New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
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: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
Comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
New Challenge: Scavenger Hunt
In this Matryoshka-with-a-twist, you will solve clues that point you to the challenge prompts.
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
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…
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
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…
[Writing] Wrensong and Roses by Isilme_among_the_stars
Concerned by his responses to the paraphernalia of healing, Fingon steals Maedhros from his room for an impromptu garden excursion. Maedhros battles with dark thoughts.
[Writing] The Mirror Crack'd by AdmirableMonster
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…
[Writing] Bon(e)fire by Fuin
On the night before the battle, Caranthir and his ally share thoughts about their peoples' traditions:
Burning bones ward off evil.
[Writing] Until the Stars are All Alight by Dagstjarna
Reembodied in Aman, Celebrimbor decides to return to Middle earth to help heal the darkness and hurt wrought by the ring.
Epic 80s
Create a fanwork using on of our righteous prompts based on popular culture from the 1980s. Read more ...
It Comes in Threes
Choose a prompt from a list of 130 different things that "come in threes." Read more ...
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
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.
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
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.
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
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.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
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…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Tolkien Gen Week 2026
Tolkien Gen Week will run from July 6-12, 2026 to appreciate all of the incredible characters and relationships within Tolkien’s legendarium that fall under the broad category of “gen.”
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
Tolkien Native Language Appreciation Fest 2026
A Tumblr event to celebrate the linguistic diversity of the Tolkien fandom.
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
<i>“He might have been entertained by the sheer overdone tastelessness of a Sindarin Yule. Who knows?”</i>
OMG! You killed me here! That may have been an invented argument on his part, but it really captures something about Feanor for me.
I really love this paragraph also:
<i>A dog barked. Maglor had a glimpse of someone crossing between trees, one of the guard that had been set. An owl called, a hunting cry. From inside he heard a great gust of laughter and wondered distantly what that had been about. And then he looked back and Maedhros’s tall, dark form was still there, the hair tucked under the edge of his cloak, his eyes strangely peaceful. </i>
Great story.
Just makes me so happy that you thought well of this, Oshun. Thank you. I was very aware of once again inching out of my personal comfort zone and a owe Himring thanks for raising a few questions I hadn't even realised I needed answers to *g*. Feanor though - I'm often reminded of a movie I once saw about Picaso... larger than life personality, vast talent, utterly selfish, loudly flinging himself into 'quaint' local customs. Feanor would eat up a loud, tasteless Yule celebration, methinks.
Like a stalker I have tracked you down from esteliel so I can read more without waiting(I have no abilty to derfer gratification and am always astonished at people who ration the,selves in any sense). This delicate and beautifully told story does not disappoint; it is poignant without being sentimental, and moving and tender. I love the context with the thunder and banging and their speculation over what is happening. Your writing is superb - you show what is happening rather than tell and that is such a skill. Masterful story telling.
Why, hello there *g*.
The bit about showing instead of telling -- thank you SO MUCH, I always worry about whether I'm getting that right.
I wasn't sure I could write this, I'd never had much to do with Maedhros before, but it was a Yule swap request and I knew the recipient would like them so I tried and really enjoyed writing it - loved their voices and it was around the same period as Night the Sea Came In so I could build on my idea of what was happening to the world then. It was a challenge that turned into something I felt good about, and that makes me especially happy when someone likes it. Thank you very much for making me smile :)
(Oops, almost forgot -- when you're ready, I've started posting the sequel to Burning Bright over on AO3....)
Loved this, always told you you could write the feanorians! Beautiful story and spot on wording as usual. love how maedhros kind of watches the action from afar, not participating but always aware.
also love the personalities the broken and souldweary Maedhros and the always wonderfully cynical, if controlled emotional here, maglor but you also captures the clash of cultures, the stricter noldori warrior type culture that must have been built up through the centuries and the sindari culture that had developed through both peace and war. (tasteless yule lol but yes feanor would,i think, have loved it)
the struggle of love of different kind is also so deeply woven into this story, the love between brothers that also has become best friends an only trusted allies to eachother, the love of children and the hard choice of what is best for them, beautiful.
(also VODKA ROTFL)
XX
I remember when I wrote this how I wished you were around to share it with because, well, Vodka yes. I still have a copy of that chat filed away somewhere, lol.
Maglor I'm comfortable writing -- I don't try and force him to show up, but if he does I enjoy his company, but Maedhros was a whole new experience. What I pictured was a great prince reduced to being a guerilla leader who had lost most of his men but wasn't able to pack up and go home and say 'I tried.' Just going on down that road and knowing the end won't be good. And after all they've been through, the brothers would have been tight-bound together, they've seen the highs and they've seen things no one should have to remember.
The different kinds of love, and the way the boys were Maglor's final balance were what I focused on, and how Maedhros could make the hard choices - that's what a leader does, all the time - but in the end it was Maglor who had to choose.
Feanor would have been deeply amused by it all, yes.
(owe you an email, getting there!)
*hugs*
Site © Dawn Felagund
Logo © Bunn
All copyrights for creative work hosted on this site are retained by their creators.
This site is built using Drupal and the theme W3CSS.
Characters and stories associated with J.R.R. Tolkien's works remain the property of his estate. Creative work using this material has been written solely for the enjoyment and enlightenment of its creator and their associates. No profit is made on the materials shared on this site.
Comments on Brothers
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.