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: Stars Create a fanwork using star-themed prompts presented in a bingo board format.
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.
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…
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.
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…
Current Challenge
Stars
Construct a fanwork using star-themed prompts in a bingo card format. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Within the Pages of Lore
Get your Silmarillion off of the shelf. Close your eyes, let your book fall open at random, and put your finger down on the page. Your challenge is to create a fanwork using that quote. 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.
Erestor finds himself thrust into adventure when Elrond requests his company escorting Arwen to Minas Tirith after the War of the Ring is won. All too aware of the chronic illness that has bound his friend to Rivendell for the past several centuries, Glorfindel has some concerns. Erestor, aware…
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.
The original submission actually only took me an afternoon to draw — I had a zot of inspiration at the right moment (yes it was Last Minute Panic — I'm noticing a theme here!), and I mostly just did the doodles my hand likes to do naturally. The pseudo tengwar was fun too.
The illustration inspired by the description in the fic was another matter, however, and took lots of drafts over a few months. (Although it coincided with some pretty stressful months!) The creation myth was very inspiring and also very specific, so a fun challenge. And lots of practice with pencil — although finishing it off digitally felt almost relaxing without the worry of irrevocably messing something up. (I drew the main drawing, the book, and the writing separately and bright them together in Photoshop.)
I often thought of you while I was reading the fic drafts, and was bursting to tell you about it, so here's your personal rec: I think you'll thoroughly enjoy it!
Beautiful art but also fantastic concept!! I love this, pages of a book - very inspirational! Reminds me so much of the Voynich Manuscript - beautiful! The figures in that second uh.. first one (lol), the plants, the moon phases (?) - all so so so beautiful!! <3
I'm so delighted that you like both the art and the concept! (I think someone had mentioned a manuscript on the art suggestions list, and I was fully in manuscript mode after my Bestiary of Arda"research". (wandering through wonderful rabbit warrens.)
(Ha! You must have been looking when I was updating, as I jiggled them around!)
And you're spot on, in the double page spread, the right page was inspired by the Voynich manuscript (what a trip that is!!) and the left is from a Persan manuscript (wow! are those ever so beautiful!).
And the one with the figures was inspired by the description in Chapter One of the fic — the creation myth is just so beautiful, I've wanted one for the early Edain, and what EilinelsGhost had created is just perfect.
After reading your Finrod collection (which I so thoroughly enjoyed, not just your 30 days, but all the ones I found) I'm 100% certain you're going to enjoy Atanátarissë, and I look forward to reading your comments on it. (I always enjoy your comments, btw. And thank you for comment here!)
Oh, thank you! I'm so happy the joy comes through. I really wanted to convey her description from the fic:
Iuthap [the sun/Arien] awakened too at the call of her sister and illuminated the bare world about them. She set her lips to the face of each figure and sight came into their eyes. Then she leapt laughing into the firmament to take up once more the gods’ dance in the sky.
In one of my many concept/pose sketches I just did a quick scribble without thinking too hard on it, and I just loved the whole vibe, so I really hoped I'd be able to recreate that, because sometimes I just can't!
I'm delighted you like these! I remember getting existed when I saw it on your claims list and wishing I could be geedy and have two writers, because I would have loved to read what you might have written about it every bit as much as Frankie!
Comments on Book of Lore
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.