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.
Thank you so much! I\'m so glad the style worked. The strange thing is that, like Tolkien\'s \"Leaf by Niggle,\" it came to me all at once and there was very little I changed.\r\n\r\nOh, good. I was a little worried about the Flame Imperishable sentence being a little cliched.\r\n\r\nI firmly believe that he deserves a happy ending. All of the Feanorians suffered too much, and he was the only one who wanted to renounce the Oath.
I had to sit down and read it again, drinking in the meaning of Eru's words and Maglor's reaction to it. What I so like about this piece is that in a way you leave Maglor's pride and intent of why he still lingers intact, it doesn't feel forced, he still feels very willful and proud. He just adapts to new worlds - Aramaic *squee*, however he still tries to seek out new boundaries. What if he comes across a well that is thusly poisoned that he might die? Just great food for thought and I love to see that in a story.
It feels right to me, personally, that Eru himselfs shows that he is forgiven, again not forced and too dramatic, just perfect. This story is a gem, gently written with a beautiful pacing and you take your time with revealing your intent in it. *thumbs up*
Thank you so much, especially for the reread!\r\n\r\nYes, Maglor would be forced to adapt to the changing world. He doesn\'t have a choice if he wants to survive (and I personally think he\'s too terrified of Mandos to deliberately choose to die).
In the interest of full disclosure, I am not one of the faithful. But that does not preclude my appreciation of a lovely story of redemption and forgiveness. This is poignant and clearly written with care. So much of The Silmarillion is unrelentingly sad and drenched with regret. In spite of my cynical nature, I still like to see those sparks of hope. Thank you for giving hope and then some to Maglor at the side of that well in the desert.
Thank you so much! I think that if we didn\'t have hope, we wouldn\'t get much done.\r\n\r\nAs for your not being Christian, that doesn\'t matter to me. I\'m not one myself, even though I was raised Catholic, though I do believe in a somewhat deistic God (whom I actually prefer to call Eru). The reason it\'s set in that particular circumstance is that Middle-earth was created as mythology set in our world, it\'s stated in Athrabeth that there are Edain who believe \"that the One will enter Arda,\" and that Tolkien\'s Christian beliefs underlie his work. This is probably the most explicitly religious fanfic I\'ll ever write, but the story popped into my head fully formed, and I couldn\'t ignore it.
Oh, this is beautiful! I love your idea of Maglor's redemption, and how you subtly tied up Tolkien's fictional universe with his personal beliefs. Very well done, very emotional. Thank you!
A lovely tale of redemption and forgiveness - and as others have remarked, you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy it. It fits Tolkien's world very well!
I cheered cheered for joy and shed a tear for Maglor in this. The idea of Eru pardoning Maglor personally is really nice. I'm glad Maglor recieved a happy ending in this story.
Comments on The Well
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.