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
Funky 70s
Choose a prompt from books, movies, quotes, headlines, style, and more from the 1970s. 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.
The tone and language and atomsphere of this are perfect. And I always say I don't like horror fics in general. Utterly and perfectly creepy and I love the style in which it's written. I like the use of the singing and how he appreciates their malice, the way they attack the orcs, but "fawned like cubs" over him. Eww nasty. And their development for the taste of elves and men--chilling. Great job. No more complaining about reading werewolf fics from me.
Thanks, Oshun! I had this scene so clearly in my head, and I wanted that atmopshere to be just right. I'm glad that came through for you. You know where my thoughts turn this time of year, to werewolves other fell beasts. ;-)
Bard, I think you have outdone yourself with this one. You have the style and tone down, but more than that, the heart of it all. The mingling of 'self' that binds and strengthens at the same time is a lot of the heart of the story of the Silmarillion and all the Histories and you have captured the essence of that with this short story amazingly well.
Thanks, Sulriel! I greatly appreciate your comments. When I read that there were werewolves and vampires in Tolkien's stories I wanted to more about them. He certainly has a different "take" on what we think of as traditional for these creatures. It's certainly an interesting area to explore.
You had me at "selenium and tin." Nice touch there and especially appealing to someone as nerdsome as myself.
Your vision of werewolves' genesis fits well with my take of Middle-earth's species of werewolves. They did not engage in lycanthropic transformation but instead had heightened humanoid sentience through grafting of corrupt spirits/souls/fëar or some other manipulation.
And that penultimate paragraph? Ooooooh, yeah! The whole of the story reads as a stygian "just-so" fable. Thanks for the delectably dark confection!
Pandemonium, you honor me. I wish I could write my stories as well as you write your reviews. "stygian just-so fable" I love that. :-)There are few things as fightening as evil combined with intelligence, which is what makes Tolkien's epic villians so disturbing and fascinating.
Ah werewolves! To bring in the music as a mechanism to create is put to good practice with the useage of elements. Not every sentence runs as smoothly to me when I read it, as if there is too much information crammed in there using and as a conjuction. Then it picks up again and it runs smoothly, it might be me. It's a small thing because Sauron in all its evil and cunning planning stand out, leaving me wonder if he has a small feud or dislike of Nessa. I love the different faces of Sauron's wolves: cubs vs dangerous beings ready to kill and conquer at the snap of Sauron's fingers. I can so imagine that later in his life, Sauron as the one eye wishes to be returned to those good ol' times.
Thanks so much for your comments! I think the difference you note comes from the fact that the first paragraph I wrote like me and then I kind of switched to the Tolkien style. :-) I'll see if I can fix that in future posts. Hmm, the idea of Sauron feuding with Nessa gives me another plot idea... I love your comment about Sauorn getting all nostalgic for the good old days, when he had a body, and even another eye. lol
Comments on The Making of the Werewolves
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.