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: Allusive Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
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…
Over the course of his very long life he had found a handful of messages in bottles, but it had been a very long time. So when he found the glass bottle on his little stretch of pebbly beach, he picked it up with the intention of tossing it into his recycling. But it wasn’t, he found, just…
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
Elrohir has been found after his long abduction by the Black Númenóreans of Umbar. He comes home to Rivendell, but all is not well: the Elf-child that was taken is now a Man grown. War and darkness have left Elrohir deeply scarred, and even at home there is danger...
Storyteller
Storytelling is an interactive art, using words and actions to bring a story to life while encouraging the listener’s imagination. This challenge is all about storytellers in the Silmarillion tapestry. Read more ...
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
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.
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…
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
Around the World and Web
Finwean Sibblings Prompt Fest 2026
A prompt-based fandom event aiming to focus on celebrating Finwë's children: Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Lalwen, & Finarfin - ships, gen relationships, or character-centric
Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.
Gigolas Week 2026
Gigolas Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Legolas and Gimli
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
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.
Very funny, Oshun. This totally cracked me up. I'd say Cirdan had the last laugh after barging in on your boys in flagrante delicto. (Wall sex -- how delicious! lol)
I think Círdan really enjoys torturing them. He expects that Maedhros will remain relentlessly polite and Fingon will try to protect him and try to remain calm, until he finally cracks, which Círdan knows he always will.
What is it about wall sex? I guess the desperation that will not allow the participants to walk even a room or two away to make love in comfort that makes it seem so very hot.
This is both adorable and a real hoot. I love the curmudgeonly Cirdan and his opinion of Maedhros's reading choices. His teasing Fingon with the Legolas story is a highlight as is the "Prince Valiant" line. And this:
"The kiss had everything that anyone could ever want from a kiss. It engaged the heart, inflamed the senses, brought forward all of the tenderness and warmth of a life of lasting love, of shared victories and horrors, estrangements and reconciliations, all of which had combined to enable them to come out of the other end of the tunnel and reunite in Valinor."
made me melt. I know you prefer to write long but even your ficlets are full of warmth and heart.
Awww! What a lovely review for this story. I'll just say, 'thank you,' nicely. You are too good to me and thank you for reading it the first time and around and probably weed out dozens of typos--I do not even remember any more. Thank you so very much. I had fun writing it. Painless as one of these ever is.
I think I'd personally consider that a candidate for a Worst Kiss prize as well as a Best Kiss prize (although I imagine you could win only in one category at a time!). But each to his own, Cirdan!
Poor dear Fingon! Never mind, Fingon, he'll go away soon.
I'd personally consider that a candidate for a Worst Kiss prize as well as a Best Kiss prize (although I imagine you could win only in one category at a time!).
I know! Fingon is so good, he just wants Maedhros to be happy. Well, hardly orginal but whatever. Works for a lot of people!
Oh, god, that's hilarious! Círdan as a rambling oldster is a scream: "Círdan sighed, one of those tiresome sighs of the Unbegotten when they want one to know that they think they are faced with mentally deficient younger sons of the Eldar" AHAHAHAHA!
I haven't read The Science of Kissing but I can vouch for Ms. Kirshenbaum as a top-rate science writer, so I have no doubt her sources are sound. Sheril used to write for Science Blogs, and I first made her acquaintance there when we had a pleasant chat about holothurin (a kind of chemical classified as a cardiac glycosides - digitalis is another) in sea cucumbers. We then periodically commented on one another's blogs. Very intelligent young woman.
So Círdan had best watch his saucy remarks about the science! ;^)
Glad you enjoyed Cirdan. He is a cross between my current landlady and one of my great uncle (long deceased). Oh, I ran across a review of Kirshenbaum's Sience of Kissing while I was trying to think of a topic for this story. I will trust you on the science of it (actually, like Maedhros, I would like to read it. There has been interesting research on nature and causes of human attraction).
Cirdan is pulling everyone's leg on all sides and is not to be taken seriously. He just loves to rile people up.
You must have given your frisky little cousin some very wet and sloppy kisses to have stimulated enough obsessive thoughts about you to send him trotting across the most perilous wasteland in Arda right into the very jaws of Melkor to rescue your traitorous arse from the cliffs of Thangorodrim.”
Comments on A Kiss Is Never Just a Kiss
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.