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!
New Challenge: Title Track Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
Our Annual Amnesty Challenge: New Year's Resolution Start 2026 off with creativity! If you missed a challenge or didn't get to finish or post a challenge fanwork, complete any 2025 challenge before 15 February to receive the stamp.
He was going to die. The molten rocks would burn him just like the cursed gem in his palm did. Maybe less painfully but still being burnt hurt and Maedhros knew it. He intimately knew it from his time in Angband where Þauron burnt him often in frustration and to toy with him and his master…
“Come on.” Maedhros grabbed his hand and pulled him along down the path, both of them quickening their pace now, until the trees opened up into a wide meadow filled with flowers, bright yellow celandine and dandelions and sweet-scented pale chamomile mingling with cornflowers and irises. On…
Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.
Current Challenge
Title Track
Create a fanwork using our collection of 125 titles from Tolkien's books, chapters, essays, poems, and fragments as inspiration. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Caprice and Chance
Prompts for this Matryoshka challenge are loosely based on the plot arcs and tropes of romance novels. Read more ...
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.
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the many similarities between Tolkien's three "twilight children," Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel (Luthien, Maeglin, and Arwen) in terms of appearance, plot, and cultural background. Yet these three characters play very different roles in the text.
Presented at Mereth Aderthad 2025, this paper makes the case thata, although the term "aromantic" had not yet been coined in Tolkien's day, many of his characters can be read as aromantic. The paper takes a closer look at Aredhel, Bilbo, and Boromir as three examples of characters who can be read as aromantic.
“There’s a goblin hiding in the taters, Dad!” Pippin hefted the pan, which was much too big for him to carry, let alone wield.
Around the World and Web
March Challenge - Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge for the month of March to create a Back to Middle-earth Month themed challenge.
Tolkien Fashion Week 2026
This two-week-long Tumblr event is dedicated to honoring the world of fashion and textiles Tolkien wrote about in his books.
Celegorm and Curufin Week 2026
Celegorm and Curufin Week is a Tumblr week celebrating the relationship between Celegorm and Curufin Feanorion
Back to Middle-earth Month 2026
Back to Middle-earth Month is returning for it's 20th year with many prompts and archival efforts.
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.
I love it. It is fabulous. I really wish I could draw! I would illustrate it. What fun that would be. Although, actually, it might be funnier to imagine the illustrations that to actually see them.
I adore Finrod and his geekishness anyway. This sounds like him in my head.
Actually, I just remembered that Pandemonium has an illustration in my biography of Finrod here that almost fits one of the possible illustrations: http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/reference/characterofthemonth/finrod.php Scroll down until you get to the cartoon.
This was just fantastic! Your Finrod is both unintentionally hilarious and charming! His awkwardness (and complete obliviousness to said awkwardness) makes it even more endearing. I am imagining all of his sketches. And giggling.
I like to think that Finrod is wise enough to be aware of some of the awkwardness. But then, he is writing this to impress his girlfriend, so he would never admit to it. He is a gentleman explorer, comfortable everywhere!
Recapping from the SV site, but it bears repeating... :^)
Sketches from Beleriand is hilarious, but I would expect no less from you, tehta. Each of Finrod's parenthetical asides on his enclosed sketches (or list) are increasingly hootworthy, and you've captured his scholarly (and patronizing - although a well-intentioned kind of patronizing) voice perfectly. A great andvery entertaining read!
And this...
"Imagine the scene: off in the distance, the mountains rolled towards me, softened by the distance and shaded an impossible indigo. Meanwhile, beside me, every blade of grass, every flower-petal, every leaf on every tree stood out in the still, glowing air, sharp and separate, as if masterfully wrought from a ductile metal. (Not from stone, though: even if I found some in the right blue-green shade, I could never carve it so finely.)
(I confess I am quite pleased with the descriptive powers displayed above, but in case they have failed me, I am enclosing a few watercolours. I believe the third is the best.)"
AH HAHAHAHA! That was the first bit that sent me well and truly over the edge.
And you're right: Finrod's sketch would have been FAR more anatomically correct than my badly drawn cartoon. :^D
This is so wonderful! I love eager, slightly clueless Finrod and his inquisitiveness. I like to imagine his letters somehow survived the fall of Nargothrond and found their way to Amarie eventually… I can see her much later showing the sketches around at family gatherings like other people do with baby photographs, a blushing Finrod in the corner trying to ignore them all ;-)
Comments on Sketches from Beleriand
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.