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Challenges
Collections of vignettes based on themes from Middle-earth |
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Legal Challenge ~ March 2008
The challenge: a story, advertisement, legal brief
or any genre of creative writing based upon a legal entanglement
between persons, either canon or original, inhabiting Middle-Earth
as described by Professor JRR Tolkien or embellished upon by the
members of The Burping Troll Adventurers.
Length: 5 pages ~ 2 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Yule Fare ~ January 2008
The Yule Challenge for 2007 was to write something
light-hearted about festive food of any kind, and involving one
or more of our more unusual or neglected characters. It indeed brought
a few of our most unusual characters out of the woodwork.
Length: 27 pages ~ 4 Vignettes ~ Classification: Humorous ~ Authors:
Various |
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Dreams of Destruction ~ November 2007
The folks of the Burping Troll experience a night
of unsettling dreams in which all their worst fears seem to be realised.
Length: 33 pages ~ 7 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Voices of the Mountains Challenge ~ August 2007
"Mountains speak and wise men listen." - John
Muir
With what voices do the mountains of Middle Earth speak? What
tales do they tell the elves, hobbits and men who dwell there? Listen
to the wisdom of the mountains as heard by the Burping Troll Adventurers.
Length: 43 pages ~ 10 Vignettes ~ 5 Haikus ~ Classification: Various
~ Authors: Various |
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Yule Words Challenge ~ December 2006
To write a Yule vignette based upon or containing at least
two of the following 20 words or phrases: Mistletoe, Cherry brandy/beer/ale/wine,
Gift(s), Candle(s), Snow, Songs/singing, Stray, A feast, Pie(s),
Icicles, Cider, Wæs thu hæl, Snowballs, Dancing, A scarf
or scarves, Ginger cookies/biscuits, Music, A sled, Chestnuts roasting
on an open fire, Frost.
Length: 13 pages ~ 4 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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A Dark and Stormy Night ~ October 2006
For Halloween ~ Slightly different in that the vignettes are
contained within a broader story. Given the horrid weather outside
the Burping Troll Inn that night, Bob decides an evening of ghost
stories might be 'fun'.
Length: 25 pages ~ 5 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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The Making of a Hero ~ September 2006
Some heros are born to be courageous - others perform brave
deeds by accident or of necessity. Some heroism involves fighting
or physical struggle, yet some is the unnoticed sacrifice of one
person for the sake of others.
Length: 11 pages ~ 3 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Memories of Childhood ~ May 2006
Vignettes about childhood in Middle-earth ~ from Hobbits to
the Rohirrim ~ from Gondor to the outer void.
Length: 28 pages ~ 8 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Winter Plants ~ December 2005
Holly, ivy, herbs or vegetables, flowers or weeds, shrubs or
trees ~ what grows in winter in Middle-earth? We challenged ourselves
to write short stories related to seasonal vegetation.
Length: 16 pages ~ 6 Vignettes ~ 5 Haikus ~ Classification: Various
~ Authors: Various |
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Fly on the Wall ~ October 2005
The challenge was to paint a scene involving a Middle-earth
character completely alone, from the point of view of 'a fly on
the wall', i.e. describing behaviour, but no thoughts or inner emotions.
Length: 6 pages ~ 4 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Light ~ August 2005
Into darkness comes light ~ stars and moon ~ campfires and
candles ~ the fierce flare of destruction or the enduring glow of
hope ~ thus we present our vignettes about Light.
Length: 13 pages ~ 8 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes Mithril Awards
2005 finalist: Best The Hobbit ~ Best Vignette or Short Story:
Light of Fury ~ by Naerinda, Best Vignette or Short Story: The Sentinel
~ by Celebsul |
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The
Hunt ~ July 2005
From wildlife to wild men, everyone in Middle-earth at some
point must hunt ~ to eat, to seek that which is lost. The challenge
was to write 500 -1000 word vignettes on the theme of 'Hunting'.
Length: 7 pages ~ 4 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes Mithril Awards
2005 runner-up: Humour ~ The Making of a Feast ~ by Celebsul
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Concerning Other Races ~ The Making of a Feast ~ by Celebsul
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A Flowering of the Mind ~ May 2005
"Here Spring was already busy about them…"
From Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbits, The Two Towers
Spring. A time when hope surges and hearts are made light by the
renewal of the earth. Wanting to throw off the final grasp of winter,
we set the challenge to write of flowers. From that simple seed
came the following blossoms for your enjoyment.
Length: 22 pages ~ 8 Vignettes ~ 5 Haikus ~ Classification: Various
~ Authors: Various
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Includes Mithril Awards
2005 finalist: Best Tolkien Character: The Lilies of the Gladden
Fields ~ by Meri, Best Vignette or Short Story: Dandelion in the Wind
~ by Azaelia |
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Winter ~ March 2005
When winter first begins to bite
and stones crack in the frosty night,
when pools are black and trees are bare,
'tis evil in the Wild to fare.
Upon hearing these words the hobbits talked and thought of the
past and the perils they would face upon the road ahead. What images
did these words bring to the mind of our writers? The answer to
that question lies in the vignettes submitted in response to this
Winter Challenge.
Length: 32 pages ~ 8 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes Mithril Awards
2005 finalist: Best Gapfiller ~ Best The Hobbit: What Has It
Got In Its Pocketsss? ~ by Sevilodorf |
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He Falls ~ November 2004
Presenting a compilation of '500-word' vignettes by various
authors, each framed on the challenge phrase, "He Falls."
Deceptively simple in appearance, the phrase inspired an outburst
of remarkable thought and prose, which we are now pleased to share
with you. Read and enjoy!
Length: 19 pages ~ 11 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various
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Includes Mithril Awards
2005 finalists: Best Original Character ~ Best Gapfiller: To
Hope's End ~ by ErinRua, Best Tolkien Character ~ Best Vignette or
Short Story: And In The Darkness Bind Them ~ by Sevilodorf, Concerning
Hobbits: Gossip and Greetings ~ by Merithehobbit |
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Includes MEFA 2005 Award winner: The Silmarillion:
The First Age: The Valaquenta Award: Shadow ~ by Celebsul |
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Wicked Creatures ~ August 2004
There are many wicked creatures in Middle-earth: sometimes
obvious, sometimes less so, and it all depends on who you are. Maximum
vignette length 1000 words.
Length: 26 pages ~ 10 Vignettes ~ 11 Haikus ~ Classification: Various
~ Authors: Various
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Includes Mithril Awards 2005 finalist:
Best Action/Adventure ~ Best Original Character: Sunrise on
the Sand ~ by Rilith, Best Vignette or Short Story: Fire and Water,
Rage and Tears ~ By Merithehobbit |
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Healing ~ June 2004
The Houses of Healing offer the inspiration for this challenge,
though any form of healing within Middle-earth meets the criteria.
Maximum vignette length 1000 words.
Length: 12 pages ~ 5 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Mother's Day ~ May 2004
To mark Mother's Day, the challenge was to write about the
mothers of Middle-earth and the stories they tell. Maximum vignette
length 1000 words. (Some people cannot count.)
Length: 28 pages ~ 8 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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The Spirit of Yule ~ December 2003
If the Spirit of Yule were to visit Middle Earth, like Dicken's
Ghost of Christmas Present, who would he be and where would he go?
Maximum vignette length 1000 words.
Length: 17 pages ~ 8 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Thunder Rolls ~ November 2003
Take the opening sentence: The thunder rolled across the
sky like granite boulders and everywhere the rain poured in sheets
of chilled crystal. What story does this herald? Maximum vignette
length 500 words.
Length: 9 pages ~ 6 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes Mithril Semi-Finalist 2004: Best
story focusing on Hobbits ~ The Tales Retold ~ by Sevilodorf
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Knock Knock ~ October 2003
A knock at the door ~ Who's there? In answer to this challenge,
doors are opened, real and metaphorical, from the Shire to Minas
Tirith, from Mordor to Nan Elmoth. Take a look inside. You never
know who you might meet. Maximum story length 1000 words.
Length: 25 pages ~ 11 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes Mithril Semi-Finalist 2004: Best
characterisation: original character ~ The End of Hope ~ by
ErinRua |
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Creation ~ September 2003
Golden Rings and Precious Things ~ A challenge to write a vignette
about a creation in Middle Earth. Starting with the forging of the
One Ring in Mount Doom; it took much more than fire and craft to
create such a terrible device. Maximum story length 1000 words.
Length: 18 pages ~ 9 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes Mithril Semi-Finalist 2004: Best
story focusing on other races ~ Foresight Unknown, Beauty Unrivaled
~ by Merithehobbit |
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Banners
~ July 2003
Thinking of Bastille Day, the Fourth and Flag Day, Henneth Annûn
challenged people to write standard bearer stories, or the sight
of seeing a banner flying. Here are the responses of the Burping
Troll writers.Word limit: 500.
Length: 12 pages ~ 9 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes Mithril Semi-Finalist 2004: Best
gapfiller ~ King's Standard, Queen's Hand ~ by Merithehobbit
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Memorial
~ May 2003
May 26th is Memorial Day in the U.S. The challenge issued at Henneth
Annûn was to write one character's remembrance of war. This
could be a eulogy, a lament, a memory, a visit to someone's grave.
The only restriction was that the work must be no more than 500
words in length.
Length: 8 pages ~ 6 Vignettes ~ Classification: Various ~ Authors:
Various |
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Includes MEFA 2005 Award 3rd place: Gapfiller:
The Grey Company: The Black Chasm of Moria Award: Weeping
Iron Tears ~ by ErinRua
Also Black Chasm of Moria Author's Award 3rd
place: Gapfiller: Drabbles: ErinRua
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Includes MEFA 2005 Awards: Gapfiller: Honourable
Mention: For the Common Man ~ by SilliMarilli |
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Includes Mithril Semi-Finalist 2004: Best
characterisation: minor character: Among the Fields of Green
~ by ErinRua |
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