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: Title Track Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
Our Annual Amnesty Challenge: New Year's Resolution Start 2026 off with creativity! If you missed a challenge or didn't get to finish or post a challenge fanwork, complete any 2025 challenge before 15 February to receive the stamp.
He was going to die. The molten rocks would burn him just like the cursed gem in his palm did. Maybe less painfully but still being burnt hurt and Maedhros knew it. He intimately knew it from his time in Angband where Þauron burnt him often in frustration and to toy with him and his master…
“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…
Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.
Current Challenge
Title Track
Create a fanwork using our collection of 125 titles from Tolkien's books, chapters, essays, poems, and fragments as inspiration. Read more ...
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.
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the many similarities between Tolkien's three "twilight children," Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel (Luthien, Maeglin, and Arwen) in terms of appearance, plot, and cultural background. Yet these three characters play very different roles in the text.
Presented at Mereth Aderthad 2025, this paper makes the case thata, although the term "aromantic" had not yet been coined in Tolkien's day, many of his characters can be read as aromantic. The paper takes a closer look at Aredhel, Bilbo, and Boromir as three examples of characters who can be read as aromantic.
“There’s a goblin hiding in the taters, Dad!” Pippin hefted the pan, which was much too big for him to carry, let alone wield.
Around the World and Web
March Challenge - Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge for the month of March to create a Back to Middle-earth Month themed challenge.
Tolkien Fashion Week 2026
This two-week-long Tumblr event is dedicated to honoring the world of fashion and textiles Tolkien wrote about in his books.
Celegorm and Curufin Week 2026
Celegorm and Curufin Week is a Tumblr week celebrating the relationship between Celegorm and Curufin Feanorion
Back to Middle-earth Month 2026
Back to Middle-earth Month is returning for it's 20th year with many prompts and archival efforts.
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.
Oh goodness - with the prevalent discussion in the tumblr-based part of fandom being (once again) Tolkien and sexism, "Annoyed" very much hit a nerve for me - giving the erased women their much-deserved voices. It may be breaking the fourth wall more than I'd be strictly comfortable with in other fic, but in this it serves a great purpose, and it's... a very satisfactory drabble on the whole.
On a lighter note, I'm still laughing about the crossover ficlet. It made me giggle during the bingo challenge, and didn't fail to do so again. :D
(Trying this again… I think I hit the wrong button.) It broke the fourth wall more than *I* normally feel comfortable with. (But the Bingo challenge seemed ripe for that sort of thing.) I'm glad you find it satisfying, especially given the Tumblr discussion. (Which I'm honestly glad to be missing.)
This is an interesting bit of world-building. I like the setting and the village and Maglor setting his routine. There are a lot of nice touches--it actually sounds fairly pleasant to me, although it must lonely and lacking in excitement. I don't really know what it would feel like being a Feanorian after all hope has been lost.I haven't tried to write that yet. (I've stuck to the before and much later!)
Thank you! It's meant to be pleasant, actually. I wanted to write a non-angsty (well, minimally angsty) wandering tale for once! I actually don't think it's lonely: Maglor's an introvert who's spent the paste few centuries alone. And he has relatives and friends who won't let him sink back into his shell. Plus, there is a war brewing. (And after everything that happened in Beleriand, a lack of excitement would be a good thing.)
I also don't think it's "after all hope is lost." He *chose* to give up the Silmaril. Not having it or the Oath hanging over his head gives him a chance to start over (once Lill knocked the idea of "shouldn't be here" out of his head, anyway). But this is me and my perpetual love of Maglor wandering stories talking, so I may have a different perspective on the whole thing. :)
I remember several of these from 2012 (particularly the haiku, which I got a kick out of), but I don't seem to recall the Jedi one.
"...their cover story of a traveling duo of singers/songwriters. And all to infiltrate a crime syndicate based on a backwater planet who used the entertainment industry as their cover."
Haha! cracktastic, yet well considered. Rival Jedi musician Elves would need some reason to be on a ship together.
Thank you about the haiku; I was fairly sure it's forgetable, so I'm glad to know it's not.
You actually reviewed it on LJ! (I'm not surprised you forgot, given how busy the comm was. I honestly can't tell you a single fic I reviewed then, though I know I did.) Cracktastic all the way! :D Thank you!
This sounds like a fairly pleasant interlude in Maglor's life, aside from the possibly ominous hints of skirmishes to come. The dog is a lovely touch. I like the inclusion of Maglor living in a cabin as well--that seems very "relevant to your interests," as they say. =)
Awww! Lalwen, how sneaky - but what a lovely idea, since she knew that both Maglor and Nerdanel happened to be on the island.
Of course, now I really wish I could read what happens next! What are they going to talk about? Will Maglor decide to go home with Nerdanel? Will they part, but stay in touch while they can? Where is he going to go next? And what will Lalwen do? So many questions! :D
My Lalwen is very sneaky! I tend to think of her as a bit of a prankster.
I'm going to disappoint you: I ended the story when I did because I couldn't figure out how to write their conversation (writing is hard!) and also because the ending was them parting with her sailing back to Aman and him back to Endor and I wasn't in the mood to write sad. This was supposed to be a much longer story when I came up with the idea a couple of years ago, but the details kept changing and then they leaked out of my head almost entirely.
I can say that the two of them spend rather a lot of time together over the course of the next couple of weeks, that Maglor gets invited to a private dinner with Tar-Elendil and his family (awkward conversations ensue), that there's a small museum of artifacts from the founding, that Lalwen is also around because she's just as interested in what Maglor's been up and maybe repairing a bit of the family relationship. Maybe even Elrond is there, but I tend to think that the Elves in Lindon didn't sail to Númenor, and I like it better with just the Aman Elves.
Comments on Indy's B2MeM Stories
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.