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] On a night of stars, a bird by Quente
Nimloth and Dior meet, and he is naked.
Alternatively,
Melian travels south to visit her daughter, and meets a familiar looking bird.
Written for the Tengwar prompt, Quessë (feather).
[Writing] Apprentice by Quente
Dior is in Menegroth learning to be his grandfather's heir -- but his grandmother decides to take him as apprentice too.
Written for the Tengwar Challenge, May 15: Súlë (spirit).
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge.
All 36 prompts plus bonus chapter
[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!
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
Fanon Inverted
Take a fanon you feel passionately about and turn it on its head, creating a fanwork that goes against the fanon norm. 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!
Olorime's Favorites
Favorite Fanworks
Elegy for Númenor - Volume 1: Journey to Umbar by elfscribe
I am in love with this work.
Annatar is to die for.
Fanwork Information
The Númenórean King Ar-Pharazôn thinks he has won an easy victory when Sauron surrenders to him and becomes his prisoner. But the march back to Umbar with the conniving Dark Lord turns out to have many unanticipated twists and turns through a nest of politics and intrigue, including Sauron's attempted seduction of Ar-Pharazôn's favorite male courtesan.
This is volume I of a planned trilogy. An epic tale of political intrigue, the desire for immortality and love, sorcery, hubris, loyalty, lust, and catastropic amounts of water.
MEFA 2009 First Place winner in Genres: Longer Works: Incomplete (Vol. I is now complete)
This fic was recommended in USA Today, May 20, 2015! (They have a fanfiction section. Who knew?) Thank you to Uvatha the Horseman for the rec!
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Amandil, Ar-Pharazôn, Elendil, Númenóreans, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Drama, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: Akallabêth in August |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Expletive Language, Mature Themes, Rape/Nonconsensual Sex, Sexual Content (Moderate), Torture, Violence (Moderate) |
| Posted on 22 April 2009 | Updated on 13 December 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
I Hate You by oshun
Beautiful!
Fanwork Information
Day 24 – B2MeM 2009, prompt: “Choose your favorite line or quotation from a non-Tolkien source.” This is a story referenced more than once but never developed in my short novel A New Day. Inspired by Dawn Felagund’s ficlet “Hatred,” it is an account of a low point in the relationship of Maedhros and Fingon before they left Valinor.
2009 MEFA - Second Place - Drama: House of Finwë
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Elenwë, Fëanor, Fingon, Maedhros, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: B2MeM 2009, One True Love |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Mild) |
| Posted on 21 April 2009 | Updated on 21 April 2009 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
King Thingol's Codpiece by elfscribe
I love Elfscribe's take on Finrod and Oropher here was lovely.
Also, the naughty, naughty rhymes made me blush. :)
Fanwork Information
Oropher, a healer and son of the Lord of Nivrim, assists Finrod Felagund in a hunt for a saboteur who has prevented spring from coming to Doriath. In the process, Oropher finds himself increasingly attracted to his clever friend.
A Sherlock Holmes style mystery with a twist.
MEFA 2011 winner First Place in Mystery: General and also a winner of a Smaug's Treasure award.
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Daeron, Elu Thingol, Finrod Felagund, Galadriel, Melian, Oropher, Treebeard |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Humor, Mystery, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Posted on 15 February 2011 | Updated on 15 February 2011 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Maitimo and Findekáno by oshun
Lovely story.
Fanwork Information
Story of young Fingon’s love for Maedhros and its reciprocation. Set in Tirion before the creation of the Simarils. (Slash.)
MEFA 2007, Second Place: Romance: Second Age or Earlier
| Major Characters: Celegorm, Curufin, Fëanor, Fingolfin, Fingon, Maedhros, Maglor, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, Romance, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Posted on 23 May 2007 | Updated on 29 August 2012 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
My Grandfather's Cottage by oshun
Fanwork Information
2011 Middle-earth Fanfiction Awards - First Place, Elves General, and Smaug's Treasure award.
This is a story of tragic heroes of the First Age, while they were young elves in love in Valinor, inexperienced and foolish. Ecthelion, a half-Telerin nerdy musician who fancies himself to be rather worldly and fashionable, sets himself the task of seducing his best friend Glorfindel, a charming math prodigy. The story provides a glimpse at contrasts between Telerin, Noldorin, and Vanyarin cultures, which turns wildly AU in relation to the inclusion of the festival of the Gates of Summer. It’s but a little romp of a love story about growing up spoiled and privileged in Aman during the Years of the Trees.
| Major Characters: Ecthelion of the Fountain, Elrond, Glorfindel, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Romance, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 15 February 2011 | Updated on 15 February 2011 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
