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…
Haleth leaves to find her brother, even though her father does not permit her to.
Current Challenge
Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Companies, Clubs, and Cliques
Create a fanwork that explores a group of characters--formal or informal--that Tolkien didn't identify or describe in his own writings. Read more ...
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.
Do I need to say how much I like this? :^) As in very, very much like it?
Annatar and Celebrimbor's individual voices and dialog are great. Love the remarks about the lanterns in Nargothrond. The interaction of these two craftsmen rings true to the common ground that scientists and engineers, who may be strangers to one another, can so quickly find.
...designing everything from better forges to better mousetraps.
Yes, the practical things first and then...lower the boom.
A good glimpse at the beginning of the professional relationship between Annatar and Celebrimbor! Too bad at how it will turn out in the end.
I liked these parts a lot: "It was much more useful than hiding away in Valinor...Celebrimbor never had seen why they should all have to live in poverty because they had the misfortune to live in the wrong place..."
...Annatar smiled. "Oh yes, it is important to show solidarity. On the other hand, I can quite appreciate your desire to automate that function as much as possible!"
"...No matter how many I made, they always wanted more. I got so sick of making them in the end that I broke Feanorian secrecy and taught other people how to make them." My father did not speak to me for nearly two months after that. (LOL!)
I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I have started work on another longer story about Celebrimbor that will go up here in awhile. It is about what happened immediately after he realized that Annatar had betrayed them.
I like your character of Celebrimbor, so very Feanorian yet tempered, just like the Celebrimbor in the Silm who "repudiates his father," recognizing that the people of Nargothrond have a right to his family's secret knowledge for aiding them as refugees. This is a really nice detail and shows so much of what I think makes Celebrimbor a fascinating (and tragic) character.
I'm glad you like the ending. Like so many of the silmarillion characters, Celebrimbor is quite complicated when you start to look at the implications of everything he did. I feel rather sorry for him - would you want to grow up in the house of Feanor? I certainly wouldn't. I think he could've done a lot worse with what he was given. Thank you for the feedback, I'm glad it was enjoyed.
Here on the recomendation of Pandemonium - I like this. I like that Sauron gains Celembimbor's trust by offering to help him make things better. I like that Celebrimbor isn't depicted as being rebellious against the Valar for rebellion's sake, but because darn it, everyone deserves the advantages of certain technology - and I like that your Annatar doesn't come across as entirely evil, but with a bit of moral ambiguity. I enjoyed this!
I am glad that you enjoyed this. Celebrimbor is one of my favorite characters. I find his insatiable curiosity very understandable but it did make him terribly vulnerable to Annatar. However, it he hadn't been there I think Annatar would've gone after somebody else with a strategy targeted to their weaknesses. Look at Ar-Pharazon. I am working on some more things about Celebrimbor that should be up in a while.
I can see that first meeting occuring like this. Celebrimbor is so eager to work with someone who can teach him; he's used to being the authority and he wants to know more, it's sad. And perhaps Annatar is regretting the waste even as he contemplates using Celebrimbor and then destroying him. Nicely done.
I'm glad you liked it. Annatar is thinking of the waste involved. I also think he may also be remembering Aule, who I picture as being a little like Celebrimbor in personality. I'm hoping to one day write another fic where Celebrimbor and Aule meet and have a discussion about what happened. But then there are far too many things I would like to write. Thank you for the review.
Poor Celebrimbor. So well-meaning, so fair-minded, so curious and forward-looking - and so doomed. You do a nice job here of showing how Sauron uses all the man's best qualities to lure him into his trap.
In many ways I find Celebrimbor among the most tragic characters in Middle Earth - possibly the most tragic. I wish more was written about him. Thanks for the feedback.
Comments on Pivot Point
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.