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: Potluck Bingo Sit down to a delicious selection of prompts served on bingo boards, created by the SWG community.
Bingo Cards Wanted for Potluck Bingo Our November-December challenge will be Potluck Bingo, featuring cards created by you! If you'd like to create cards or prompts for cards, we are taking submissions.
Tolkien Meta Week, December 8-14 We will be hosting a Tolkien Meta Week in December, here on the archive and on our Tumblr, for nonfiction fanworks about Tolkien.
New Challenge: Orctober Orcs on a quest for freedom seek a place sheltered and safe from the Dark Lord. Fulfill prompts to gather the clues needed to bring them to freedom.
The majority of the Silmarillion was penned by a single Elf--an Elf who was so thoroughly written out as to appear only through the ways in which their perspective shaped the stories we see. This is their story, the historian's history, the Pennas Pengolodh.
The Exiles of Gondolin come to Sirion. The residents of Sirion welcome them, and friendship blossoms between the last remaining loremaster of Gondolin and a young poet of Sirion.
Fingon returns to Barad Eithel after a late-autumn hunt, finding someone unexpected with his wife. The night takes an even more unexpected turn for all three of them.
A series of articles featuring fan-made maps of all the lands of Arda. Part III explores the island of Númenor and mainland Middle-earth during the Second Age.
A series of articles featuring fan-made maps of all the lands of Arda. Part III explores the island of Númenor and mainland Middle-earth during the Second Age.
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.
Lord of the Rings Secret Santa 2024
LotR SESA has been ongoing for twenty-one years and is running again this year as a prompt meme hosted on AO3 for all genres of Tolkien-based fanfiction.
Kiliel Week 2024
Kiliel Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about the Kili/Tauriel pairing.
November challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The challenge for November has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic prompt: refuge. Formal challenge: include imitation of a sound. As always, these can be filled independently and also freely combined with SWG and other challenges. New participants welcome!
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.
Very interesting view at the beginnings of Gil-Galad's kingship. He was indeed faced with many different groupings who were not particularly interested in being ruled à la Fingolfin or Fingon.. So Gil-Galad must carve out for himself a new sort of role. You did a good job of portraying a young, still-learning elf in an unusual position. Lovely.
The end of the First Age was such a complicated time politically, yet Gil-galad's authority was pretty much unquestioned later. I guessed part of that might have been due to consensus politics, the rest to personal charisma? (I love playing with ideas like that, lol)
I really enjoyed writing this, and I'm glad you liked it - thanks very much for commenting :)
Again, I really enjoyed this story. I wish I had more specific feedback, but I figure it's better to let you know it was read and enjoyed than to say nothing at all. :)
I will say that I love about your work how natural the politics of the era feel. This is always a struggle for me. (My husband studied political science, but this was always a weak area for me; I have to ask for his help with stories sometimes! :^P) But this feels so natural and believable in your stories. Also, the dialogue is fantastic!
So it seems that I can provide some more specific feedback after all. :)
Anyway, thanks for sharing another wonderful piece. I look forward to more to come.
Thank you so much, Dawn. Just being told it was read and enjoyed is lovely - though I like how you expanded that into a really nice review *smile*
When I write (or read) I always wonder what's going on behind the scenes, who's talking to whom, who's trying to gain what advantage... I love the depth those kinds of detail give a story. Plus I'm South African, we're all politically aware to the point of being total pains in the neck on the subject, lol.
And I'm so glad you like the dialogue - it's the part I always enjoy writing the most :)
You already know I love this piece and want more ;) But i thought it wouldn't hurt to remind you of that fact...
As always your characterisations are wonderful and rich and believable and the world you paint feel more real than it would in most stories I have read.
There we go again - a High King less hampered by pride than those before him. He'll look to the small things, and see whether the greater ones will follow of their own accord.
I really like your take on him. And you're showing it so well in your writing.
I started writing Gil-galad almost by accident, and he's grown into someone I think I would like if I could meet him - so your comments about him really made me smile. Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked the story - and him. Your kind words are really appreciated.
I really like this story. Gil-galad ended up king in at a time when no one in their right mind would want the position, yet he manages to make a rather impressive success of it. Of course, if the valar hadn't arrived they would probably all have been dead anyway, no matter who was in charge.
The Valar's intervention might have been a mixed blessing though, what with all those lands breaking and being drowned. We're never told how many elves died during that - they couldn't all have managed to put to sea.
Yes, my mind goes in strange places, lol.
Thanks for reading and commenting, and I'm happy you liked this. I have plans to go on with the story when I've cleared a few other things - I certainly enjoyed thinking myself into the time and place and he really is my favourite elf to write.
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.