Founded in 2005, the Silmarillion Writers' Guild exists for discussions of and creative fanworks based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion and related texts. We are a positive-focused and open-minded space that welcomes fans from all over the world and with all levels of experience with Tolkien's works. Whether you are picking up Tolkien's books for the first time or have been a fan for decades, we welcome you to join us!
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New Challenge: Tengwar Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
A Sense of History: Crossroads In the ongoing series on towers in Tolkien's work, a thread runs through "The Lord of the Rings," revealing the divine assistance of Varda in the travails of the Fellowship.
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.
A horrid cacophony of cries erupts ahead of them, as orcs appear—up the cliff on hidden ledges, on the path, with bows and swords. And behind them rises a figure of darkness and flame. The heat rolls down the path over them, bringing the smell of burning flesh and bitter fear with it. Someone…
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.
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.
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
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!
Angbang Week 2024
All new, unpublished fanworks about the Angbang (Melron) ship are welcome during this Tumblr event, running 6-12 May 2024.
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Comments
The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.
Amazing concept! I love the movement from description to a question to Fëanor directly addressing the question. I'm not sure of the intention, but it makes me think of the artist justifying their work to themselves rather than to any real critic.
And, of course, the theme of the world beyond Valinor.... Very fitting to start this series (?) with Fëanor.
'the artist justifying their work to themselves' - Oh I like that interpretation! I was thinking it was criticism he'd received sort of swirling in his mind but I like the idea of imagined criticism, too.
Not sure how much of a series this will end up being, depends on how many of the prompts I end up doing I suppose, but thank you :)
Thank you, I think this will likely be a bit of cumulative inspiration, not necessarily building on the last installment but influenced by what came before :)
While obviously not looking to inflict mental damage on my friends I'm glad it came across so viscerally, I always worry that it might come across too 'flat'. Thank you so much for reading along and commenting <3
Oh, powerful! Remarkable you got a poem into a drabble. Someone once described the transition from prose to poetry or music in drama as a moment where a scene's emotions become too big to be contained in prose. This definitely fits Fëanor at the time of canon.
Feanor being very Feanor, poetically, poor Celebrimbor (and sympathetic Curufin!); nice and unusual Finrod and Daeron encounter (book lovers, unite!)....
Thank you very much (book lovers unite, indeed! Now the ultimate question, will Daeron actually use the blank journals or will they be "too precious"?? LOL)
Delighted that you enjoyed this one! Toooootally didn't have you in mind at all. lol The urge to add "and then they made out" was so strong (but I resisted. ...well, almost)
What a real treat to read these glimpses: Fëanor's delight in his invention and indeed, others content to remain ensconced in the Light would not see their point.
That necklace! I'd like one please, I rarely wear jewellery but it sounds like one I would.
A sleepy Ent tickled by a squirrel is just so cute; a content Avar almost pitying those who left; Gwindor's first moment of freedom; Fëanor's rage, Finrod's precious possession (well, two of them); Celebrimbor... aww, sweetie, it's OK, we've all done it!
Ooooooh! Ok, I so very very much relate to the sentimentality in this! And your description is as fine as this worn, comfortable and comforting fabric. And, I just love seeing Andreth and Bregor share a moment of sibling intimacy. ♡
Hah! I am with Celebrimbor on this, if the bridge looks anything like it did in the films. These are all so clever, becoming a favourite little word snack in my day.
Andreth as sister, Celebrimbor sharing a fear with Narvi, Telchar making something that isn't a weapon, and protective Nuin: what a wonderful selection of characters and ideas!
Excellent! When you said you were writing about Gil-estel I had a feeling we'd be getting a POV we don't get in canon and I'm glad you picked these two. I love how it's a very real moment interrupted by a miracle.
Oh, I'm so with Celebrimbor here!! It's really not the sheer precipitous drops that are the problem, but what lies at the end of them. (Says she who, despite a lifelong fear of sheer precipitous drops, somehow found herself climbing sheer precipitous cliffs for fun for a lot of her life, admittedly initially motivated by a very hot guy, so maybe Narvi will do the same for Celebrimbor.)
Aha! So it's the ang in the northern reaches that draws the needle? Clever.
I love Nuin here — probably utterly confused himself by the odd light, but still being so reassuring to the now-awake sleepers. (I've never really thought about how surprising and terrifying the sunset may have been.)
I have a weird relationship with heights myself - sometimes I can manage, sometimes I am nearly frozen in terror. Bridges just absolutely churn my stomach in knots (moreso if I'm walking than driving), but I can stand on a cliff and be like "yep, this is cool".
Comments
The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.