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!
Character of the Month: Marach There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
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.
Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new…
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…
Of course, she knew that in the Blessed Land, true harm was unlikely to come to him. The Valar watched over them all, and the lesser spirits were everywhere. It was a great hound of Oromë who had found him happily splashing in the creek, in fact. But anyone could drown in mere…
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
Current Challenge
Allusive
Choose from our list of allusions to history, literature, mythology, and art to create a fanwork. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Archetypes
Prompts for this Matryoshka challenge are based on the archetypes that pepper myths, legends, and literature found around the world. Read more ...
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
A dissenting voice in Marach's alliance with the Elves of Beleriand, Amlach experiences a change of mind after a mysterious twist in the story reorients his priorities toward enmity with Morgoth.
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…
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LotR Week 2026
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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.