Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
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!
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
Comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
[Playlist] Yacht Rock Silmarillion by Dawn Felagund
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the characters in The Silmarillion were smoooooth like they were sippin' a Sex on the Beach on a party barge in the harbor at Alqualondë? The "Yacht Rock Silmarillion" retells The Silmarillion as though the characters all had perms…
[Writing] and let's be winners by mistake by atlantablack
"Move farther north," Caranthir says to her a month after the attack, gaze steady on her even as his hands continue briskly gutting fish. "There is plenty of land closer to my fortress, and my people can help protect yours if there is another attack."
Haleth looks up from her…
[Writing] Changing Styles by StarSpray
“What did you do to your hair?”
[Writing] A Song Amidst His Torment by Elrond's Library
Of course it was a trap.
Maitimo has to survive. He must. But what price is too high to pay for survival?
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] Star of Hope by Fuin
A new star shines in the sky. They claim it brings hope.
Epic 80s
Create a fanwork using on of our righteous prompts based on popular culture from the 1980s. Read more ...
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
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.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
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…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Celedriel Week 2026
A Tumblr event week focusing on the relationship between Celeborn and Galadriel.
Esoteric Tolkien Week 2026
A fandom event dedicated to the strange, otherworldly, and inexplicable in Middle-earth and beyond.
Tolkien Gen Week 2026
Tolkien Gen Week will run from July 6-12, 2026 to appreciate all of the incredible characters and relationships within Tolkien’s legendarium that fall under the broad category of “gen.”
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
What an original take of the difference between Elves and Man, and so intriguing too! Finrod's explanation makes sense, and I remembered of your poem about Eruhini that the Elves envy Men their wings.It's funny too how the elves are puzzled about fictional works. and the funniest thing is... I imagine if they happen to read our fanfics about them. Why, I believe they will be very very mad indeed. It's good that they cannot return to Middle Earth, eh?
But if they are incapable of creating fictional work, for they cannot imagine what isn't, then how about telling lies? Isnt lies at their core is fictional stories?
Anyway, on to the 2nd chapter.
That's for the review, Naltariel! I'm glad you enjoyed the story.
Yes, lies are a type of fiction - but a pretty minor one. My Elves in this story have some imagination - they can tell lies, and visualize things like "What if Feanor had had red hair?" - but their ability to really stretch their imaginations beyond the most obvious 'alternate realities' is extremely limited. Creating the United Federation of Planets or Spider-Man is a stretch too far for them - those things are just too 'unreal' for them to imagine on their own. Every meet someone who wants to be a writer very badly but just doesn't seem to have any interesting ideas to write about? That's my Finrod at the end. And Melenbrethil (who is a more typical Elf than Finrod) has his parallel in the sort of person who sees no point in fiction and only reads nonfiction books 'because they're true'.
So you think about ff.net as well! :D
Sure do! I look at that endless sea of bad Mary-Sue stories with a lot more respect now. ;-)
Seriously, one thing I did want to do in this story was to give our kind a 'strange gift' that is actually worth having. The ones we actually see in Tolkien (a body that falls apart in all sorts of nasty ways, and death) - well, if those are gifts, i want to know where the Returns Department is. True creativity, on the other hand, and the ability to take great pleasure in the making and viewing of imaginary realities - to me, at least, that's a true and meaningful gift, not a booby prize.
What a wonderful idea! But Clark Kent at those times?
Okay, in fact, you may have different views of the world, if you are supposed to join it, really, forever, and there is no place to where you can fly from it.
You would not only try to change it, make it better, while you are young, but all the time, and probably fail the same way, but could not leave it this way.
Yes, I often deny elves from ever being young, do not suffer of deseases or old age problems, but if I want to face everlasting battle against entropie, I do not know...
Yes, you recognize, I spent lots of thinking about, I did, indeed!
Oh my God I found it again! A casual comment on tumblr made me remember your story from when I read it ages ago, and absolutely loved it (I was to shy to comment back then). Your take on the differences between men and elves makes just so much sense to me, and has since been firmly lodged in my personal headcanon. Kudos to you, and thank you for sharing this story!
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