#tsf25

[thorinsspringforge]

Thorin's Spring Forge 2025!

Welcome to the new edition of Thorin’s Spring Forge!

Calling all Thorin fans! We are happy to announce that sign-ups for Thorin’s Spring Forge (TSF) 2025 are now open! 

What is TSF? 

TSF is a minibang-style event where writers and artists come together to create fanworks centred on Thorin Oakenshield. Fanworks can be based on the book or the movie version of the character. Any pairing or gen are welcome and we look forward to seeing what you create!

You can participate in this event as a:

Writer;

 Artist;

 Beta reader;

 Pinch hitter (writer);

Pinch hitter (artist).

Explanations of what each of these roles is can be found in our FAQ. You may sign up for more than one role, but there is a maximum of two fanworks per participant (i.e. you may write two fics, or create two artworks, or do one of each). 

Participating authors create a short summary/synopsis of a fic, which is posted anonymously for artists to view and claim. Artists will then create art based on the fic they chose, and authors will write a complete fic (minimum 2,500 words). 

Sign up as a writer

Sign up as an artist

Sign up as a beta reader or pinch hitter

Sign-ups for authors and artists will be open until January 5th 11:59 pm EST.

Sign-ups for beta readers and pinch hitters will remain open for the duration of the event!

Please be sure to familiarise yourself with our rules and schedule before signing up! 

Questions? Visit our FAQ or contact us via thorinsspringforge@gmail.com, or send us an ask or DM on Tumblr. 

If you have an idea you want to suggest: Add something to the suggestion form (this does not constitute a sign-up!) 

If you are unsure of what you want to write: Check out the suggestions list!

We hope to see you on the sign up list soon!

[thorinsspringforge]

We are inching ever closer to reveals! The TSF mods, and everyone involved in this event, are incredibly excited to see everyone's fanfic and fanart celebrating our favourite Dwarf. ❤️

To whet your appetite, why not check out the wonderful works from past years' Thorin's Spring Forge events?

For instance, you could reread and leave a comment on this lovely fanfic! (Personally, it features one of this mod's favourite tropes...)

It's finally time! I present to you my latest Bagginshield fic, created in collaboration with the @thorinsspringforge! I highly encourage everyone to check out the other amazing Thorin-centric works that just dropped from the collection! The link for that is HERE.

I want to thank @lordoftherazzles for making this amazing banner for me, as well as my lovely artist @rajirani, who chose my fic out of the lineup and who made the stunning art you will find both in the fic and the banner. You have no idea how excited I am to share this with you all, and I hope you enjoy! 🥰

The Burden Of Choice (Bagginshield, 56k, E)

Summary:

Thorin Oakenshield is the crown prince of one of the strongest kingdoms in Middle Earth, but in the last year, the kingdom has struggled to keep its place among the ruling powers of the land. Erebor was held under vicious siege for over a year as the dragon Smaug terrorised the land and all but wiped out the nearby human settlement of Dale. Eventually, the dwarves were victorious, but it was at the cost of many of their own, including Thorin’s father and youngest brother. They were left with a charred and decimated land. Since then, no crops could be persuaded to grow in the dragon's desolation. With tariffs from the elves climbing higher every year, King Thror is left with little choice but to secure an alliance with another race through the bonds of marriage. Thorin plans to make a run for it the night before he is forced to marry a foreign Lord. In his attempt, he runs right into Bilbo, doing the same thing.

[thorinsspringforge]

TSF25: Thorin Poll Time!

The preparations for Thorin’s Spring Forge 2025 are well underway (have you already signed up?) but we're really curious about how you imagine the happy ending to Thorin's story. (We all know that his untimely death was just a case of the unreliable narrator Bilbo who just wanted to keep the sales of his book up. Thorin just took a short nap. He's fine. We promise. All is well.)

There are many wonderful stories and art pieces that show Thorin's future after BOTFA but which ending do you like the most? Let us know!

If you liked this poll, please consider reblogging it so others can see it and pick their favorite endings too! 🙏

[thorinsspringforge]

Attention all Thorin fans!

Hello everyone! As we begin planning the 2025 edition of our event, we want to announce that we are looking for a new mod!

If you have some time between now and May, you like using Discord, and you're comfortable writing posts/messages in English, we'd love to hear from you! Previous experience as a Discord server mod is an asset, but it's not required. If you are familiar with the Bagginshield part of the fandom and located outside of the ET (or similar) time zone, that's also a plus. The most important thing is that you like Thorin (duh) and are enthusiastic about this event!

Please DM us or send an email to thorinsspringforge@gmail.com if you're interested.

— Mods @lathalea, @legolasbadass, and @middleearthpixie

[thorinsspringforge]

Absolutely gorgeous art! My goodness. 😍

Remember, Second Claims are still open if you, too, would like to draw our favourite majestic dwarf!

“Thorin Oakenshield”

Date : 07.05.2014 Used : 4H, F, B, 6B, mechanical pencils (0,3&0,5mm), fineliners (0,2&0,5mm), blending stick, white gel pen, gel pen, A4 paper Time : 5h 06min

[thorinsspringforge]

Are You an Artist?

If you have signed up as an Artist for TSF25, we have great news for you: the Claims Form is still open and will close on 2 pm EST / 7 pm GMT.

If you haven't claimed a fic yet, you can still do it today!

If you have any questions, we're here, on our TSF Discord server, and we're reachable by email too (thorinsspringforge@gmail.com)!

[thorinsspringforge]

TSF25: Check-in #3

Hello everyone!

Just a reminder that the final check-in is fast approaching! One person per collab pair must check in by email on or by March 30th, 11:59 pm EST. 

All signed up writers and artists will have received an email with instructions on how to check in. We only accept check-ins by email, so please do not send us a message here on Tumblr or on Discord. Check-ins are mandatory so if you are very late and do not respond to our messages, you run the risk of being dropped from the event. 

March 30th also marks the deadline for requesting extensions.

If you do not require an extension, please keep in mind that fics and art are due in the AO3 collection on April 14. 

Questions? You know where to find us :)

Happy creating!

[thorinsspringforge]

TSF25 Poll Time!

Thorin’s Spring Forge 2025 is just around the corner (HERE!) so let’s begin with a very important poll!

[thorinsspringforge]

TSF25 - Sign-ups closed!

Hello everyone! Sign-ups for writers and artists are now closed, so you should all be receiving an email with important information about summaries, claims, and an invite to our Discord server. If you can't find this email, be sure to check your spam!

If you'd still like to take part in the event as a pinch hitter or beta reader, you're in luck, as sign-ups for those roles are still open and will remain so for the duration of the event! Here's the link to the sign-up form.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out via an ask or DM on Tumblr, or via email at thorinsspringforge@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who signed up!

[thorinsspringforge]

TSF25 Works Due Date & AO3 Collection

Dear TSF writers and artists,

We hope you’re all doing well! 

This is a reminder that all completed fics and art must be submitted by April 14th, 2025, 11:59 EST.

You should have received an email with the information about submitting your work to the AO3 collection.

If you are unsure how to post to an AO3 collection, you may consult the instructions from AO3 or reach out to any of the mods.

Please don’t forget to include your collab number when posting your works to help us identify them.

If you have already contacted us about an extension, just make sure to submit your fic by the agreed upon date. 

We look forward to seeing everything that you have created!

Best,

TSF Mod Team

[thorinsspringforge]

TSF25 Important Information!

Dear Writers and Artists, 

You should have all received an email that contains a link to the Summaries List and important information about Claims! I know it’s very easy to get distracted by all the amazing summaries, but please take the time to carefully read the whole email attentively, as it will answer many of your questions about the claims process. We have also extended the deadline to request small changes to summaries until January 17, 2025 at 11:59PM. As always, if you have any questions for concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out either here, on Discord, or via email. Now go read and squeal over the summaries—that’s what we mods will be doing! 

Also an important note: If you do not see our email in your inbox, please check your spam first! If it’s not in your spam either, please do email us ASAP—it’s possible there may have been a typo or something when you submitted your email address or that Google is being silly. 

[thorinsspringforge]

Second Claims!

Hello everyone! 📢

It is almost time for second claims! Please check your email to find the link to the preview of the summary list and instructions for claims. 

You can peruse the summaries so that you know which ones you might like to create art for prior to claims. Also, please do not share the summaries with non-participants as we do not have the approval of all the writers to do so.

You can create any type of art you like: a playlist, a LEGO model, a traditional drawing, a moodboard, a piece of jewelry, a digital painting, an amigurumi - anything you like, as long as it is inspired by the fic you picked.

Remember that claims will work on a first come first serve basis, so it’s better to make your choice in advance.

Second Claims will open on Tuesday, January 21st, 12:00 pm EST / 5:00 pm GMT. To claim a fic, please use the Claims Form (the form will only open at the time of claims). 

The form will be open for the next 48 hours.

You will be asked to list your top 3 choices, in order of preference. That way, if your first choice has already been claimed, you will get your second choice, and so on and so forth. It is highly unlikely that your top three choices will already have been claimed, but if this happens, you will simply be asked to resubmit the form. If you know you will be unavailable at the time of claims, you may ask someone else to send your claims for you, but you will be responsible for sending them all the information and the link to the form. You can also wait and submit your claim at a later time, but we cannot guarantee that your top choices will still be available by then. 

Please note: if you are also signed up as a writer, or you have already claimed a fic during first claims, you may only claim one fic.  

If you have any questions during claims, you can contact the mods on our Discord server or via e-mail. We will not be monitoring our ask box on Tumblr during claims. 

Finally, please do your best not to stress out over claims! It is highly unlikely that you will not get one of your top choices, and this event is meant to be fun! 

If you have any questions, visit our FAQ, or send us an email via thorinsspringforge@gmail.com. You can also send us an ask or DM us on Tumblr, or message any of the mods on Discord.

See you at Second Claims,

The TSF Mod Team

[thorinsspringforge]

Claims Day!

Hello everyone! 📢

Claims will happen today, January 19th, at 2:00 pm EST / 7:00 pm GMT. Please check what time that will be in your timezone.

🎨 Dear Artists, by now you have received general info and the link to the form via e-mail, but if anything is unclear, please let us know! Artists who would like to claim 2 works: please remember that you can claim only one fic this time. You will be able to claim a second fic during Second Claims.

📖 Dear Authors, just sit back and relax... there is an artist for your stories out there!

✍️ 🖌️ Dear Artist Pinch Hitters and other members, please remember that you will be able to claim fics during Second Claims in a couple of days!

🙏 Everyone (mods included), please remember to take a deep breath, relax and hydrate a lot! 💙

[thorinsspringforge]

Hi! I know it's almost late but I got a sudden question about the "collab numer". What exactly is it, how can I know mine and how should I write it in the summary?

Thank you and sorry!

Hello!

Thank you for your ask !

Your collab number is the same as your (or your collab partner’s) fic summary number. The one you claimed as an artist. It’s the number you gave us each time when checking in.

If you’re not sure what the number is and you are a writer, please check your email inbox for our summary submission confirmation email wit the link to your submission slide. If you’re unable to do that, please contact us via email or Discord :)

It’s enough to add this number in your author’s notes at the beginning of your work on AO3 so we can easily identify it.

Hope that helps!

— Mod Lathalea

[thorinsspringforge]

Check-In #1 Is Almost Here!

Hi everyone,

We hope you’re doing well! Just a reminder that the first check-in is approaching. Please check in on or by January 31st, 11:59 EST. Please make sure that you discuss with your partner who will send the email so we only get one email per pair. If you have already checked in, thank you—no need to send it again! 

When checking in, please use “TSF25 Check-in #1” in the subject line and include the following information in your email: 

Your username

Your partner’s username

The fic #

Confirm that you have made contact with your author/artist or inform us of any issues

As always, if you have any questions, visit our FAQ, or send us an email via thorinsspringforge@gmail.com, an ask or DM here on Tumblr, or message any of the mods on Discord.

Best,

TSF Mod Team

[thorinsspringforge]

Hi!

I was wondering how us writers will know when/if an artist claims our summary. I've read all the info. there is on the page but I'm not sure how that would work.

Thank you!

Ps: I love TSF so much. I didn't have the chance to join before but now I'm excited!

Hi there!

You will soon be receiving an email with all the important information about Claims. But you'll be able to see what fics are claimed in real-time and once your summary is claimed, your artist will contact you directly:)

— Mod LB