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] 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!
[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
Songs of Arda
Create a fanwork about music. 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!
Klose's Favorites
Favorite Fanworks
Don't Explain by Gwidhiel
This is really a character-driven story, in the sense that the plot is driven by the actions of the large cast of colourful characters that is the House of Finwe - both living members and dead.
And Gwidhiel's characterisations not only have great depth - they're one of the best I've seen in this fandom, I'll say - the ideas behind them are refreshingly different, and yet sensible.
I'm getting incoherent, but really, I can't recommend this enough. (And I hope she updates soon :P)
Fanwork Information
Galadriel's return to Aman prompts Indis to reflect on the state of her fragmented family and defunct marriage.
| Major Characters: Estë, Eärwen, Finarfin, Findis, Finrod Felagund, Galadriel, Indis, Lórien, Melian, Míriel Serindë, Nienna, Vairë |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: Strong Women |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 13 April 2008 | Updated on 1 April 2017 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
Full Brothers in Blood by oshun
I'm always a sucker for stories about young Fingon and Turgon, and this piece is full of wry humour and insights into their brotherhood during earlier times in Tirion. As always, Oshun's style is effortless - can't believe it was 4,000 words long, as I felt it had come to an end far too quickly. :)
Fanwork Information
Gift story for Dawn Felagund, Christmas 2007, Fingon and Turgon as young brothers. Honorable Mention, MEFA 2008
| Major Characters: Anairë, Celegorm, Fingolfin, Fingon, Finwë, Indis, Maedhros, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: General, Humor | Challenges: Ankle Biters, Gift of a Story, Sibling Rivalry |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 25 December 2007 | Updated on 25 December 2007 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
In Vino Veritas by Perelleth
Fanwork Information
A conversation between Fingon and Maedhros, after Finrod’s death.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 5 May 2012 | Updated on 5 May 2012 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Journeys by Aria
Maglor in the Fourth Age - an exploration of our favourite minstrel in a realm of Men, damages and all. Okay, I can't do this story justice - but if you're a Maglor fan, and a fan of the Middle-earth as we see it in LotR, then please read this story - and encourage the author to update because I swear she is almost as slow a writer as I am. ;)
Fanwork Information
A fic about hope unlooked for being found in the Fourth Age by one of Beleriands greatest minstrels. Perhaps a journeys end?
"A journey may start in any time or any place, but where that journey will end not even the Wise can say. Perhaps it never shall."
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 8 April 2008 | Updated on 3 January 2010 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
Lúthien's Tale by clotho123
Wonderful, slightly irreverent depiction of the tale of Luthien, but one that's full of warmth and humour. Very nicely done.
Fanwork Information
So what made Lúthien go overboard for an unwashed mortal? The world's only half-Elf half-Maia gives her side of the story.
| Major Characters: Beren, Celegorm, Curufin, Daeron, Elu Thingol, Finrod Felagund, Huan, Lúthien Tinúviel, Melian, Melkor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Humor, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Expletive Language, Violence (Mild) |
| Posted on 29 December 2008 | Updated on 29 December 2008 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Of Lúthien and Huan by Moreth
Fanwork Information
For Huan, consenting once more to be her steed, had borne her swiftly hard upon Beren's trail.
A grittier and more macabre version of the 'fairystory'. Warning: Contains some rather grotesque imagery.
| Major Characters: Beren, Huan, Lúthien Tinúviel |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Expletive Language |
| Posted on 26 February 2009 | Updated on 26 February 2009 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Paper by Dawn Felagund
This is a very well-crafted, engaging story, with a great twist. Dawn certainly has a way with words!
Fanwork Information
Curufin escapes to the realms of fantasy to escape the pressures of his family and discovers the thrill of first love.
| Major Characters: Caranthir, Celegorm, Curufin, Fëanor, Maedhros, Maglor, Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Family Matters, Gift of a Story |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Posted on 22 May 2007 | Updated on 22 May 2007 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Stigmas by Robinka
I read this story a few days ago, but one in particular has stuck in my mind - #6, "Turambar".
(spoilers?! ahead)
Rather than just making Nienor/Turin a 'pairing', as it were, Binka artfully combines the sin of 'lust' and all the squicks and seductions of this liason into a mere 100 words. (In other words, it's hot in a completel f***ed up way. :D) After all, they are brother and sister - but they don't know. Binka doesn't forget either of these facts, and considers both very well in her drabble.
(And yes, it does make me want to write Nienor/Turin... :O)
Fanwork Information
A stabber in the dark, treacherous to foes, faithless to friends, and a curse unto his kin. Túrin Turambar: master of doom; by doom mastered.
A series of drabbles originally written for the Seven Deadly Sins Challenge at OSA. Túrin's POV.
| Major Characters: Beleg, Finduilas, Gwindor, Nienor, Saeros, Túrin |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death, Mature Themes |
| Posted on 26 June 2007 | Updated on 26 June 2007 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
When the Stars Smile by Dawn Felagund
Funny, sweet, and surprisingly heartwarming considering the narrator's sarcasm!
Caranthir's observations of his family, adolescence and romance give us a more irreverent perpsective of our favourite Silm characters (while keeping them familiar) and provides lot of laughs and entertainment. Very nice for light reading.
Fanwork Information
A romantic comedy about how Caranthir met his wife and developed his disdain for the House of Finarfin.
| Major Characters: Amarië, Caranthir, Celegorm, Finrod Felagund, Maedhros, Maglor, Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Humor, Romance | Challenges: Gift of a Story |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 21 May 2007 | Updated on 21 May 2007 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
