New Challenge: Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration.
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: 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.
New Challenge: Famous Last Words
For our March challenge, our moderators will assign you a famous last line to use as a prompt.
[Writing] a life freely given, a favor returned by skywardstruck
Finrod and Bëor stop for a while on the road to Nargothrond to rest. The bodies of the Secondborn often grow weary, and Finrod laments, massaging Bëor's back and renewing his beloved's vigor with the work of his hands. But Finrod has other burdens of his own, Bëor soon discovers, returning…
[Writing] dye me, nocturne by skywardstruck
Maglor without Maedhros, Daeron without Lúthien. Alone, they are nothing, but together, they can be something more.
Where do you turn, when you have no one else left?
Written for Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2023, featuring artwork by athlai.
[Writing] Til We're on the Other Side by StarSpray
It was only the second time Finwë had come out foraging with them, and of course this would happen—of course the Hunter would come, the Dark Rider on his steed with its terrible, heavy footfalls, and the deep-throated laughter that held no mirth, only malice.
In the dark…
[Writing] A Hundred Miles Through the Desert by StarSpray
“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…
[Writing] Hill and Water Under Sky by StarSpray
a collection of drabbles and mini ficlets in the meanwhile the world goes on 'verse that aren't long enough to stand on their own
[Writing] The Long Arm of the Law by Elrond's Library
Turgon cannot be above the law.
[Writing] Despair and Shadows by octopus_fool
Haleth leaves to find her brother, even though her father does not permit her to.
Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration. Read more ...
Great Journeys
Join a character on the road to explore the actual and symbolic importance of journeys. 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.
[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.
[Writing] Why did Éowyn ask Faramir if he'd rather have a "woman of the race of Númenor"? by Quente
For most of my life, when reading Lord of the Rings, I read it through the perspective of Gandalf's words about Éowyn, that she'd spent years trapped as a caregiver, watching the realm she love fall from honor into disgrace.
But what if Éowyn was also a student of history?
…
Angbang Week 2026
Angbang Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Morgoth and Sauron, running from May 5-11, 2026
Gondor Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the history of the realm of Gondor.
Crablor Day
A day dedicated to everyone's favourite warcriminal crustacean - April 26, 2026
April/May Teitho Challenge
Teithio is running a prompt challenge around the theme of "heartbreak."
April Challenge Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge around the theme of "fools," "foolishness," or "being fooled."
Elenwë? ;)
I really liked this! Nurwë has good reason to be suspicious - about the Valar as well as about the fate of Denethor. I also liked that Morwë is aware of the unchaining of Melkor despite the lack of contact, and that you let your Avari see a faint glimmer of the Trees (enough to note its absence, anyway)! I really hope the spiders are too busy getting to the coast to hurt these two... :/
Make that most! And the perils of posting late at night - I'll go edit my author's note, but I did account for her, though it's probably incredibly boring for anyone not me and relies on the Noldor and Vanyar having inheritence along the male line, but the Sindar, Teleri, Silvan, and Avari letting inheritence descend along either line (which also explains Dior).
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. Morwë was probably aware that Melkor was up to his old tricks long before anyone in Valinor was, so contact would have likely benefited them more ("So there's orcs running around killing us and trying to return to their master, but you're trusting Melkor to wander your island talking to everyone. Maybe someone should try to keep an eye on him?"). The spiders are too busy getting to the coast to hurt them! Both live another day, at least (and Nurwë lives a great deal longer :P).
Oh, interesting! But I'm a bit confused - does Denethor = Finwë? Or Finwë is Nurwë's brother and Denethor took another group of elves west (but not necessarily West) and also failed to send word back?
Does your Nurwë ever encounter any of her nephews/returning kin?
Thank you! I'm glad it's interesting. Finwë is Nurwë's brother in this story. Denethor is the same Denethor mentioned in the Silm for roughly two paragraphs, who led some of the Nandor west to Doriath, became allies with Thingol, and ended up dying in battle in Doriath at roughly the same time as Finwë's death and the Noldor's rebellion in Valinor. Denethor sends tiny trace amounts of news back, but not that much.
Nurwë later meets Maglor! It is interesting, and Maglor is slightly confused by this unknown family but also "...well, you would have been Aredhel's favorite great-aunt ever".
Oh, I'm glad to see from the comments that they are not about to die in that spider attack!
Yes, they might have sensed the onset of the trouble in Middle-earth, mightn't they? The Valar weren't watching Melkor all that closely, it seems, after all.
Thanks, Himring! No, they don't die in this attack - Morwë and a different daughter die later (he's the main, though there unnamed, character in Obsidian to Cut and Tyranny of Family (from B2MeM)). There he's a little more bitter, after being dismissed as just one of the Avari. ...I really need to figure out a name for him in his dialect, because he's just going to keep showing up.
All surprise over Melkor's betrayel could have been stopped by somebody asking the Avari what was going on. :P
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Comments on Little Spiders in the Woods
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