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: Title Track Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
Our Annual Amnesty Challenge: New Year's Resolution Start 2026 off with creativity! If you missed a challenge or didn't get to finish or post a challenge fanwork, complete any 2025 challenge before 15 February to receive the stamp.
He was going to die. The molten rocks would burn him just like the cursed gem in his palm did. Maybe less painfully but still being burnt hurt and Maedhros knew it. He intimately knew it from his time in Angband where Þauron burnt him often in frustration and to toy with him and his master…
“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…
Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.
Current Challenge
Title Track
Create a fanwork using our collection of 125 titles from Tolkien's books, chapters, essays, poems, and fragments as inspiration. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Jumble Sale
Member-created prompts upcycle old challenges and prompts with additional new twists. Read more ...
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.
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the many similarities between Tolkien's three "twilight children," Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel (Luthien, Maeglin, and Arwen) in terms of appearance, plot, and cultural background. Yet these three characters play very different roles in the text.
Presented at Mereth Aderthad 2025, this paper makes the case thata, although the term "aromantic" had not yet been coined in Tolkien's day, many of his characters can be read as aromantic. The paper takes a closer look at Aredhel, Bilbo, and Boromir as three examples of characters who can be read as aromantic.
“There’s a goblin hiding in the taters, Dad!” Pippin hefted the pan, which was much too big for him to carry, let alone wield.
Around the World and Web
March Challenge - Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge for the month of March to create a Back to Middle-earth Month themed challenge.
Tolkien Fashion Week 2026
This two-week-long Tumblr event is dedicated to honoring the world of fashion and textiles Tolkien wrote about in his books.
Celegorm and Curufin Week 2026
Celegorm and Curufin Week is a Tumblr week celebrating the relationship between Celegorm and Curufin Feanorion
Back to Middle-earth Month 2026
Back to Middle-earth Month is returning for it's 20th year with many prompts and archival efforts.
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.
This was beautiful, Elleth! I had never thought of the possibility of Nerdanel and Celebrian meeting or how that might unfold, or even of their shared history. Details that I love: Celebrian's slowly giving away Elrond's library. The lineage of Elrond's traits, via Maglor and visible in Nerdanel. Celebrian's ability to still take the tone that "would have brooked no more discussion or objection."
(Also, I wish that book existed! And why am I thinking it would be a good idea to collect such stories and make one ...? :D)
Thank you so much, Dawn! I agree this is not such a common character constellation, but incidentally Indy herself wrote them together in her fic "Strength" as well (I think that may have subconsciously inspired me when I was trawling her fic to check something I wanted to write into the story), a wonderful and very different take than this. I'm glad you're enjoying this one, though, and that so many details stand out to you. :)
(You and me both! I've actually been thinking that might be a project to tackle at some point, though knowing my writing habits it would probably run away with me, and I'd be stuck following Maglor's footsteps for 6,000 years. :D)
You convinced me of family ties here, Elleth, of Nerdanel's connection to Celebrían as family, however tenuous in bloodlines that may be, but strong in heart. I love how Celebrían sees Elrond in Nerdanel, and how that speaks to Elrond's association with Maglor. I love to clear nod to Indy's RAFA-verse — or at least that is what I am seeing. Of course, I'm intrigued by the tales gathered by the Wandering Companies and transcribed by Elrond.
Thank you so much, Pandë! The found family aspect was something that appealed to me very much, so I'm glad that that connection felt real to you, and you are definitely not imagining the RAFA nod (in my own version it'd be Maedhros after his release from Mandos who brings Maglor home).
And there may yet be a glimpse at those stories, though I don't want to reveal too much yet! ;)
I love stories about Celebrian after she goes to Aman, I'm so glad you wrote this! I especially love her friendship with Nerdanel, which was really well done.
The book Elrond compiled about possible Maglor sightings was really touching, both in that he put it together and in that he sent a copy with Celebrian. And, of course, the fact that Celebrian gives it to Nerdanel. There are so many partings and deaths in the Silmarillion, so it's nice to see reunions or hints of them.
One thing you mentioned that I hadn't thought of was Celebrian meetings Celeborn's family reborn in Aman...every other story I've seen has her staying with her mother's family or with Elrond's. That was an insightful addition!
Thank you for taking the time to write up such a lovely review; I'm very glad you enjoyed the story. It was very interesting to work in this framework (especially with Celebrían's recent past) and still try and turn it a positive way, especially with two characters I love as much as these two.
And I'm glad you found the addition of Celeborn's family interesting. He gets so frequently overshadowed by his wife (and the Sindar by the Amanyar), and there is not much about his family (hence only the oblique mention), but we know they did exist, and Celebrían has more Telerin (that is, the Teleri as the entire Third Clan, making up various Sindar, Nandor and Amanyar Teleri) blood than Vanyarin or Noldorin, and I think she deserves to know both parts of that heritage - exploring that is one of the points on my long, long to-write list, but it will eventually happen. :)
Thank you so much! I enjoyed writing them very much (female friendships make me just as happy as femslash does, really), and considering that these two never interacted in canon, I'm happy you think the shape this took was plausible and palpable. :)
Comments on Patience Enough
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.