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
Turgon's Rock Opera
On the anniversary of the publication of "The Silmarillion," we’re reflecting on the importance of music in Arda with prompts that come from rock songs. 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.
Thank you! :D I was hoping to highlight the differences in his and Tyelko's characters here: Tyelko is too impetuous to even lie while Curvo has a whole ruse cooked up with a few seconds of warning!
I have 13 years of practice! :D I don't drabble much anymore, but when I started in fandom, drabbling was the Cool Thing, and I used to instadrabble pretty frequently with my friends.
It's a tough and pretty merciless form! Usually I cave at least once and say, "This one will be a double-drabble!" so I'm proud of myself that I didn't do that at all this time. ^_^
I don't know, in terms of the Felakverse, how I think it happened yet; I'll get there eventually! I wrote this drabble on Thursday, the night after I wrote a different version of Terentaule staying behind in my TRSB story. (These instadrabbles are a way to play with ideas I'd probably never actually consider--part of what's fun about them! :)
You know that after Tolkien, Beowulf is my scholarly turf. :D And since if Middle-earth is our Earth, it made sense to me that some of those Beleriand-based myths might become Northern myths ...
Me too! I totally believe him when he says he would die if they were broken. He's a bit old at that point in the story to be engaging in adolescent dramatics (which is otherwise what it sounds like; "If I can't have them I'll just DIE" *flounce*). I don't know that this is *exactly* how I imagine it going down, but with 100 words to work with, it gets to the point!
This is a scene I've had in mind for well over a decade by now; I even alluded to it somewhere (maybe AMC?) but this is my first time writing it. It was the only addition to the NSFW channel and people wanted more of it ... if I ever get to write the AMC prequel (I will!), it will be in there. :D
Thanks for reading and comment on all of these. <3
I adore that idea. RPF of Tolkien stumbling upon sone hard evidence! Stop throwing these plot bunnies at me! I'm already imagining the lecture he could give about his findings. I will NEVER do this. I think you should.
LOL--maybe someday! You should see my writing to-do list for the summer: two scholarly articles and finishing a novel and the TRSB story. I started one of them ...
I'm sorry I could not make the leap to be able to understand this one. I need things spelled out. It did entertain me. Reminded me of the Dorothy Parker poem by the same name and how it could be suitable for Andreth:
This I say, and this I know: Love has seen the last of me. Love's a trodden lane to woe, Love's a path to misery.
This I know, and knew before, This I tell you, of my years: Hide your heart, and lock your door. Hell's afloat in lovers' tears.
Give your heart, and toss and moan; What a pretty fool you look! I am sage, who sit alone; Here's my wool, and here's my book.
Look! A lad's a-waiting there, Tall he is and bold, and gay. What the devil do I care What I know, and what I say?
Basically it is Andreth lamenting what we mere mortals complain about all the time: that history repeats itself and those in power don't look back to the past for lessons. There is a cycle of hope followed by disappointment and despair. They migrated north in hopes of breaking the pattern and beginning anew, which is ironically more of the same in hoping that the past pattern won't hold true ...
It's a pretty dark and gloomy one ... (Also I know "Anthrabeth" is not your favorite text.)
I like this as an explanation for why there is never mention of Celebrimbor's mother- it seems entirely plausible and there is a rela sense here of HER and her motivation- the dream of glory and the reality.
Your Nerdanel is the only one for me- she is complex, loyal though she refuses Feanor in the end, loving, a mum and mother. She never stops loving them and never stops thinking of them but doesn't regret.
Poor Maedhros- how he disintegrates in grief, and this made me think of AMC (partly because I am re-reading it AGAIN:) and how loving he is, how they all waited for him to be a father because he was born to be just that. The fact that Tolkien has him search tells us that he was not lost, and although it is Maglor who persuades him (apparently) to take Elrond and Elros, all of this suggests he would never haveleft children alone in that place or this. Lovely writing- senseof ghosts without revealing it.
the retching Light that poured in fluid past my lips, dry and cold and bright and burning, leaving me complete, leaving me hollow.
The moment of his changing -where he loses everything else hecared for. You express this perfectly with the contrast between all that he ignores tocomplete the work and never recovers.
This is just lovely- I have never really felt anything for these two, being sucked into the Maedhros story and so HATING them for denying him- but this just is like a picture, so perfectly have you chosen the images and phrases. I wish I could paint this as a fic-gift but it would be an insult:) stick Elu and Melian probably not doing you justice!!
Comments on Thirteen
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.