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
Family Matters
Step inside of one of the families of "The Silmarillion" and tell their tale with a fanwork that illustrates the conflicts and relationships that occur within a family. 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.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! What a bad way to go! When he reconsiders his decisions and sees his mistakes, when he finally realizes that his best creation are his sons, they react to the *bad* Feanor who swore the Oath, not the *good* Feanor who loves them and whose parting memory was going to be fun time with all the family together. So many regrets to work out in Mandos.:(
I've had moments as a reader when I assumed he was blind to the wrongs he did, and felt only the wrongs done to him: but I realized that tragedy also lies in the possibility that he *had* such a realization: but all the mechanics of doom are already set going!
Oh this was so utterly heartbreaking. I love the memories you have chosen, the regret as he sees himself with more objective eyes and finds his actions petty, wrong, regretful. And that horrible misunderstanding at the end--he would do things diffently with the clarity death is giving him. Such a devastating comprehension.
But. I will find a shred of hope--for he goes to Mandos' Halls enlightened by his thoughts here. Not in anger or in rebellion but thinking of those he loved or who loved him tat evshould have cherished more. And that gives me hope for him in the Halls.
That's a wonderful thought. I am a HUGE fan of "what happens in Mandos, and beyond" stories: the second chances.
It's fascinating, isn't it? Tolkien gave us some of the most poignant character moments ever, of those who realized some great error they had made, and tried to make up for it in the face of doom: Thorin, Boromir. But he also gave us characters who make similarly tragic errors and never get the chance to change anything: Isildur. And those whom he lets us see only from the outside: and we are left to guess or imagine whether they felt regret or not: not only Feanor but Thingol come to mind.
And in every case. we readers say (and write, and draw): what if?
Oh wow, this story really packed a punch! Such a bitter list of regrets and could-have-beens already... and such an awful, heavy misunderstanding to finish it off. Powerful writing and such a satisfying, thought-provoking look at what may have gone through Feanor's head as he died. Brilliant work!
It flowed from the dense net of objects and connections that the first part of the Silm gives us: the sword, his brother, the sons . . . the wide lands of Beleriand, that are *meant* to mean freedom as well as vengeance.
I know I praised this on Tumblr and commented on AO3 but just want to go on record here (what I consider my home site) at how wonderful it is. Very special to me over the last couple of days, because I have been examining a lot why I find Feanor and sons so compelling.
Anyway, here is a cut and paste of my initial AO3 comment.
You ripped my heart out! This is such a keeper. I am so jealous. All of this stuff is in my heart and my mind when I write stories of Feanor and all of the Finwean brood, but I spend tens of thousands of words and never am sure I manage to communicate what it is that moves me so much about his story. Oh, well! That is what I do--write fanfic to try to ferret out those individual tangents.
And the end! I love the concept that he could have been trying to say something else. It is beautifully done. Thanks so much for adding this to fandom.
And I thank you for commenting here, too. This site has the totally unique--Silmarillion-ness---that steeped-ness in the legendarium that just delights me.
This week I ended up reading a story here from 2010 and it was amazing: that layered sense of fan creation and imagination, which this site can offer as a dedicated archive.
I am rambling a bit, I blame wine and Netflix.
But, that's why I cross post and why I appreciate your commenting here after being kind enough to do so on the other platforms.
Comments on Da Capo
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.