Welcome to the Silmarillion Writers' Guild

New Challenge: Scavenger Hunt. In this Matryoshka-with-a-twist, you will solve clues that point you to the challenge prompts.
Sign-Up to Hand Out Scavenger Hunt Prompts. Our May challenge will be a Matryoshka built around a scavenger hunt. If you'd like to hand out prompts (and receive comments on your work for doing so!), you can sign up to do so.
Cultus Dispatches: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn and Grundy. The fan studies column Cultus Dispatches returns with a history of how Tolkien fanworks fandom has reacted and resisted generative AI by drawing strong boundaries in a way that is not typical for the fandom.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June. Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.

Latest News

New Challenge: Scavenger Hunt
In this Matryoshka-with-a-twist, you will solve clues that point you to the challenge prompts.

Sign-Up to Hand Out Scavenger Hunt Prompts
Our May challenge will be a Matryoshka built around a scavenger hunt. If you'd like to hand out prompts (and receive comments on your work for doing so!), you can sign up to do so.

New Challenge: Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration.

Newest Fanworks

One Flesh, One Soul. Part 2 by FellFireFan

The fate of lovers has been sealed. After Aegnor pledges his love to Andreth, he seeks out council one last time from his wiser and more grounded eldest brother. However, his hopes that Finrod would join him in this newfound happiness are quickly dashed and it does not go well between the brothers.

White Horn Tower by Himring

After the fall of Dorthonion, Edhellos (originally named in Quenya Eldalote), Angrod's wife, has chosen to move to Barad Nimras, the tower that Finrod built in the Falas on a headland west of Eglarest.

On the Nature of Time by Elrond's Library

A series of half-drabbles using the one word prompts for the March/April 2025 Birthday Bash Challenge, looking at the perception of time through the eyes of Maiar (in general), Maedhros (specifically), and Aragorn and Arwen (specifically).

Somber Reflections by Artano

Finrod ponders on the mortality of Men and how few he has met, and Bëor is there to pull him back to reality.

The Spruce Tree by Dagstjarna

A young Celegorm and Curufin befriend an old Spruce tree. 

New in References

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.

Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates

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…

Newest Artwork

More than Memory by StarSpray

"In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory." - The Return of the King

 

Stitched for the Famous Last Words challenge for the prompt: "And with that, they stepped into the gateway, together." - Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, Wole Talabi

Rating: General
Warnings: Character Death

He chanted a song of wizardry by elennalore

Sauron defeats Finrod in their song battle.

Rating: General
Warnings: No warnings listed

Ancient friendship by wisteria53

Maedhros and Fingon from the Years of the Trees to re-embodiment, across five pieces of Maedhros' calligraphy (hand-lettered, with decorative elements) [artworks for the Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (TRSB) 2025]

Rating: General
Warnings: No warnings listed

Around the World and Web

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.

Russingon Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the relationship between Maedhros and Fingon.