We ask that members do their best to present their work in a coherent, professional manner. We understand that everyone makes mistakes, and we do not expect writers to become experts on grammar and usage, but--at the minimum--writing should be spellchecked and proofread for comprehension and grammar. Unless the writer has a good reason for doing otherwise, it should be organized into paragraphs and sentences--if prose--or into lines and stanzas if poetry. We do not require work to be reviewed or "beta'ed" but finding a good beta reader is a reasonable assurance that your work is in good shape for sharing on our site and community.
Writing that is shared on either our site archive or in our LiveJournal community must be related to or based on The Silmarillion or its related works, which include all other books by Tolkien that pertain to the events and ideas of The Silmarillion. This is one of the questions most often posed: Does my story count as a Silmarillion story? Or my story uses characters and events from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. How do I know if it's appropriate for your site? Does the SWG accept multi-age stories?
When considering if your work is appropriate to post on our site, remember that the SWG was founded by and for Silmarillion fans who wanted a place where Silmarillion-based fiction wasn't "drowned out" by the more prolific stories based on The Lord of the Rings. Most of our readers either read primarily Silmarillion-based stories or come to our site because they are in the mood for Silmfic. Work posted on our site must have a significant basis in or connection to The Silmarillion.
Our moderation team does reserve the right to request the removal of stories without a significant basis in The Silmarillion. However, we generally trust our members to use their own discretion in this and tend to view "Silmarillion writing" very liberally. To help you as an author, here is a checklist with examples to use when you are considering posting a story to the archive and you are unsure. Your story should meet at least one of these criteria.
What would be appropriate for the archive?
In The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, the professor shares his opinion about the creation of Arda and how he envisioned the Ainur.
What probably would not be appropriate for the archive?
In The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, the professor gives more insight about the character of Frodo.
What would be appropriate for the archive?
Thranduil is born in Doriath and leaves this realm with his father Oropher to journey south.
What probably would not be appropriate for the archive?
Galion discovers that both the prisoners and the barrels from Thandruil's dungeon have gone missing.
Stories spanning multiple ages--including those eras covered in detail in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings--are permitted as long as a significant portion of the story meets the criteria for "Silmfic" outlined here.
What would be appropriate for the archive?
The Valar decide to invite Samwise Gamgee to Aman.
What probably would not be appropriate for the archive?
Samwise enjoys his elevenses during the Ring Quest.
Some character groups appear in The Silmarllion, as well as The Lord of the Rings and/or The Hobbit. Stories about these groups must have a significant connection to The Silmarillion in order to be appropriate for our site.
What would be appropriate for the archive?
The Dwarves meet the Elves for the first time in Beleriand.
What probably would not be appropriate for the archive?
The Dwarves muse on the usefulness of Hobbits as burglars.
What would be appropriate for the archive?
Two intrepid Hobbits sail to Himling, an island that was once part of Beleriand, to explore the ruins of Maedhros's fort there.
What probably would not be appropriate for the archive?
Two intrepid Hobbits visit Dale.
What would be appropriate for the archive?
Maglor wanders around in Hollin.
What probably would not be appropriate for the archive?
Boromir and Pippin wander around in Hollin.
As with character groups, some characters appear in The Silmarllion, as well as The Lord of the Rings and/or The Hobbit. Stories about these characters must have a significant connection to The Silmarillion in order to be appropriate for our site.
What would be appropriate for the archive?
Galadriel learns from Melian how to use her mirror.
What probably would not be appropriate for the archive?
Galadriel uses her mirror to watch Frodo and Sam navigate their way to Mordor.
If in doubt, please don't hesitate to email us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org with a link to the story elsewhere on the Web, a summary, or copy of your story. We'll be happy to advise you!
Last updated 29 July 2018.