#tolkienslash

[kenaz]

Ardor in August - SIGN-UPS EXTENDED!!

Due to moderator illness, signups have been extended through TUESDAY, June 27!

From the Years of the Trees through the Fourth Age – it’s time once again to make your Tolkien FPS fanfic dreams come true…

Have you always wanted to read a certain pairing or scenario, but couldn’t write it yourself? Have it written for you – specifically and especially for your own sweet self! And share your own gift in exchange!

That’s right, it’s time for Ardor in August! The exchange focuses on the Elves, Men, Dwarves, Valar and Maiar of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. Maybe it’s Gildor and Glorfindel you love, or perhaps Boromir-on-Theodred strikes your fancy… or maybe Lúthien and Thuringwethil is your OTP? From the Years of the Trees to the Fourth Age, from sultry tales of the Silmarillion to romances in the Ring Wars – spread the word, recruit your friends and fellow authors, and have some fun!

**It is NOT necessary to have a Tumblr, Livejournal, or Dreamwidth account to participate!! All fic will be posted to AO3, and we can post your story if you do not have or do not want an AO3 account!!**

Critical dates:

Sign-up period: June 11 - June 27

Assignments to be distributed no later than July 9th

Deadline for first-time participants: August 13th

Deadline for returning participants: August 20th

Archive opens: August 27th, 2017

FAQ & SIGN-UP INFO HERE!

(image by Miss Whalie)

[tolkien-fandom-history]

2000s Tolkien Fanfiction Splash Pages

If you read Tolkien fanfiction in the 2000s, you probably passed a splash page or two in your quest for fic. These pages, located at the site's index page or homepage, served as a buffer between the visitor and the site's content. You often had to click to "enter" the site. They contained warnings; disclaimers; spiffy images and backgrounds; affiliate links, awards, webrings, and Yahoo! Groups; and (my favorite) invitations to LEAVE NOW if "offended" by the content on the site. (The LEAVE NOW link usually pointed to Google.com, though Least Expected helpfully invites wayward prudes to "Head on over to theonering.net or something.)

I grabbed the text from about a dozen splash pages from the early-mid 2000s (the oldest, King & Herald, was from 2007; all others are 2001-4) and made the word cloud above, which illustrates the climate and concerns of fanfiction archivists in the first years Tolkien-based fanfiction was online.

I'll share a few of my favorite splash pages below the jump.

Fanfiction was scary. Slashfic was scarier.

Many splash pages assumed that the people visiting the site were going to be offended by the content of the site, especially if that content was slash fanfiction. I already mentioned the LEAVE NOW links above. Also typical was the understanding that explicit fanfiction (especially slash) was for people over the age of 18. The splash page for Least Expected, circa 2001 and the earliest Tolkienslash archive on the internet, shows how splash pages foregrounded deterrence, even in a group that was unapologetic about its interests, reflecting the larger cultural panic about growing acceptance of sexuality, especially LGBTQIA+.

Sites spelled out very clearly what could be found there: adult-rated material, same-sex pairings, and real person fic (RPF), for example. The site Legolas in Chains even had illustrations. (Content warning for incest and non-con and graphic acts performed by stick figures; see the Legolas in Chains splash page here.) "I will not hold responsibility ..." writes the Legolas in Chains' archivist before launching into the text version of the warning, "just in case you don't get the picture above." This was an important cultural difference between fanfiction fandom in the 2000s and now: Archivists and group owners assumed it was at least partly their responsibility to shield "web surfers" (especially children) from the content on their sites and groups and made an effort to demonstrate that they were fulfilling this obligation.

Slash and adult-rated content weren't the only anxieties on archivists' minds. The words disclaimer, copyright, and permission occurred frequently too. And even larger than those words: please. While many of these splash pages are very direct and some use humor, they tend to be polite. The overwhelming sense from many of this is, "We're not harming you. Please just leave us alone."

2000s Tech.

Splash pages also showcase the rapidly evolving technology of the web. You wanted your splash page to show that you knew what you were doing. The splash page for Meduseld above is a beautiful example.

Splash pages often included banners and graphics, visitor counters, and of course, links to the guestbook. Images sometimes moved and twinkled. Colored text and patterned backgrounds showed the designer's HTML and CSS skills.

Splash pages also reflected the challenges of creating webpages (especially if you were trying to be cutting-edge) in an era where web standards were not universally adopted and sites displayed differently depending on the browser, OS, and resolution of your screen. Splash pages sometimes advised which resolution worked best with the site (some offered a choice!) and which browser the site had been designed in.

Affiliates: A Little Help from My Friends.

The splash pages for Middle Earth Romance Fan-Fiction and Meduseld both highlight the importance of a splash page in announcing your affiliates. The majority of these archives developed out of a community, usually on Yahoo! Groups, and linking to the group was essential. As Middle Earth Romance Fan-Fiction shows, sites also had "sister sites" sometimes: sites created by the same designer (but with different focuses) or that otherwise shared resources and collaboration.

The fanfiction community (okay, the internet in general) was also much more fragmented than it is today. Consider that, in the 2000s, there were dozens (probably hundreds, if not more) Tolkien fanfiction archives online. Many of these sites were small and highly specialized. Furthermore, search engine technology was rudimentary, so it wasn't like today when you visit a handful of sites (say, AO3 and Tumblr), type in a tag or search term, and there is your fannish experience, all in one place. You had to work to find groups and archives about what interested you--a challenge compounded by the fact that many of these groups and archives legit feared being sued by New Line or the Tolkien Estate and didn't want to be found.

Webrings, cliques, fanlistings, and awards were one way that small sites got the word out to friendly company. Once you found one site, you could meander through the webring to find others like it. You could join email lists (like Yahoo! Groups) to unlock even more access, since these groups were most often members-only. Most sites had both "Links" and "Link to Us" pages, and exchanging links with another site was common.

You can see my splash page collection here, using the earliest Wayback Machine capture I could find.

(Posted by @dawnfelagund)

[kenaz]

Ardor in August 2017!

From the Years of the Trees through the Fourth Age – it’s time once again to make your Tolkien FPS fanfic dreams come true…

Have you always wanted to read a certain pairing or scenario, but couldn’t write it yourself? Have it written for you – specifically and especially for your own sweet self! And share your own gift in exchange!

That’s right, it’s time for Ardor in August! The exchange focuses on the Elves, Men, Dwarves, Valar and Maiar of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. Maybe it’s Gildor and Glorfindel you love, or perhaps Boromir-on-Theodred strikes your fancy… or maybe Lúthien and Thuringwethil is your OTP? From the Years of the Trees to the Fourth Age, from sultry tales of the Silmarillion to romances in the Ring Wars – spread the word, recruit your friends and fellow authors, and have some fun!

**It is NOT necessary to have a Tumblr, Livejournal, or Dreamwidth account to participate!! All fic will be posted to AO3, and we can post your story if you do not have or do not want an AO3 account!!**

Critical dates:

Sign-up period: June 11 - June 25

Assignments to be distributed no later than July 9th

Deadline for first-time participants: August 13th

Deadline for returning participants: August 20th

Archive opens: August 27th, 2017

FAQ & SIGN-UP INFO HERE!

(image by Dakkun39)

[kenaz]

Ardor in August / Sultry in September stories are now LIVE on AO3!

This round, we have a veritable feast for the senses, and I hope you all will indulge! Aglarien wrote Strength of the Spirit for Keiliss Alexcat wrote The Hidden Path for Red Lasbelin Alikuu wrote Predisposition for Disaster for Sleepless_Malice Amyfortuna wrote In the Morning of the World for Tabru Amyfortuna wrote Until the World Breaks for Mangacrack Angelstar3999 wrote The Warmest Gathering for Mawgy Burning_Nightingale wrote the bitter and the sweet for just_jenni Cirilla9 wrote In a forest old and deep for Urloth Deathangelgw wrote Sapphire and Topaz for phyncke Erlkoenig wrote what lies between your beauty and my heart for amyfortuna ForErusSake wrote Through war and death, our love goes on for Marchwriter Hennethgalad wrote Old Friends, Part One and Part Two for Burning_Nightingale Jade/Elladansgirl wrote Elves And Arrows for Monkiainen Just_jenni wrote The Pit of Madness for Cirilla9 Karari wrote The Fruits of Victory for Alikuu Keiliss wrote Forever Young or Zinneth Lynndyre wrote Live Well and Love (Cats) for Aglarien Maitimiel wrote Please for Karari Mangacrack wrote Kill and Win, Love and Die for maitimiel Marchwriter wrote Be All My Sins Remembered for RaisingCaiin Mawgy wrote Excess Energy for hennethgalad Monkiainen wrote And Held The Darkness Over Day or Evandar Nuinzilien wrote Some Day I'm Gonna Marry You for LaSamtyr Phyncke wrote Lessons of History for ForErusSake Red Lasbelin wrote Wine and Roses for Jade/Elladansgirl RaisingCaiin wrote Of the King of the Alders for Erlkoenig RaisingCaiin wrote 'Til All Tidings Ceased for Mangacrack Samtyr wrote Bright Dreams of the Past for lynndyre Scribe_of_Mirrormere wrote Come and Light My Fire for Deathangelgw Sleepless_Malice wrote Deed of Gift for DragonofMordor Solanaceae wrote In The Breaking Light for The_Wavesinger Tabru wrote Quenta Wilwarindo for Alexcat Urloth wrote Star Shadow for Scribe_of_Mirrormere The_Wavesinger wrote Fill My Heart With Fire for Solanaceae Zinneth wrote Some Port of Rest for Angelstar3999 … and as a special surprise, Mawgy wrote Middle Earth Porn for Red Lasbelin and I as a special gift! Many thanks, m’dear! :D I am SOOOO grateful to our pinch hitters, Ysilme, RaisingCaiin, and Amyfortuna! Evandar and DragonOfMordor were unable to complete their stories, but this brave team dove in to make sure that everyone had a gift in the archive today! Thanks also to IgnobleBard who was beta-ing in a hurricaine... now that's some fandom dedication!! Please don’t forget to thank your author! Contact slashysanta@gmail.com with any questions or concerns!

[Image of Fingon and Maedhros by Mathia Arkoniel]

[kenaz]

Ardor in August 2017!

From the Years of the Trees through the Fourth Age – it’s time once again to make your Tolkien FPS fanfic dreams come true…

Have you always wanted to read a certain pairing or scenario, but couldn’t write it yourself? Have it written for you – specifically and especially for your own sweet self! And share your own gift in exchange!

That’s right, it’s time for My Slashy Valentine! The exchange focuses on the Elves, Men, Dwarves, Valar and Maiar of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. Maybe it’s Gildor and Glorfindel you love, or perhaps Boromir-on-Theodred strikes your fancy... or maybe Lúthien and Thuringwethil is your OTP? From the Years of the Trees to the Fourth Age, from sultry tales of the Silmarillion to romances in the Ring Wars – spread the word, recruit your friends and fellow authors, and have some fun!

**It is NOT necessary to have a Tumblr, Livejournal, or Dreamwidth account to participate!! All fic will be posted to AO3, and we can post your story if you do not have or do not want an AO3 account!!**

Critical dates:

Sign-up period: June 11 - June 25

Assignments to be distributed no later than July 9th

Deadline for first-time participants: August 13th

Deadline for returning participants: August 20th

Archive opens: August 27th, 2017

FAQ & SIGN-UP INFO HERE!

(Image by MathiaArkoniel)

[kenaz]

FIC: Marchwarden: Hidden Hero

Part 2 of the Marchwarden Arc. 

Slash, R.

(Image: Haldir by BohemianWeasel)

[kenaz]

It’s Sultry in September time!

From the Years of the Trees through the Fourth Age – it’s time once again to make your Tolkien fanfic dreams come true… Have you always wanted to read a certain pairing or scenario, but couldn’t write it yourself? Have it written for you – specifically and especially for your own sweet self! And share your own gift in exchange! That’s right, it’s time for the Sultry in September Exchange! The exchange focuses on Elves, Men, Dwarves, Valar and Maiar of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. Maybe it’s Gildor and Glorfindel you love, or perhaps Boromir-on-Theodred strikes your fancy… or maybe Lúthien and Thuringwethil is your OTP – from the year of the Trees to the Fourth Age, from sultry tales of the Silmarillion to romances in the Ring Wars – spread the word, recruit your friends and fellow authors, and have some fun! Critical Dates: Sign-up period: June 17th - June 26th Assignments to be distributed by July 10th Deadline for first-time participants: September 4th Deadline for returning participants: September 11th Archive opens: September 18th, 2016

For more details, CLICK HERE!

[kenaz]

Sultry in September sign-up is now LIVE!

From the Years of the Trees through the Fourth Age – it’s time once again to make your Tolkien FPS fanfic dreams come true…  Have you always wanted to read a certain pairing or scenario, but couldn’t write it yourself? Have it written for you – specifically and especially for your own sweet self! And share your own gift in exchange!  That’s right, it’s time for My Slashy Valentine! The exchange focuses on the Elves, Men, Dwarves, Valar and Maiar of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. Maybe it’s Gildor and Glorfindel you love, or perhaps Boromir-on-Theodred strikes your fancy... or maybe Lúthien and Thuringwethil is your OTP? From the Years of the Trees to the Fourth Age, from sultry tales of the Silmarillion to romances in the Ring Wars – spread the word, recruit your friends and fellow authors, and have some fun!  

Important Dates:

Sign-up Period: July 2 - July 15

Assignments to be distributed by  July 29th

Deadline for first time participants: September 2nd

Deadline for returning participants: September 9th

Archive opens: September 16th, 2018

Rules & FAQ 

By popular demand, we will reveal to you the name of your recipient at your request. Some people find it easier to write or to personalize a story if they know the identity of their recipient. Other people find that thought absolutely horrifying! Now, you can have it either way. If, at any time during the writing period, you wish to know the identity of your recipient, you may ask us. Since other writers do not want to be "spoiled," we ask that you please keep this information to yourself!  

All stories must be a minimum length of 1,200 words, which translates to roughly 3 full pages in Word. Stories must be complete and in their entirety.

Submissions must be COMPLETE, new and previously unreleased, and written specifically for the assignment you receive.

Manners are mandatory!! Be kind to your readers, be kind to your writer, be kind to your overworked admin. Just as you are required to turn in a finished, beta'd story, you are required to acknowledge the person who wrote for you in a timely fashion. If you're going to be out of town when the archive opens, consider making an LJ post to that effect, or alerting the moderator if you think it's going to be more than 3 or 4 days before you can get in touch with your writer. Even if you *hate* the story you are given-- and we certainly hope that's not the case!-- common courtesy dictates that you should at least say "Thank you for writing this for me." If you cannot gracefully thank the author who wrote for you, you may be asked to sit out the next round and contemplate the meaning of the word "Courtesy."

Stories shall not be released to the general fandom on any group, list, or website until after the archive opens on February 14th. After the publication date on this site, feel free to post or archive your work anywhere you would like. Authors may post their own submissions on the Slashy Swap LJ community after the publication date on this site if they choose.

Authors are responsible for posting their own stories to the Slashy Swap collection at AO3 on or before the due date. If you have any questions, need an AO3 invitation or have difficulties, please email the moderator: slashysanta@gmail.com.

PROHIBITIONS / RESTRICTIONS

No fiction involving a minor in a sexual situation, even in flashback, no matter how vaguely alluded to, will be permitted. Period.

No songfics.

No het pairings as anything other than secondary characters or plots.

No bestiality. (Tolkien characters that manifest as cognizant beings are fine. If in doubt, ask us.)

No RPS (real person slash) will be accepted.

No blatant Mary Sue, Marty Stu, or self-inserts.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Can I ask for femslash?

Yes! We had our first femslash stories during the 2013 My Slashy Valentine swap, and we'd love to have you join us.

Q: I see a main focus on Elves, Men, Valar and Maiar. What about Dwarves and Hobbits?

A: In previous swaps there was less emphasis on Dwarves and Hobbits, but due to the release of the Hobbit movies, that's starting to change. We're happy to try and accommodate any request, though it is dependent on having writers able to fill these requests. You can help this process by spreading the word to your fellow Dwarf and Hobbit writers.

Q: I just received my assignment and it fits perfectly into part of a series I've been working on. Can I use it anyway?

A: We'd prefer your story to be original and created solely for your recipient, but so long as your submission fits the assignment you received, can be read and understood as a standalone, and it's new and unreleased, then go ahead.  

Q: Yikes! I've been working on my story, but there was a family emergency and I don't think I'll make the deadline. What should I do?

A: Let us know! The Slashy Swap team have families too and understand that emergencies sometimes happen. The sooner you tell us, the easier it will be for us to come to a mutually agreeable solution.  

Q: Unfortunately, the emergency has turned into something longer term and I won't be able to finish my story after all.

A: Again, please let us know as soon as possible so we can find a replacement to finish your assignment.  

Q: I signed up for the previous exchanges, but never turned anything in. Can I still participate?

A: No. It simply isn't fair to those who met their obligations, or to the person who didn't get a story. If it was under special circumstances, reach out to the mods and we will review your case.  

Q: Do I need to have my work beta read? I don't have one!

A: While we will not strictly enforce the use of a beta, we strongly encourage it. At the very least, please proof read and run a spell and grammar check. If you need help finding a beta, let us know and we'll direct you to some beta resources. Remember, you're writing a gift for someone, so make your story as perfect as it can be.

Q: HELP! I received the worst assignment in the world! What were you thinking? I can't write this!

A: It was likely an oversight. Please contact us and we will do what we can to find another assignment that is more to your taste and ability. If you already confirmed you would accept it, we can't make promises, but we'll do the best we can to help.  NOTE: In some rare instances, it may not be possible for a request to be filled to the requestor's exact specifications. This may occur if no author is willing to write the elements in the request (some examples are BDSM, fetish, rape, MPREG, or character death). In this case, the participant will be asked to revise their request so that we'll be able to match it. ~ * ~

So, are you ready to sign up? Good! Click Here!

[kenaz]

Ardor in August 2015

ONE WEEK LEFT TO SIGN UP!

Sign-up period: June 6th - June 21st

Assignments to be distributed by June 28th

Deadline for first-time participants: August 16th

Deadline for returning participants: August 23rd

Archive opens: August 30th, 2015

By popular demand, we will reveal to you the name of your recipient at your request. Some people find it easier to write or to personalize a story if they know the identity of their recipient. Other people find that thought absolutely horrifying! Now, you can have it either way. If, at any time during the writing period, you wish to know the identity of your recipient, you may ask us. Since other writers do not want to be "spoiled," we ask that you please keep this information to yourself!

All stories must be a minimum length of 1,200 words. Stories must be complete and in their entirety.

Submissions must be new, complete, and previously unreleased, and written specifically for the assignment you receive.

If you have defaulted on ANY previous Slashy Santa-sponsored exchanges, you will NOT be permitted to participate in this round. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. This may be a disappointment to some of you, but it is far more disappointing for a hard-working participant who strove to meet the deadline to discover they did not receive a story because their writer dropped out.

Manners are mandatory!! Be kind to your readers, be kind to your writer, be kind to your overworked admin. Just as you are required to turn in a finished, beta'd story, you are required to acknowledge the person who wrote for you in a timely fashion. If you're going to be out of town when the archive opens, consider making an LJ post to that effect, or alerting the moderator if you think it's going to be more than 3 or 4 days before you can get in touch with your writer. Even if you *hate* the story you are given-- and we certainly hope that's not the case!-- common courtesy dictates that you should at least say "Thank you for writing this for me." If you cannot gracefully thank the author who wrote for you, you may be asked to sit out the next round and contemplate the meaning of the word "Courtesy."

Stories shall not be released to the general fandom on any group, list, or website until they are released on the Slashy Swap collection. After the publication, feel free to post or archive your work anywhere you would like.

Authors are responsible for posting their own stories on or before the due date at the Slashy Swap collection at AO3. If you have any questions, difficulties or need an AO3 invitation, please email the moderator: slashysanta@gmail.com

PROHIBITIONS / RESTRICTIONS

No fiction involving a minor in a sexual situation, even in flashback, no matter how vaguely alluded to, will be permitted. Period.

No songfics.

No het pairings as anything other than secondary characters or plots.

No bestiality. (Tolkien characters that manifest as cognizant beings are fine. If in doubt, ask us.)

No RPS (real person slash) will be accepted.

No blatant Mary Sue, Marty Stu, or self-inserts.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Can I ask for femslash?

Yes! We had our first femslash stories during the My Slashy Valentine 2013, and we'd love to have you join us.

Q: I see a main focus on Elves, Men, Valar and Maiar. What about Dwarves and Hobbits?

A: In previous swaps there was less emphasis on Dwarves and Hobbits, but due to the release of the Hobbit movies, that's starting to change. We're happy to try and accommodate any request, though it is dependent on having writers able to fill these requests. You can help this process by spreading the word to your fellow Dwarf and Hobbit writers.

Q: What if I'm not comfortable reading or writing steamy scenes? Can I write or request Gen-fic?

A: Not everyone wants to write (or read) something hot and heavy-- and that's OK! We allow you to specify any rating you're comfortable with both for reading and writing, even if that's only a "G"! We do our best to match up readers and writers who share the same...er...temperature tolerance. Please note that because this is a slash-focused exchange, we ask that you at least be comfortable with the existence of same-sex pairings, even if you're not writing anything explicit.

Q: I just received my assignment and it fits perfectly into part of a series I've been working on. Can I use it anyway?

A: We'd prefer your story to be original and created solely for your recipient, but so long as your submission fits the assignment you received, can be read and understood as a standalone, and it's new and unreleased, then go ahead.

Q: Yikes! I've been working on my story, but there was a family emergency and I don't think I'll make the deadline. What should I do?

A: Let us know! The Slashy Swap team have families too and understand that emergencies sometimes happen. The sooner you tell us, the easier it will be for us to come to a mutually agreeable solution.

Q: Unfortunately, the emergency has turned into something longer term and I won't be able to finish my story after all.

A: Again, please let us know as soon as possible so we can find a replacement to finish your assignment.

Q: I signed up for the previous exchanges, but never turned anything in. Can I still participate?

A: No. It simply isn't fair to those who met their obligations, or to the person who didn't get a story.

Q: Do I need to have my work beta read? I don't have one!

A: While we will not strictly enforce the use of a beta, we strongly encourage it. At the very least, please proof read and run a spell and grammar check. If you need help finding a beta, let us know and we'll direct you to some beta resources. Remember, you're writing a gift for someone, so make your story as perfect as it can be.

Q: HELP! I received the worst assignment in the world! What were you thinking? I can't write this!

A: It was likely an oversight. Please contact us and we will do what we can to find another assignment that is more to your taste and ability. If you already confirmed you would accept it, we can't make promises, but we'll do the best we can to help.

NOTE: In some rare instances, it may not be possible for a request to be filled to the requestor's exact specifications. This may occur if no author is willing to write the elements in the request (some examples are BDSM, fetish, rape, MPREG, or character death). In this case, the participant will be asked to revise their request so that we'll be able to match it.

~ * ~

So, are you ready to sign up? Good! Click Here!