Sign-Up to Hand Out Scavenger Hunt Prompts
Our May challenge will be a Matryoshka built around a scavenger hunt. If you'd like to hand out prompts (and receive comments on your work for doing so!), you can sign up to do so.
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!
Sign-Up to Hand Out Scavenger Hunt Prompts
Our May challenge will be a Matryoshka built around a scavenger hunt. If you'd like to hand out prompts (and receive comments on your work for doing so!), you can sign up to do so.
New Challenge: Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration.
Cultus Dispatches: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn and Grundy
The fan studies column Cultus Dispatches returns with a history of how Tolkien fanworks fandom has reacted and resisted generative AI by drawing strong boundaries in a way that is not typical for the fandom.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
[Writing] How Tolkien Presents Ordinary People in "The Silmarillion" by Dawn Felagund
Inspired by collecting the prompts for the Everyman challenge, this essay considers how ordinary people are subsumed and silenced in The Silmarillion, which begins a three-book arc that ends with the rise of the humble and ordinary.
[Writing] Blessed are the Leave-takers by Isilme_among_the_stars
As prince Curufinwë Fëanáro makes an historical speech from the high court of the King upon Túna, those at the back of the crowd strain to hear.
A silly little scene inspired by Monty Python's "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" scene from The Life of Brian, written for …
[Writing] After the Kinslaying by Deborah Judge
A Teleri fishing boat captain turns to farming on abandoned Noldor lands after her ship is stolen. A Noldor farmer returns with Finarfin to find that his land belongs to the Teleri now.
[Writing] I Sit and Think of Times There Were Before by Erdariel
In his old age, Isildur's former esquire Ruinamacil, known to later histories only as Ohtar, writes his own account of his escape from the ambush at Gladden Fields and journey to Imladris, and the history of his friend whom Isildur ordered to flee with him.
[Writing] Until the Stars are All Alight by Dagstjarna
Reembodied in Aman, Celebrimbor decides to return to Middle earth to help heal the darkness and hurt wrought by the ring.
[Writing] a riot of shadow and shine by Elrond's Library
These were simply flashes, a hint of a wider, greater world. A tantalizing glimpse of more, always at the edge of awareness, never within reach. Míriel would grasp it, if something as intangible as the concept of color could overflow in bounteous wonder over her hands.
But…
[Writing] The Exchange by Elrond's Library
An exchange is made during the Great Journey
Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration. Read more ...
Holiday Party
No matter if you're in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, it's a time of year to think about holidays. Whether you're bundling up in blankets or slipping a swimsuit into your suitcase, we invite you to an SWG holiday party! Read more ...
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
By definition, fanworks fandom does not draw a lot of boundaries, but community archives and events have taken a strong stance against AI-generated fanworks due to ethical considerations and member input.
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
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.
Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the parallels between the concept of abnegation in the scientific work surrounding the atomic bomb and in The Silmarillion. The relinquishment of self-interest in favor of the interests of others, abnegation was identified by Tolkien as a powerful act of spirit and reason. The legendarium has many examples of the complexities of abnegation, which parallel similar discussions held by physicists during and after World War II.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Week of Kiliel
A Tumblr event dedicated to the relationship between Kili and Tauriel.
Aspec Arda Week 2026
This week-long event celebrates asexual and aromantic spectrum interpretations and headcanons of Tolkien’s Legendarium.
April/May Teitho Challenge
Teithio is running a prompt challenge around the theme of "heartbreak."
Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2026
The Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang is back for another summer of collaboration between artists and writers!
Welcome! Thrilled to see you here! I am so happy to read your story. I am primarily a Fingon and Maedhros writer myself. I admire your art so much and love the idea of being able to read the thoughts behind it. (Love your Silmarillion work, but also the Harry Potter and ASOIAF pictures!)
This is the story that I have never had the courage to write, more or less, with a couple of short exceptions relating to Maedhros' captivity, writing the before and after up to this point.
The sight of him brought more fleeting but powerful images flickering across Maedhros’ consciousness, of Fingon standing beneath Mindon Eldaliéva, motionless, the day they had parted. Maedhros saw them but didn’t understand them, could not remember why they had parted, why he had been so angry or Fingon so sad.
I love this conception: Maedhros angry, Fingon sad. But in his current situation, Maedhros is completely unable to comprehend what it had all been about!
Whatever Morgoth did to him, it broke him.
This single sentence suddenly filled him with a burning desire to prove he was alive, and unbroken.
One of the things about Maedhros that has always struck me the incredible accomplishments of the alliance against Morgoth, with all of the history and difficulty of the fault lines within the Noldor. I give credit in my own interpretation to the determination, heart, and strength of mainly Maedhros and Fingon, (and Fingolfin too, and some of the others, of course--might as well admit it, I am a huge fan of the Noldor and their story).
Off to read more!
“It’s Maglor. So there probably won’t be blood. Not that he’d deserve it any less.” Turgon’s voice was dark with resentment. “Atar allowed him to pass. Mainly because he had the decency to request, not to demand.”
Spot-on characterization of Turgon here that rings so true for me. Also, the asking feels like Maglor and the acquiescence on the part of Fingolfin in light of that.
Very much like this exchange between Maglor and Fingon also:
“Tell me,” he said, and it was plain to see how much the question cost him. “How did you know?”
Fingon cast him a blank look. “What did I know?” He walked around the bed to Maedhros’ right side, and Maedhros heard him set down the carafe on the small bedside table.
“That he had no part in burning the ships. That he was going to come back for you.”
This was beautiful, thank you for sharing with us. <3
This is another lovely chapter. Really like the understatement of strong emotion and gentle humor. The idiosyncrasies of the brothers and their unique relationships one to another are shown in very few words.
Particularly was moved by this section:
“Don’t do that,” he said softly. “Snap at me if it makes you feel better.”
“Maybe later,” Maedhros replied, his voice slightly hoarse.
Maglor smiled faintly. “I’ll look forward to that.”
I read your story on DeviantArt and am delighted that you chose to post it here as well.
This is brilliant- and I can see all so clearly -each image is not only given by your words but also by the fabulous illustrations you do (I think I am right, I hope, in assuming that you are THE GoldSeven who also illustrates the silm, and whose pics I have admired and loved for years. If you arent thne I admire and will love your writing for years instead.) Thank you for this great story.
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