Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
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!
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
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.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
[Writing] Swelling from the Sea by annarobots
Tuor and Elwing’s recreational sailing excursion goes terribly awry when a carnivorous siren casts her gaze upon their vessel. With her song, she enchants the mariners and boards with evil intent. She kills and eats their crewman, she demands Tuor’s hand in marriage, and for dessert…
[Writing] A Song Amidst His Torment by Elrond's Library
Of course it was a trap.
Maitimo has to survive. He must. But what price is too high to pay for survival?
[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] 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] One Flesh, One Soul. Part I by FellFireFan
As beautiful as he is dangerous, Aegnor, an elven prince, stands against the looming shadows of Angband. Brother to Galadriel, he commands the siege with a fierce intensity, a duty that exacts a heavy toll on him. But beneath the iron walls he has built lies a broken soul, haunted by a…
[Reference] "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
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…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
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.
Building Middle-earth
Receive a prompt of an architectural style or a location on Arda—or both!—to inspire your fanworks. Read more ...
With a Bit of Fairy Dust
Unleash your imagination by looking at fairy tales of old and mix them with Tolkien's own Mythopoeia or make up your own fairy tales featuring your own characters or such stories told by your characters. Read more ...
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
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.
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
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.
[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.
Silvergifting Week 2026
A week dedicated to Celebrimbor/Mairon | Annatar | Sauron pairing, aka Silvergifting. August 10-16, 2026
<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*
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