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
Block Party
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, we offered a menu of daily prompts designed to help people connect, show kindness to others, and refocus on their own creativity during this uncertain moment in history. 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.
The sea longing always felt like one of those cases where the Valar just don't quite get the Children.
It just seems cruel to me to induce the sea longing in elves, when they might have been perfectly happy where they were, until they made the mistake of "looking at the ocean"
And now they have genetically induced Fernweh. I don't know. Feels weird to me.
Very much so! They seem a bit self centred when it comes to wanting the company of the Elves. This feels like a natural extension to their motivation to bring them to Valinor in the first place. (I forget the actual quote in The Silm, but it reads to me that heir safety seemed more like an excuse and their real reason was that they wanted their company.)
This does seem rather like a poem, I think! It's so beautiful, but painful, with its use of words like claws and ensnared. My favourite line is 'Their song cares not for the lands...' - I love how the narrator is thinking beyond their own feelings.
absolutely. I imagine by the time the Third Age rolls around there might even be a few elves born in Middle-Earth that have only the vaguest of ideas about Valinor and everything, and then suddenly getting that urge to sail must feel like insanity. I'm suddenly thinking of the sailors that believed they could fall off the edge of the world if they sailed too far out. Do Elves intrinsically know how to find the Straight Road? Or do they set out and hope for the best? Hmmm much to think about
I really like this! It does remind me of Legolas' song of sailing, but more raw and private--like he cleaned up his feelings to put them into verse, and this is closer to the reality of them.
Comments on Call to the West
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.