Tolkien Meta Week Starts December 8!
Join us December 8-14, here and on Tumblr, as we share our thoughts, musings, rants, and headcanons about all aspects of Tolkien's world.
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!
We are currently accepting proposals to present your meta, research, and scholarship! Learn more about presenting your meta, research, and scholarship here.
Tolkien Meta Week Starts December 8!
Join us December 8-14, here and on Tumblr, as we share our thoughts, musings, rants, and headcanons about all aspects of Tolkien's world.
Artists Needed to Create 2025 Challenge Stamps
We are soliciting help from artists who want to help create the stamps we award to challenge participants.
Tolkien Fanartics: Mapping Arda - The Second Age
In the third part of the Mapping Arda series, Anérea and Varda delle Stelle present a selection of fan-created maps of the lands of the Second Age.
New Challenge: Potluck Bingo
Sit down to a delicious selection of prompts served on bingo boards, created by the SWG community.
[Artwork] The Door of Night by wroniec
Art for Potluck Bingo. B1 -' gloomy hush of night' from the board by Himring
[Writing] Silhouettes of Doom by Ecthelion
"At least we have learned that the sons of Fëanor can die too." Nine POVs, one matter - a story about the kinslaying in Doriath.
[Writing] One Flesh, One Soul. Part II by FellFireFan
The fates of the lovers have been sealed. After Aegnor makes a promise to Andreth he seeks council one last time from Finrod to reveal the identity of the maiden who had stolen his heart and hopes Finrod will share in his newfound happiness. However, it does not go well between the brothers, and…
[Writing] Stream of Clashing Ice by Himring
Maglor and his companion almost drown in the River Lune.
[Writing] Kiss the ground / then turn from it by Elleth
After the attack on the Havens of Sirion, a figure from Maedhros' past comes face-to-face with him one last time.
[Writing] Mercy, Love by Elleth
Maedhros' rescue from Thangorodrim left him deeply scarred. But how did it impact Fingon as his rescuer? A drabble sequence from Thangorodrim to the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.
[Artwork] Aredhel at Eithel Ivrin by Anérea
Painting of Aredhel at the Pools of Ivrin
Festival of Lights Fest
This is a fun and low-key event meant to encourage works about or inspired by Hanukkah, running this year in conjunction with the Potluck Bingo challenge. Read more ...
Potluck Bingo
Help yourself to a collection of prompts on bingo boards designed by members and friends of the SWG. Read more ...
Breaking Boundaries
Create a fanwork that shows a meeting between characters of two or more cultures. Read more ...
Libraries at the Edge of Middle-earth: Fanworks, Archives, and Communities as Heritage by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Tolkien fanfiction archives both preserve the "libraries of Middle-earth" in the form of keeping Tolkien's original words alive and promote conversations around heritage as community and fan identity that keeps those central texts relevant to diverse fans in a rapidly changing world.
Doom and Ascent: The Argument of ‘Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics’ by Simon J. Cook
Simon reads 'Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics' to conclude his account of the Anglo-Saxon tower of its allegory.
Why People Don't Comment: Data and History From the Tolkienfic Fandom by Dawn Walls-Thumma
A reworking of the 2018 article for Long Live Feedback that includes data from the 2020 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey, pointing to a lack of comments as related to skill, confidence, and community connection.
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fiction, artwork, and essays that transcend the idea of Orcs as the enemy, instead considering their humanity.
Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
[Multimedia] Entwined {text + podfic} by Anérea
First Age 116: in the foothills of the Orocani Mountains, west of Hildórien and far, far east of Beleriand.
Woman meets Maia in four perfect drabbles.
[Writing] Homage to the Song of Durin by Flora-lass
Legolas is inspired by Gimli's song - and by Gimli himself.
[Writing] Partners in Craft by elennalore
Annatar realises that he might like Celebrimbor too much.
Thorin's Spring Forge 2025
Sign-ups are open for Thorin's Spring Forge, a minibang-style event where writers and artists come together to create fanworks centred on Thorin Oakenshield.
Tolkien Pinup Calendar: Dead Dove December
Tolkien Pinup Calendar is hosting a December event for non-con smut fanworks.
Tolkien Pinup Calendar: 8 Nights of Smut
Tolkien Pinup Calendar and Hanukkah Bingo are teaming up for eight nights of naughty prompts.
Festival of Lights Fest 2024
This is a fun and low-key event meant to encourage works about or inspired by Hanukkah, running this year in conjunction with the Potluck Bingo challenge.
Fluffcember 2024
Fluffcember is a Tumblr event with daily fluffy prompts during the month of December.
I'm going to write a stream of consciousness review as I read. :)
Firstly, I love the opening song. It fits the story and now I shall never hear this song without thinking of Fingolfin! :)
This sentence:
"Opening his eyes, he once more sought for his son, so like himself – driven by duty and responsibility. He smiled slightly to himself. There were some things Findekáno had inherited from his mother rather than himself: the compassion, the love and the humility that he and his own elder brother both lacked."
I was a bit confused by this sentence; I had to read it a few times. There are lot of pronouns that make it hard for me to follow who the "he" and "him" are. I'd suggest putting proper names in their places, something like:
"Opening his eyes, he once more sought for his son, so like himself – driven by duty and responsibility. Fingolfin smiled slightly to himself. There were some things Findekáno had inherited from his mother rather than his father: the compassion, the love and the humility that Fingolfin and his elder brother both lacked."
Fingon's musings about the world Ereinion will inherit--and Fingolfin's reply--is heartbreaking. So is the way that Fingolfin folds his rings into his son's hand. One can only imagine Fingon's awakening (and you mention this too, later! What a sad moment.)
In the fight scene, the word "dance" is used a lot. It's a great word, but I'd suggest being a little more sparing so that it doesn't become redundant.
But in all, a beautiful and heartbreaking story about a time in the history of the Noldor that receives surprisingly little attention. (I am among the guilty. :) You effectively bring these characters down from their places as epic figures, princes, and kings and show the personal impact that this must have had on the Noldor.
Hi Dawn, and thank you for a lovely piece of feedback. :)
There were severeal elves fighting for the use of the starting song but Fingolfin won ;) He pointed out how badly I had negelcted him until that point.
Thank you regarding the constructive critism regarding the pronouns in the particular sentance and also regarding the overuse of the word 'dance' I will take both suggestions under consideration and edit the story accordingly. (Probably it will take a few days dueto more pressing commitments though)
I am glad that you enjoyed the story and found it both heartbreaking and that I managed to bring the characters down to a personal level. I struggled a lot in writing this story and it is always ncie to hear that I managed to in the end post a successful story.
Thanks again!
*hugs*
Uli
Very powerful. I very much like the characterization of Fingolfin and Fingon in this piece. Extremely plausible scenario of why and how Fingolfin chose to act as he did. I've often asked myself what kind of man would do what Fingon did to rescue Maedhros--a similarly suicidal stunt, but with a purpose that is, despite that, life-affirming. Well, the one answer could be: the kind of man who had a father who would act as Fingolfin did when he called out Morgoth.
Thank you for another lovely review and once again sorry to take so long to respond. I had been trying to get into Fingolfin;s head for some time when I started writing this, deciding to start from the end of why he decided to take on a battle he must have known he could never win.
I had also seen/heard to many interprentions of FIngolfin as a harsh possibly abusive father and I go stubborn :) A lot of the reason behind wriitng it was a backlash agaisnt that and writing a loving father instead. I am very glad you enjoyed the story, in many ways it was the hardest one I have written so far (I do not do fightscenes well and lost count of the amount of times I was told by my betas that it didn;t work and needed rewritten again :D)
Thanks for the review.
*hugs*
Uli
I think this is a very vivid retelling of Fingolfin's death. You were able to convey the dark hopelessness of the Quendi at that hour so well.
Thank you. I love the Noldor, they are all flawed but at the same time so increadibly heroic.
Really glad to find this. Fingolfin has to be one of the most unfairly underappreciated characters in the Silm (I really want to write something for him but haven't managed it yet). I've often wondered what was going through his mind at the end and this is a fine take on it.
Thank you for the lovely feedback. You are right, I read far too many stories with Fingolfin as a bad or even abusive father and I wanted to write him as someone who, in the end, sacrifices himself to give his children a chance to escape and survive. :)
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