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!
Character of the Month: Eönwë This month's biography focuses on Eönwë, who started with a variety of identities but settled into the role of Manwë's herald, exemplifying the values of strong leadership and justice.
New Challenge: Stars Create a fanwork using star-themed prompts presented in a bingo board format.
Cultus Dispatches: Trends in Fandom Entry Year The films inspired a lot of fanfiction, yes, but exactly how fanfiction authors interacted with them predicts who remains in the fandom for long durations.
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…
“Yes,” snaps Maitimo , though in truth he is not so sure. His bladder is ridiculously full, swollen and aching, jostling around uncomfortably with every step he takes. It takes a concerted effort of will not to squirm around awkwardly or grab…
But Aredhel knew better than her mother; she was stronger, she was more willful, she was enlightened. She would not make the same mistakes Anairë had made. She would find a way to do it all differently.
***
Re-embodied in Aman, Aredhel struggles to come to terms with all that has…
Across the history of the "Silmarillion," Eönwë's role settles on a character who leads without taking upon himself the power to mete out justice and who acts with equanimity across some of the most harrowing conflicts in the early legendarium.
Across the history of the "Silmarillion," Eönwë's role settles on a character who leads without taking upon himself the power to mete out justice and who acts with equanimity across some of the most harrowing conflicts in the early legendarium.
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
Thirteen years before the War of the Ring, an orcling — more intelligent and more curious than most — is born in Mordor. His curiosity will lead him to both incredible discoveries and perilous situations, all of which will shape him into a leader unlike any Mordor has ever known. But to become…
Erestor finds himself thrust into adventure when Elrond requests his company escorting Arwen to Minas Tirith after the War of the Ring is won. All too aware of the chronic illness that has bound his friend to Rivendell for the past several centuries, Glorfindel has some concerns. Erestor, aware…
Around the World and Web
Oritober 2026
A gen and safe for work event celebrating Middle Earth's favorite dwarf scribe!
Erestober 2026
An event running throughout October, to show appreciation for Erestor!
Silm Smut Week 2026
Silm Smut Week is a Tumblr event celebrating sexually explicit fanworks.
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've often wondered if Curufinwe might not have been relieved when Celebrimbor refused to follow him from Nargothrond. I'd like to think that was the case. Interesting character study!
I'm of the rather firm persuasion that he didn't WANT him to follow, didn't WANT him to swear the Oath and throw his life away like the rest of them on an unwinnable goal - at this point, he has no illusions that they'll succeed in claiming the Silmarils... So my reading is rather influenced towards Nargothrond being his last-ditch attempt to be a Father to Celebrimbor...
I've even seen pieces in which the very public disagreement was scripted by curufin & Celebrimbor together, a way to limit the losses - after all, all of the people who had followed C&C Sr remained in Nargothrond with Celebrimbor... and of course, that might come down to "we won't follow you no more" but it might as easily be "Command is passing to him, you now owe my son your allegiance" type of thing.
Help, now I'm full of feels! This is wonderful. I love your take on Curufin as a father - a great change from the much more frequent controlling, demanding, self-absorbed depiction of Curufin. Love the idea that Curufin was proud of Celebrimbor for taking a different road.
This is very much the Curufin of my Memory Lane fic ;) and I don't tend to see him in such a terrible light(if even Tolkien agreed that he was depicted as worse than reality in the luthien tale, who am I to argue?) so my Curufin is... Not glad, because he is going to miss his son, but at the same time there is no longer the threat of Celebrimbor taking the Oath hanging over him, which is a profound relief. He is also quite proud that he managed to raise a good man (a better man than himself, at least)... I still haven't decided how the argument panned out, but honestly I wouldn't put it past Curufin to have staged the whole thing with or without Celebrimbor's knowledge, just as a last attempt at saving him from the fate that awaits him and his brothers.
Part of him also thinks that perhaps Telperina will forgive him for getting her killed if he manages to save their son - an unspoken thought that has been his driving force since alqualonde in my head...
I think there is a richness in imagining Curufin as having other sides than the seemingly awful, scheming person he comes across in canon, especially the idea that a figure as sympathetic as Celebrimbor must have experienced something of love and nobility in the family whose star and creative tradition he kept.
I'm very firmly not in the Curufin-was-horrible-to-the-bone camp of fandom even though it does seem quite pervasive... I firmly believe that - as you say - Celebrimbor's later actions and subtextual readings of his character tells us a lot about the internal family dynamics of the Fëanorians, particularly in regards to Curufin (even Tolkien admitted that he was tarred with a rather too dark brush in the Beren/Luthien tale, after all)...
And also he's my favourite son of Fëanor XD
I don't really want him to be an utter horror as a person - so this was written in that frame of mind. I'm semi-convinced that the final blow-up between them was entirely orchestrated by Curufin in an attempt to save Celebrimbor from the Doom of their house - anything to keep him from taking the Oath alongside them - whether or not Celebrimbor was aware and played along, or his father was just manipulative/scheming/knew him well enough that HE fell for the ruse along with the rest of Nargothrond... one day, I shall write that scene, probably. And the scene where Celebrimbor finds the letter...
Comments on The last word
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.