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: Bollywood This month's challenge offers songs, films, and tropes from Bollywood, the world's largest film industry based out of India, as prompts for fanworks.
Cultus Dispatches: Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data provides insight into how comments benefit authors and which authors are most impacted by a lack of comments, with a digression on authors' perspectives one-click feedback like kudos.
A Sense of History: Passing Ships As Tolkien's characters in various texts gaze out to the sea, what do they see? What is brought by the ships coming out of the West?
Beta-Reader List Now Available The beta-reader list and profiles have been moved into our new system and are available again.
Nimruzimir, a natural philosopher recently out of his apprenticeship, hardly considers himself very important to anyone, least of all his colleagues. When his strange, prophetic fits bring him to the attention of the High Priest, however, he may find that his existence is less superfluous than…
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Pride
Create a fanwork using a prompt from an LGBTQIA+ person, choosing from music, art, poetry, and quotations. Read more ...
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that authors view comments as driving their motivation to create fanfiction. However, perception of comments by authors is part of a larger shift in fandom around how and how often fans interact with each other.
The arrival and departure of ships across the Great Sea carries mythic significance for the peoples of Middle-earth. The image of ships crossing out of and back into a mysterious West appears as well in Beowulf and is alluded to in Tolkien's tower analogy in his lecture "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," where the tower allows those who climb it to observe the passage of the ships.
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that while most authors self-identify as taking their craft seriously, a growing subset of authors may be pushing that norm.
He and Diamond were visiting, though Pippin had been disappearing every afternoon, and taking Frodo and Elanor and most other lads and lasses in the neighborhood with him—though why they couldn’t use Pippin’s own pony, Sam couldn’t imagine.
So gathered they were to Bree, what lieutenants who could be spared, from their scattered watches west and east, for their chieftain had returned from his long sojourn in lands godless and mountains strange.
Aragorn returns from the South to tells his tales. Halbarad listens.
July challenge at tolkienshortfanworks posted
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for July has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic challenge is: original character or unnamed canon character; the formal challenge: fixed length of multiple of 50 words. New participants welcome.
Teitho June/July Challenge: Mentor
The June/July prompt for the Teitho challenge is "mentor" and invites fanworks about this relationship in Tolkien's works.
Scribbles & Drabbles 2024
A chill Tolkien event, where artists make art, and authors write little stories in response. Begins in June and ends in November.
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Comments
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.
Siân, this is an amazing - truly amazing - novella! To be succinct, I absolutely love it and tore through it this morning. I will review properly soon (must head into the office now), but wanted to let you know how enthralling the lushly written story is and that Van and Mél's interactions - their voices - are completely spot-on!
Hi! I had to come and read this, I'm so excited to see what you did with the prompts.
In Mordor, long quiescent Orodruin was still in sullen eruption, turning the sunsets crimson and purple, setting the clouds aflame. Red. The colour of blood, the colour of war.
Oooh, gorgeous. So atmospheric. I love your use of colour; reading this was like looking at a painting.
I am utterly intrigued by the premise. I haven't actually read Pandemonium's work but I really must...I like Mélamírë already. And your Van is a joy to read, as always - magnetic, compelling, dangerous. This is the perfect thing to warm me up on a horrible winter evening.
Thank you, sorry, I’m used to the respond option on this and did it as a comment instead. Mélamírë is a marvellous character, and I hope I did her justice.
<i>yet subtly different, like one melody played on two separate instruments.</i>
Oh, perfect description - you have such a gift for pinning elusive concepts to a beautiful, tangible image.
‘I am Fëanorion,’ she flashed. ‘I am not only his daughter.’
‘Really?’ He was intrigued. ‘Thy mother is Fëanorion?’ He wanted to laugh incredulously, and yet...it was not that surprising when one thought about it. Sauron had a taste for brilliance, and the Fëanorion’s had always intrigued him.
Ah, and of course Van doesn't know the truth about himself at this point. The dramatic irony here makes me happy :)
This is a gorgeous character detail - for Van and his horse:
Vanimórë looked affectionately at the great stallion. ‘He is a cantankerous and ill tempered bastard. But he has a great heart. He suits me.’
And yay, a callout to your wonderful Maglor:
‘Thou art speaking of love.’ He smiled, remembering Maglor, wondering where he was now, only knowing that he lived. There had been something between them, forged of pain, and hate and desire, but he could not name it love. It was too furious, too desperate.
I love this description of their relationship, it captures it so perfectly.
Awe, thank you, again, Narya :) Yes, dear Maglor, he is not forgotten by Vanimórë :) And I had to add Seran, I was so sad about killing him in A Faro, Fierce Sky
‘She is a goddess. So she says.’ He refilled their cups. ‘She was slain there, where Sud Sicanna was later built, by Melkor, in the days when he denned in Utumno. Or that is what she showed me. Her blood went into the land and she slept for Ages of the world. The tribes had legends of her, the Sleeping Goddess.’
Oooh! Ooh, I like where this is going!
The verbal sparring between them is wonderful - two powers playing off each other, conflicting and bonding at the same time.
Thank you, I did write about Dana in Earthblood and later, in Magnificat III; she’s not as she seems although even now, Vanimórë can’t make her out, can't trust her. I’m so glad you liked their conversation, too :)
dust blew across it like lost wraiths searching for the peace of death.
Phenomenal description! Evocative, rhythmic, perfect. I am so envious.
‘You...you spoke of one like me, but long dead. Your words. You had a sister.’
Something in his face closed. ‘I never showed thee that.’
‘But you did,’ she insisted, stubbornly, ‘have a sister.’
‘Yes,’ he said flatly. ‘I had a sister.’
Mélamírë stared at him. His eyes, in the fireshot dimness gleamed indigo. ‘How did she die?’
For a long time, he did not reply, seeming to study her. Then, slowly, he exhaled. ‘I was not strong enough to save her,’ he said, and through the adamantine barrier she felt unending grief, aching tenderness like the last kiss before death. And at the bottom, guilt, like a ball of molten lead. ‘I was only strong enough to kill her.’
:'( :'( :'(
Of course Mélamírë would bring all this up for him. This is heartbreaking, even knowing he gets to see Vanya again.
Yes, it must have been quite a shock, even though Mélamírë isn’t his sister, it’s like a ‘Could have been’. And of course, he does not know he’ll ever see Vanya again :(
Surprising herself, she laughed, the gurgle escaping from deep in her belly. ‘Did you now?’
I laughed at that too. It is pretty stupid, now I think about it...putting all your power into one object that it's possible to destroy is really quite dim.
<i>Because, even now, she was not devoid of humour, she toyed with the idea of marrying two Glorfindel’s. </i>
Oh my, now that's an idea...a darker, more passionate, Middle-earth version of Goodnight Sweetheart. Someone needs to write this!
What a fantastic novella this was, full of rich imagery, fascinating character dynamics and an absolute maze of possibilities. I loved every moment of it; it was the perfect way to spend an evening.
Terrific first chapter. I am mesmerized. It's been a while since I have read your stories and the familiarity of lushness of the description and the poetry in your prose is like greeting an old friend. I love how he introduces himself to her--finally! The mixture of the two story-verses is truly a delight! On to read the next chapter!
Seran, who carried no-one but Vanimórë on his back, snorted and then proceeded to act as perfectly as if he were on parade. No doubt Mélamírë could have handled him had he misbehaved, but clearly Seran sensed she would stand none of his nonsense. Vanimórë gave the stallion a mocking look. ‘Oh, thou art a terrible old charmer.’
Loving the voices of Vanimórë and Mélamírë!
You are really pulling at my heart strings with this concept also!:
‘You are trying to comfort me.’ A faint note of accusation.
‘Yes,’ he acknowledged. ‘But I also think it likely to be true. He holds no love for me. I am useful, no more. But that does not mean another Sauron, a little different, might not love a daughter.’
Thank you :) As I said in notes, Seran was in another story, where he died, but he was quite a character, for a horse. He would allow Legolas to ride him in that story, and Mélamírë in this, but usually no-one Vanimórë .
It was hard, it was almost impossible. She was hanging on by her fingernails. She said, ‘I’m trying to make myself believe this is a dream. It makes things a little easier. Are you?’ Faintly teasing, faintly mocking, ‘a dream?’
‘I wish,’ he said lightly, ‘that I were.’
The waterfall winked and laughed at her.
I love how clearly you elucidate how much they have in common and yet how profoundly different their experiences have been. You are breaking my heart all over again with how deep Vanimórë's wounds are and how profound is his sadness. Not that Mélamírë is not sad or wounded, but he expresses it best--she still has hope and he is afraid to hope.
I think Vanimórë would be — it’s difficult, glad that Mélamírë hadn’t had his life, but can’t understand how Sauron could be different. Thank you so much, Oshun :)
The sun was already setting with the swiftness of the desert.
Small detail but it really gives sense of place--familiar to me having lived somewhere that does not have the twilight we are accustomed to in more Northern climes!
and the endless, shimmering horizon.
Again the precision of the setting is enchanting.
I could read pages of their interactions and the relish precision of the characterization--stunning. Love the -- oops wrong bathroom --ha! Well, at least we got another delicious look at him! Thanks for that! Wonderful.
I’ve never seen the sun set that quickly, Oshun, I would love to, maybe one day, But I do know it does that, so I thought it was worth mentioning :) Lol, yes, wrong room, but I don’t suppose Vanimórë anyway, was disappointed at a glimpse of Mélamírë ;)
Her eyes narrowed over the blade. ‘Did you know about the One Ring?’ ‘I knew. I told him it was a stupid idea.’ Surprising herself, she laughed, the gurgle escaping from deep in her belly. ‘Did you now?’
Flawless timing of the fleeting humor in this moment! And the next is another priceless exchange.
In Mordor, and beyond, I am known as the Slave. His slave. It is a title.’ ‘You are also called the Dark Prince.’ He lifted one shoulder. ‘It is just a name. I could be called god-emperor of the stars. What I am, is a slave.’
All of your dialogue is fabulous and some of it even more brilliant. . .
This is wonderful also:
She thought of her father’s ambitions for her wondering, with teeth at her heart, how one whom had existed so long, and whom had lived among humans, could yet be so ignorant. Perhaps that would be his downfall in the end, some facet of humanity that he couldn’t comprehend, smaller than the clash of armies, yet greater, would slide past his assurance, his arrogance, his power, and bring him down.
I absolutely adore this story! I am so thrilled that you wrote it! And excited beyond belief to have it here where I can easily find it and re-visit it. I love both of these characters so much and you really have done them justice together! I am so jealous of how imaginative you are and how well you kept all the balls in the air and did not lose any of the wonderful luxuriance of your language! My compliments to you and a huge hug!
Wow, thank you so much, Oshun. I really loved writing it when I was in the ‘zone’ but as soon as I came out of it to do something else, I would crash down and think, help!
Comments
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.