Admin Post: June Challenge | Analysing Arda (15 June - 10 July)

[dawn_felagund]

This month's challenge is a nonfiction challenge. All nonfiction is welcome, from headcanons to essays to multimedia responses.

There are no claims for this month's challenge, but if you need some inspiration to get started, check out the list below of member-sourced prompts. You are not required to use one of these questions and may write about anything you would like. If you want to comment on our Dreamwidth with the question or topic you'll be writing about, feel free; however, please note that since there are no official claims this month, others may choose to respond to the same question. If you suggested a question last month, you are certainly welcome to write for that question if you want to, but you are under no obligation to do so.

Nonfiction Prompt Ideas
It bears repeating that you are not required to choose a prompt from this list and may write about any nonfiction topic you choose.

• The translation history of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien


• Fads and fashions in the artistic interpretation of Tolkien's works


• Diversity in Middle-earth


• Why do the Elves of Gondolin have an assigned place for execution, and other matters of crime and punishment


• Animals of Arda (in folklore, literature, Tolkien's life and Tolkien's writing), especially cats, spiders, dogs, horses, eagles, birds in general, and any other animals you can think of


• Disability and mental (un)health in Middle-earth


• Trade and economy in the 1st (or 2nd or 3rd, ...) Age


• The Gift of Men (starting from the Numenor discussion, the Athrabeth discussion, Half-Elves, or any other approach).


• Anglo-Saxon or Norse or Finnish, etc. parallels and influences in The Silmarillion (macro or micro: overarching ones or specific details or areas)


• Attested historical practice as possible background for daily life of Middle-earth characters (e.g smithwork, sword-fighting, sailing, weaving, etc.)


• Elvish language and script as background to aspects of Arda


• Social mores during the First Age and how they compared to those of the Second and Third Ages, as well as how they compare to those we experience today in the modern world
  
• Who is Mandos and why, if he has such keen foresight, is he so rarely listened to?


• Why was Mandos chosen to look after the dead when other characters, such as Irmo, might be more suitable?


• Are the Silmarils living creatures, just like the Two Trees or Elves? Could they even be real children of Fëanor?


• How would the Elves deal with disabilities? Acquired vs congenital (present since birth, whether birth trauma or random genetic mutation)? How would the wars against Morgoth and Sauron affect it? Does the bit in Laws and Customs among the Eldar about Elves healing from things that kill would mortals change anything? What are the similarities and differences among the Amanyar, Sindar, other Elven groups, and the Avari?


• How has the depiction of a character or pairing changed across the history of Tolkien fanfic? (Or fanart?)


• How does bias against the Avari and other minority groups manifest in The Silmarillion and related texts?

For more ideas on what to write about, see Dawn's 101 Approaches to Tolkien Meta, or What the Heck to Write About.

Thank you to everyone who contributed questions and prompts for this challenge!

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Other Housekeeping: Despite my best intentions to get stamp collections updated before the new challenge was released, I did not manage to do so. I should have them finished next week.

Comments

[grundyscribbling]

Question, as someone who's never posted non-fiction on SWG before - is there any difference in how to post non-fiction vs fiction? (I'm working on an essay about Thingol.)

[dawn_felagund]

Not really, no--the only difference would be that you'd most likely want to select Nonfiction/Essay under the Genre classification. Otherwise, the procedure is exactly the same.

[grundyscribbling]

Excellent. (Thanks for the quick answer!)

[dawn_felagund]

You're welcome! :)