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: 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.
Finrod and Bëor stop for a while on the road to Nargothrond to rest. The bodies of the Secondborn often grow weary, and Finrod laments, massaging Bëor's back and renewing his beloved's vigor with the work of his hands. But Finrod has other burdens of his own, Bëor soon discovers, returning…
Maglor without Maedhros, Daeron without Lúthien. Alone, they are nothing, but together, they can be something more. Where do you turn, when you have no one else left?
Written for Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2023, featuring artwork by athlai.
It was only the second time Finwë had come out foraging with them, and of course this would happen—of course the Hunter would come, the Dark Rider on his steed with its terrible, heavy footfalls, and the deep-throated laughter that held no mirth, only malice.
“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…
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.
For most of my life, when reading Lord of the Rings, I read it through the perspective of Gandalf's words about Éowyn, that she'd spent years trapped as a caregiver, watching the realm she love fall from honor into disgrace.
But what if Éowyn was also a student of history?
…
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Angbang Week 2026
Angbang Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Morgoth and Sauron, running from May 5-11, 2026
Gondor Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the history of the realm of Gondor.
Crablor Day
A day dedicated to everyone's favourite warcriminal crustacean - April 26, 2026
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.