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: 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.
Finrod and Bëor stop for a while on the road to Nargothrond to rest. The bodies of the Secondborn often grow weary, and Finrod laments, massaging Bëor's back and renewing his beloved's vigor with the work of his hands. But Finrod has other burdens of his own, Bëor soon discovers, returning…
Maglor without Maedhros, Daeron without Lúthien. Alone, they are nothing, but together, they can be something more. Where do you turn, when you have no one else left?
Written for Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2023, featuring artwork by athlai.
It was only the second time Finwë had come out foraging with them, and of course this would happen—of course the Hunter would come, the Dark Rider on his steed with its terrible, heavy footfalls, and the deep-throated laughter that held no mirth, only malice.
“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…
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.
For most of my life, when reading Lord of the Rings, I read it through the perspective of Gandalf's words about Éowyn, that she'd spent years trapped as a caregiver, watching the realm she love fall from honor into disgrace.
But what if Éowyn was also a student of history?
…
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Angbang Week 2026
Angbang Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Morgoth and Sauron, running from May 5-11, 2026
Gondor Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the history of the realm of Gondor.
Crablor Day
A day dedicated to everyone's favourite warcriminal crustacean - April 26, 2026
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.
Cheers Maglor! It seems that the years of waiting, debating the possible treason of Morgoth turned Maglor - very reasonably so - very cynical. No better way to vent this by writing his master piece, the Noldolantë.
Thanks for the feedback :) I must agree I tend to view Maglor as always having been a bit cynical, watching and analysing how people works to understand them when he later writes songs and stuff. he is, in the back of my mind, the most cyical of the lot...possibly with maedhros having the most 'honourable' and 'romantic' view of people...
I enjoyed your 'politically incorrect' Maglor very much: condescending towards Fingon ("the boy"), like a colonial master about the Sindar ("the local tribes"), exploitative about sex, excessively fond of hard drinks, manipulative and cynical about his works ("a pretence of regret") and deliberately unpleasant to Maedhros about the right hand. Yet behind all this he's overwhelmed with guilt at what he did and at what he didn't do (rescue Maedhros) and trying to work it out. When you mention the Noldolantë everything falls into place.
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed him! :) I have to admit I loved writing him, he appeals to my cynical side of things and I would not be suprised if he pops up agian sometime. And lets be honest writing someone that politically incorrect is just pure fun, he can say anything!
I should've known that alcohol + the Noldor = a very explosive result ;)
Jokes aside, I loved it. It's classy, well-written and very Feanorian'ish (does such a word exist anyway?). You've nailed them here. Kudos, and thank you.
I had been discussing the Feanorians with keiliss the whole day and the idea of Maglor and vodka was born... after that I just had to write it :)
I also admit that much as I love the feanorians (and I do) I ted to view them as rather unpleasant when they want to be (like maglor does at this time)
It's a refreshing twist to see Maglor as the bitter, cynical one post-Thangorodrim. This was a most insightful look at these two - I love your style, it flows so easily. The dialogue is wonderful, as well - "A pretence of regret" - phwoar!
Maglor shrugged. “You take what you can get in this life, male or female. They are equally able to spread their legs or open their mouths.”
Woof, Mags! He's certainly a jaded one. The nuances that run throughout this short piece makes it so evocative, telling so much with so few words.
This is really well done - loved Maglor's last line. Great work!
Fabulous dialogue. It was nice to see Maglor as the cynical one, for once, and I liked that he was regretful without being too mopey - too often it seems that he's crying and passing out hugs. Yours was far more interesting.
This is a different but plausible view of Maglor. Most people who had to deal with what they did during those early years, especially with Maedhros' captivity, would believably turn that way more or less. And the rather edgy "bonding" moment is so Feanorian! They could be like that if and when they want to, I imagine.
I love tales of not wimpy!Maglor. It's a very interesting story, besides that; I don't think I ever came across a story where the Fingon-Maedhros dynamic was portrayed as only one-sided. It's interesting. Anyway, lovely dialogue and characterization.
Comments on Vodka
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.