Cîr Imladris built, Elrond takes the opportunity to properly catalogue, categorize, and annotate one of the slowly diminishing collection of uncatalogued, uncategorized "miscellaneous objects with words attached" that had been part of the library and archive at Imladris from the beginning.
Into the West by elennalore
Celebrimbor travels to Númenor and finds a new direction to his life.
Restoration & Rebuilding Instadrabbling by elennalore
Four different drabbles (100 words each) written during a SWG instadrabbling event 20.08.2022.
Walking in the Woods by daughterofshadows
Welcome to Eryn Lasgalen, the only space station with trees.
Yes, you heard that right. Actual, real life, full-sized trees.
Not the tiny shrubs they have over on Balar.
They may not quite reach the glory of the forests of old Doriath (before it all burned, of course), but what truly can?
Join Thranduil's spouse Alcarinna for a walk in the woods as she contemplates the past, meet Oropher and his husband, Ethuilass, newly returned from their diplomatic mission and despair with Legolas' older brother, Beriathal, and Tauriel over younger siblings who cannot stay in the same spot for longer than a minute, dammit!
Coming home by daughterofshadows
Gondolin is finally ready to welcome its people.
Among the buzz of moving in, a long awaited reunion takes place.
Four times the Tirion Assistant Civil Registrar sighed at a name, and one time she nodded in approval by Chestnut_pod
Contrary to Luimiel’s nemesis, public opinion, it was not illegal to reuse names. How anyone ever thought a policy of strict non-repetition could work was beyond her. Sheer coincidence essentially guaranteed that there were multiple Sea Lovers or Green Jewels or Happy Women striding about Arda, blissfully unaware of their nominal compatriots across the continent, in the Halls, up a mountain retreat somewhere, or even, in these recently troubled times, beyond the Sea.
One very much could give one’s child a name that had been used before, and, frankly, Luimiel thought, looking across her desk at the unfortunate infant first in line to be registered today, she wished more people would.
Ninnachel by Elwin Fortuna
The story of Ninnachel of the Noldor, neither male nor female, but gwegwin -- literally 'man-woman' -- intersex and identifying as outside the binary. Warrior, lover, writer of obscene poetry, giver of hope and defiance, community builder.
