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.
I suspect you've spent some time around teenage boys. This sounds terribly familiar to my not-so-distant past when my friend group was all male ... they didn't have crushes on each other (to the best of my knowledge ;) but you get the expressions perfectly.
I touch myself in the dark at night when I think of you
*sporfle!*
Though he is my imaginary boyfriend, I have to disagree with Nelyo here. This is very funny! :D
Thanks, Dawn! Poor Neylo! Well, he gets his revenge in my later stories where they have to listen to what he says.
Yes, Much too much time around teenage boys. Until a couple of years ago, this place was crawling with them all the time and they never watched their mouths around me either.
I'm afraid I've "converted" from Maitimo-ism to Celegorm-ism so I really enjoyed his very direct speech here. And Maglor is as sweet as I imagine him to be. ;-)
Thanks! And, sorry! (About the immature giggles, I mean.) There were a couple of parts where I though "I can't believe I wrote that" and then thought "No. I'm not gonna cross it out." I did feel like I was channeling teenage boys somehow.
Of course it is funny Maedhros! Hehehe, I suspect he will feel the laughing stock of his brothers in the years to come. Which, by the way, adds more to your verse when Maedhros finally can claim his love. I told you already, but the brotherly banter is wonderfully done. From the direct and blunt Celegorm who does want to share his giggles with Maglor, to Maglor who is oh so keen enough to tease Maedhros with his observations. It could have been worse for Maedhros though... imagine all seven and perhaps his cousins teasing him! ;) Well done Oshun, I love this!
I realized I missed responding to this comment! So sorry. I love torturing Maedhros in this period. The earnest, responsible oldest brother must have been such a target for those guys. From the dynamics of a large family, I recall that sheer joy of us younger ones finding out that one of the older siblings, who knew more, had more privileges, and yet so often was called upon to enforce parental policy, had a weakness. An irresistible target, I’m afraid.
Thanks for the comment. I conceptualized it thinking of how funny a houseful of sons of Feanor would think any secret crush would be and only that much moreso if it involved their well-behaved oldest brother. (Shameless Fingon is, of course, a no brainer in my verse.)
Thanks, Binka! I do not know why I am provoked to have Maedhros's brothers tease him so much. (This must be at least the third story or ficlet where I have brought it up.)
I really enjoyed the idea that the brothers were aware of Kano and Nelyo's affection and teased them about it. Very brotherly. Not to mention the vision you've painted of Kano on horseback. YUM! I'd have my tongue out too.
Thanks for the great comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I imagine that those seven brothers lived in one another’s pockets. And poor Maedhros must have gotten payback in teasing from that headstrong crew for the role in was forced to play as surrogate parent at times—the dynamics of a large family are very familiar to me. \r\n\r\nI loved the idea of the slightly older Maedhros pining after young Fingon when I wrote my very first story in this cycle (Maitimo and Findekáno). But as I developed Fingon over the last couple of years, I realized what a tarty little flirt he must have been been during that period when Maedhros was waiting for him to growup just a bit. (I love watching dressage.)
Dawn made me do it! I was inspired by scenes in Another Man's Cage when Macalaure does so incredibly baldly at dressage. I thought it would be fun to make Fingon good at it.
Comments on That's Not Funny!
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.