New Challenge: Allusive
Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
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: Allusive
Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] Explain This by Elrond's Library
Melkor demands an account of Mairon’s failures.
[Writing] Message in a Bottle by StarSpray
Over the course of his very long life he had found a handful of messages in bottles, but it had been a very long time. So when he found the glass bottle on his little stretch of pebbly beach, he picked it up with the intention of tossing it into his recycling. But it wasn’t, he found, just…
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
[Artwork] Nerdanel/Nienna moodboard by Independence1776
A Nerdanel/Nienna moodboard.
[Writing] The Stars of Home by Idrils Scribe
Elrohir has been found after his long abduction by the Black Númenóreans of Umbar. He comes home to Rivendell, but all is not well: the Elf-child that was taken is now a Man grown. War and darkness have left Elrohir deeply scarred, and even at home there is danger...
An alternate universe…
Differing Perspectives
Remix another author's fanwork (with their permission!) by rewriting it from another character's perspective. Read more ...
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
[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.
Finwean Sibblings Prompt Fest 2026
A prompt-based fandom event aiming to focus on celebrating Finwë's children: Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Lalwen, & Finarfin - ships, gen relationships, or character-centric
Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.
Gigolas Week 2026
Gigolas Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Legolas and Gimli
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
This is well written-- and an explanation for Maedhros's reasoning I don't think I have come across before.
Thank you! As I mentioned in my response to Oshun I was trying to work out his reasoning for myself. Tolkien gives us very little other than the fact that he chose to go. I actually came to this from my other story because I was frustrated with why the brothers just accepted his fate. There had to be a reason for that behavior--Fingon certainly did not have such a passive response to it. These gaps that Tolkien leaves us are just begging for interpretation. I must say that writing both of these stories gave me even more sympathy for these two brothers and got me all emotional about these events again. Thanks for reading and for the review!
Interesting concept and well-argued. I'm not sure it's one I would go with, but that's the fun of fanfiction seeing how others imagine the motivations and backstories that we are not given by the author.
Thank you. It's hard to determine what his reasoning was to even consider what seems to me to be such an obviously disastrous choice. He had options. He could have sent Makalaurë. Or any of his brothers. Or refused to parley. Grief and stress have unexpected effects on even the most brilliant of minds. I wrote this after my other story about Maglor telling the brothers what Maedhros had done (They Choose the Path) because I was trying to work it out for myself and trying to rationalize why Maglor would be so seemingly passive about his captivity. To me it's a fascinating time in the Silmarillion and one that leads to far more questions than answers.
You are definitely right--the questions outweigh the answers. And, as they say, "hindsight is 20x20."
The questions give us much room for interpretation and thus more fan fiction! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. You and Himring are two of my favorite Silmarillion fic authors and I have a tremendous amount of respect for your work.
This was wonderful! It is so intense, driven by the dialogue; I could not stop reading till I reached the end. I will echo Oshun and Himring that Maedhros's reasoning is not an approach I've seen taken before but I like it (as I like interpretations that assume logic and humanity for the Feanorians rather than blind lust for the Silmarils). The end was heart-rending. Really nicely done!
(On a mod note, I'm not sure if you intended this to be a round-robin story? That means that any other SWG member can add chapters. If you didn't intend it and need help getting it set back as a regular story, just drop me a note in your reply and I'll fix it.)
*mod hat off*
Once again, I really enjoyed this and am glad you posted it here! :)
Oh thank you so much for the review!
I really felt I needed to write this after I wrote the story about what comes after--with the brothers finding he has gone and learning of his capture. Maglor often comes off poorly in versions of that time and I couldn't imagine Nelyo didn't have reasoning and justification for his actions--he is far too astute a politician for that and he knew what he was leaving for Maglor--he just didn't realize Maglor wouldn't tell them he promised Nelyo not to go after him!
I see the Fëanorians as far more than just singleminded obsession with obtaining the jewels. They are deep, insightful, intellectual and flawed individuals but they are far more than just their Oath.
I did not mean it to be round robin! Still learning on this site. If you can fix it that would be great! Thank you!
Never mind! I think I fixed it!
Oh thank you so much for the review!
I really felt I needed to write this after I wrote the story about what comes after--with the brothers finding he has gone and learning of his capture. Maglor often comes off poorly in versions of that time and I couldn't imagine Nelyo didn't have reasoning and justification for his actions--he is far too astute a politician for that and he knew what he was leaving for Maglor--he just didn't realize Maglor wouldn't tell them he promised Nelyo not to go after him!&
I see the Fëanorians as far more than just singleminded obsession with obtaining the jewels. They are deep, insightful, intellectual and flawed individuals but they are far more than just their Oath.
I did not mean it to be round robin! Still learning on this site. If you can fix it that would be great! Thank you!
Never mind! I think I fixed it!
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