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.
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.
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.