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.
Feanor and Fingolfin, from their youth to their fall.
"I will do this gladly," Fingolfin said, whispering into Feanor's mouth, grasping for reasons and sense. "Gladly, if it will bring peace between us. If it will end the madness."
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.
The thing about forgiveness, he thought, was that it was so much easier when the object of it was far away—or dead. It was so much easier to let it all go when those responsible were far away and unable to do any more harm.
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.
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.
Reembodied in Aman, Celebrimbor decides to return to Middle earth to help heal the darkness and hurt wrought by the ring.
Current Challenge
Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Sibling Rivalry
Create an AU fanwork where an original character--you!--tries to influence his or her canon sibling in some way or in which you choose a sibling to influence you. Read more ...
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.
So sad! I am old enough to know better, yet it is always sad and unbelievable to see people change so drastically and grow estranged. This piece shows that so well! I love how we see how different both A and P are, yet we see the companionship they share very vividly too, all the more poignant because we know how it all ends. Great work!
They really did grow in different directions didn't they. I don't think Amandil fully understands at the end of the story quite how involved in the mission's failure Pharazon was. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the feedback.
A funny story; and I loved Azare's determination to bed Gil-Galad! It's refreshing but rather sad to see Pharazon and Amandil as friends; I remember Tolkien mentioning it in HoME...And the use of Numenorean names is very effective.
I'm glad you liked Azare. I must admit that I enjoy causing a would-be Mary Sue to make a complete and total idiot of herself-and then have to deal with the likely consequences of her actions. I'm glad you liked the parrot. One of my earlier ideas had to Gil-galad give it to Cirdan who then walked around with it on his shoulder... but Cirdan is really not very piratical and it didn't fit with the story as it worked out. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the feedback.
I am halfway reading this story and it is just fabulous! I love the air of the two cocky men you captured here: the brash Pharazon and the curious yet trying to be diplomatic Amandil. Then of course the cultural differences between the two races, two worlds grown so apart... And oh, monkeys, who wants monkies: that had me nearly choking on my beverage. But this, oh this had me roaring from laughter:
Amandil watched in horror as some nearby elves turned interested expressions their way. "Bush of whizzish..." one said, obviously trying to puzzle out what the captain was saying. "What's a whizzish bush?" he asked.
Amandil thought frantically, and decided that a little white lie was the best part of valor here. "The whizzish bush grows only in Numenor," he said. "We make a special alcoholic drink from the fruit and he thinks he's had too much of it."
It is that I am in need of sleep, but I could read many more chapters of this utmost goodness!
The whole bush of whizzish thing started off as a voice dictation error. I looked at it and suddenly realized that it opened some wonderful opportunities for mayhem and went with it. I'm glad it worked as I hoped it would. Thank you for the feedback; it really helps me to know when what I'm doing is working and when it isn't.
Hi, Aiwen. i started reading this, and I really enjoy your Amandil! I love seeing the friendship between him and Pharazon. It's not often that perspective is touched upon. I look forward to reading more!
They are an odd pair, and that part of the story was interesting to write because I was never quite sure how it would work out. I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your feedback.
I did not know that there were more than one chapter! And I'm so glad I found the rest of it ;-D What a fun, witty, clever, hilarious, intriguing, insightful story! The different misunderstandings and blunders were too much fun to rrad but, at the heart of it, the knowledge that both kindreds had drifted toomuch apart to be reconciled quite so easily.
Little did Amandil know that his heirs would make friendship with those same Elves...
My idea for the story started off as one blunder after another but when I actually wrote it down I realized that the subject matter was serious enough I had to treat it with a little more respect than I had originally intended. I'm glad that two levels came across properly. Thank you very much for the feedback.
What a wonderful depiction of a diplomatic mission! The awkwardness feels very believable, and the parrot had me snickering madly! Seeing Amandil and Pharazon in their youth was a treat also. Great job!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. This story grew in dribs and drabs in my head for several months before I wrote it down. Diplomacy afflicted by ill will and Murphy's law...
This was a humorous story with definite undertones of the seriousness of the matter. The culture clashes were well-handled. And the differences in personality and the later conflicts between Amandil and Pharazôn were superb.
"Now if you want a difficult castle in the hands of enemies why don't you go attack Barad-dur?" "You never know," Pharazon said with a smile. "Someday I just might."
These were my favorite lines of the piece. Obviously meant in jest here, but so foretelling. (Make me wonder if they rememberd this conversation when it did happen.)
Comments on The Day the Numenoreans Left
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.