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.
SWG News
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.
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.
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 'Malta'
[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.
Current Challenge
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Another Place in Time
Move beyond the places and times of familiar events to consider what was going on elsewhere in Arda at the same time as a major event covered in The Silmarillion. How--if at all--did the event impact what was transpiring elsewhere at the same time? 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
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!
May 2024 Calls for Papers
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers in May 2024.
elennalore's Favorites
Favorite Fanworks
Círdan Falben by Anérea
Fanart
Fanwork Information
After living for hundreds, never mind thousands, of years by the sea there's no way that Círdan wasn't a) as brown as a berry, and b) didn't invent surfing.
| Major Characters: Círdan, Elves, Falathrim |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Artwork Type: Character/Portrait, Drawing/Painting |
| Genres: Adventure | Challenges: Opposites Attract |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 18 February 2022 | Updated on 22 May 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
I've Fallen in Love just a Little by chrissystriped
Soft Silvergifting <3
Fanwork Information
Mairon lies awake and contemplates his feelings for Celebrimbor that threaten to disturb his plans.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Slash | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Posted on 23 November 2021 | Updated on 24 November 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
In Service, Love by sallysavestheday
Isildur and Ohtar
Fanwork Information
From the ruin of the Gladden Fields, where Isildur perished, three men only came ever back over the mountains after long wandering. One of these was Ohtar, the esquire of Isildur, who bore the shards of the sword of Elendil; and he brought them to Valandil, the heir of Isildur, who being but a child had remained in Rivendell. The Fellowship of the Ring, Ch 2, The Council of Elrond.
Ohtar is faithful.
| Major Characters: Isildur, Ohtar |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Cheesy Corn Chips |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 15 February 2023 | Updated on 16 February 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
The Pillar and the Vastness: A Longitudinal View of the Tolkien Fanfiction Fandom by Dawn Felagund
Fanwork Information
Using the 2015 and 2020 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data, this presentation reviews fandom demographics, use of sources, influence of the films, and use of sites and archives to post fanfiction, reviewing changes across the two data sets.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 3 June 2021 | Updated on 3 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is |
Warmth by chrissystriped
Mighty Love AU
Fanwork Information
A cold wind is blowing from the sea and Mablung is freezing.
| Major Characters: Original Male Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe, General | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 4 December 2021 | Updated on 4 December 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
What was, what is, and what might be by chrissystriped
Ossë/Círdan
Fanwork Information
Osse and Nowe share some private time together. Nowe has a question about Osse's past. Osse does not want the Teleri to leave for Aman.
| Major Characters: Círdan, Ossë |
| Major Relationships: Círdan/Ossë |
| Genres: Slash | Challenges: Arda on Ice |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Posted on 27 March 2022 | Updated on 27 March 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Why Steel Points North by Anne Wolfe
Fanwork Information
Long ago, before any of the elves awoke, there were two great lamps: one silver, named Illuin, and one gold, named Ormal.
The story of how magnets came to be.
| Major Characters: Aulë |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 16 September 2021 | Updated on 16 September 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
