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!
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.
Inspired by collecting the prompts for the Everyman challenge, this essay considers how ordinary people are subsumed and silenced in The Silmarillion, which begins a three-book arc that ends with the rise of the humble and ordinary.
A Teleri fishing boat captain turns to farming on abandoned Noldor lands after her ship is stolen. A Noldor farmer returns with Finarfin to find that his land belongs to the Teleri now.
In his old age, Isildur's former esquire Ruinamacil, known to later histories only as Ohtar, writes his own account of his escape from the ambush at Gladden Fields and journey to Imladris, and the history of his friend whom Isildur ordered to flee with him.
These were simply flashes, a hint of a wider, greater world. A tantalizing glimpse of more, always at the edge of awareness, never within reach. Míriel would grasp it, if something as intangible as the concept of color could overflow in bounteous wonder over her hands.
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…
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.
It was a treat to read about Erestor's new "cultural discoveries" and his reaction to them. Gwirith's lines had me giggling and it's easy to imagine the look on Erestor's face! The ending gesture between them was just a nice touch, especially how it affected Elrond.
Thank you, Whitewave - I'm so glad you enjoyed this little story!
It was inspired by a discussion about The Laws & Customs and whether Elves actually feel desire. I still have no idea, but had a great time imagining what they might have believed themselves.
I'm terribly sorry to be so slow to reply; RL has been rather hectic recently.
This made me laugh! Cultural clashes are always fun. I enjoyed the humour very much, but there are a couple of points of real pathos too, especially the signs of Gwirith's ageing. The punchline (silencing Elrond) is very funny.
Thank you, Clodia - I'm glad you enjoyed the story! It was supposed to stay very light-hearted all the way through, but Erestor stubbornly refused to co-operate.
(Oh, and I've finally figured out how to respond to reviews. Better late than never. )
Ehehehe! I really like this, Lissa. Stories that arise from provocative discussions are more often tha not funny, original and thoughtful, and this delivers on all accounts!
Erestor's discomfort/prudishness was fun to read, and you did a splendid job of getting us 'into his head'. And as other reviewers have noted, despite the light humour, there are some very deft moments of thoughtfulness - Gwirith's awestruck - innocent, even if she doesn't quite act on it so innocently ;) - admiration of Erestor, and in turn his reminder of her mortality in the small details.
That last bit is just the icing on the cake. :D And it's so nice to see a story taking place in Minas Tirith during this time, too!
Thank you so much for your lovely review, Klose! I do apologize for not replying sooner - I haven't logged in lately and therefore did not notice your post.
It's wonderful to hear that you liked this wacky story and I'm particularly pleased that you appreciated the two main characters. Isn't it weird how protective one becomes of these imaginary people? *g*
As to Minas Tirith, I imagine the story to have taken place shortly before the war broke out; the city must have been at the height of its glory at this time.
You know, before I registered on this site, I had been book-marking stories from authors here for ages. Some stories, in particular, stuck with me, even though I could not remember the pen-names of the authors.
This is one of those absolute favourites. I love the banter between Elrond and Erestor, and the witty barbs they share with one another. Erestor has this reputation for severity, and it is so funny seeing him consciously subverting it in order to wrong-foot his friends. The scene at the end with Elrond coming over all prudish always makes me snort with laughter.
For all the laughs, though, there is a note of realism there, a note of sadness in the form of Gwirith, who is an excellent OC. She's sharp, bold and very funny, but you've got to wonder what became of her, what events led her to take up her line of work. She must've had her fair share of troubles in her life, and I'm glad Erestor put aside his 'Most Proper Elf' status to give her esteem a little boost. She probably needed it.
It's always wonderful to hear that people enjoyed my story and liked the characters. For some reason, Erestor is often portrayed as either a very sexually active Elf (to say the least) or a bit of a bore, so I thought it might be fun to turn things on the head. I also very much appreciate your kind words about Gwirith; I'm sure Erestor's farewell secured her reputation and increased her earnings for the next couple of years.
Comments on A Matter of Cultural Differences
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.