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: Scavenger Hunt In this Matryoshka-with-a-twist, you will solve clues that point you to the challenge prompts.
Sign-Up to Hand Out Scavenger Hunt Prompts Our May challenge will be a Matryoshka built around a scavenger hunt. If you'd like to hand out prompts (and receive comments on your work for doing so!), you can sign up to do so.
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.
The fate of lovers has been sealed. After Aegnor pledges his love to Andreth, he seeks out council one last time from his wiser and more grounded eldest brother. However, his hopes that Finrod would join him in this newfound happiness are quickly dashed and it does not go well between the…
After the fall of Dorthonion, Edhellos (originally named in Quenya Eldalote), Angrod's wife, has chosen to move to Barad Nimras, the tower that Finrod built in the Falas on a headland west of Eglarest.
A series of half-drabbles using the one word prompts for the March/April 2025 Birthday Bash Challenge, looking at the perception of time through the eyes of Maiar (in general), Maedhros (specifically), and Aragorn and Arwen (specifically).
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…
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.
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.
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.
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…
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
Russingon Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the relationship between Maedhros and Fingon.
Boromir Week 2026
If you are Boromir girlies/gents/stans/simps, then this event is for you! So, come join us, and bring your fanfiction, art, gifs, moodboards, and headcanons that highlight everything you love about our Captain of Gondor!
Silmarillion Epistolary Week 2026
Silmarillion Epistolary Week is a Tumblr challenge dedicated to creating fanworks to tell the story of the Silmarillion in the style of an epistolary novel.
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.
Yes, I could well imagine what it would be like in a room filled with Elven and Dwarven smiths.The tension would be a living thing.
I like your idea of not only growing sheets of gem and turning them into ornaments, which by the way are quite stunning, but employing electrum, [which I had to look up, to understand what it was.]as a decorative border.
Nature is fascinating! (Hope looking up electrum wasn't too tedious - I was looking for a metal Celebrimbor would reach for before mithril was an option.)
Thanks! I was casting around for something to do with 'competition' and then I remembered that I'd thought those ornaments looked like they could be elven or dwarven!
Thank you! (I can claim no credit for the ornaments - they just happened to pop up on my Tumblr dash a while back, and I thought they were too pretty not to share!)
I don't know why the Elves are looking so snippy, either! I wouldn't mind having several hair ornaments in that style, with different flowers for different outfits. Two at once seems perfect! But Celebrimbor's solution is also perfect. I really love the friendship and the appreciation between Celebrimbor and Narvi as you depict them!
Thanks! Two ornaments at once might have worked if elves weren't such fashionistas and the ornaments in question weren't so drastically different in color and style of flower. So little Celebrian gets to have a gift too, and Celebrimbor and Narvi can placate their overcompetitive underlings, who are taking the entire thing far more seriously...
I bet Galadriel loved the ornaments, and so did Celebrian. Glad she ended up getting one, too.
Yes, what better proof that Celebrimbor and Narvi think alike than their coming up with similar things to make. But I also like it that they aren't the same and Celebrimbor immediately gets fascinated with the details.
They did indeed love them - and Celebrian, being little and cute, turned on the cuteness to turn hers into a matching set at the next holiday that involved gift-giving!
Celebrimbor getting fascinated with the details just seemed like a thing he would do. (I think I'm going to have to write more of these two!)
Comments on Both Alike In Dignity
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.