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!
Mereth Aderthad Registration Is Open! Registration for attending Mereth Aderthad is open for both in-person and virtual attendees and will remain open through the day of the event.
New Challenge: Birthday Bash In honor of our twentieth birthday, we look back at twenty years of SWG history with a new poetry, image, and word prompt each day.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Shadow by Himring Himring interviewed Shadow about their upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad, "The Aromantic in Tolkien," and their inspiration for pursuing this topic that is rarely covered in Tolkien scholarship.
But at the very end of the letter she spoke of one more prisoner that Elladan and Elrohir had discovered in one of the deepest dungeons of Dol Guldur, locked away behind a door unopened in so long that the hinges had rusted.
Maglor has been rescued from Dol Guldur, and now faces…
Cúrandil knows the stories, knows how their people first awoke in the water. How they came to walk the land and how the sea has called them back ever since. It is their turn to follow the call now.
Aromanticism is a topic not often covered in Tolkien scholarship, but many Tolkien characters can be read as aromantic. In this interview, Himring talks with Shadow about their upcoming Mereth Aderthad presentation "The Aromantic in Tolkien."
Stella Getreuer-Kostrouch has always felt deeply connected to the character of Elu Thingol. In this interview, Quente asks about this connection and how Stella sees Thingol as unjustly treated by many in the fandom.
Shadow spoke to Acha Rezak about her upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad, which reads Tolkien less as a Catholic Christian work and more as a world inclusive of many religions, especially in its focus on nature and landscapes
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.
One wrong decision can make a world of difference. When one of the Fellowship makes the mistake, the consequences are so severe that only the Valar can repair it. But will they?
Glorfindel daughter's life is in Elrohir's hands and only she remembers th eir love for each other. The fate of…
The Gardens of the Entwives are fallen, but two Entwives remain.
Around the World and Web
Tolkien Ekphrasis Week 2025
This is a Tolkien-fandom-wide event dedicated to the art of ekphrasis in Tolkien's worlds. Its goal is to illuminate the artistic surroundings of the places, people, and stories we love, in as many media as possible.
Feanorian Week 2025
Feanorian Week is a Tumblr event offering optional prompts for fanworks about the sons of Feanor and their parents.
C&C Week 2025
C&C Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about Celegorm and Curufin. This year, the event will run from March 16-23, 2025, with prompts featured every other day.
March Challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The challenge for March has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. 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.
This reader will be more than indulging! (You can always have it beta-d later ;)). This vividly calls to mind Catherine Karina Chmiel's illustration of Maglor and Maedhros riding off with Elrond and Elros. I imagine it would have been difficult for Elrond to forgive his true parents, and you've made his fostering convincing.
Oh, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I am happy you enjoyed reading it. I did have that picture in my mind near the end of writing it, although it wasn't the original inspiration. I adore that picture (the birds in the background and the flags--Maedhros grim and Maglor slightly softer!) Enough squeeing over my favorite artist of Feanorians. (I probably would have sat on this story for weeks and continued to pick were it not for this deadline--I am not a fast writer.)
I love the way you've gotten inside Elrond's head here. He's a difficult character to write and you did a great job of showing how his past experiences shaped him into the kind of father and person he became. Plus your mastery of language always leaves me in awe. Beautifully done!
This is lovely, oshun, not needing the begging of indulgence, I don't think. It reads very smoothly, both in a technical sense and more importantly, an emotional sense. It saddens me to see the portrayal of them distanced from Earendil, but I well understand it. And you do reflect my own beliefs that they must have been loved and caredfor, and returned that love - to the ones who did raise them.
If Elrond would live in our time, he would have been diagnosed with the Stockholm syndrome. He is quite harsh towards his own mother, is he not? I sit here thinking how easy it is for him to pass such cruel judgement over her while later in his life his own wife forsakes her own children as well. When I was reading how he thought about his father, I thought… Elrond does not understand the sea-loving drive of men here; he chose his own race wisely. It is curious to see how Elros might get that, given his choice though. The piece could use touches here and there, that is for sure, but it made a lovely read nonetheless. Although I am not sure if I loved Elrond more after I finished this piece, on the contrary even (no I don’t think Elwing’s choice was just as a mother, to chose protecting a heirloom above her kids, but it is understandable in a way).
I thought when I first posted this--somebody is going to see this as Stockholm syndrome! Oh, well. Not really my intent, but one of those cases where I don't care for the canon implications or interpretations, so I've re-done it. (One of the reasons I write fanfic--otherwise I'd just let the original stand untouched! We each have our own reasons for writing these things.) I'm just too much of mom not to object to Elwing's choice. Always been a WTF?-moment for me. I know, I know, I've heard the objections before--why I labeled it controversial. Thanks for much for the comments. I always get a lotfrom your opinions even (or esepcially?) when they differ from my perspective. I'm sure I will do some more work on it. But think it needs to age a little for me. First-person narrative is not an easy genre for me either. Thanks again.
This is very haunting. I"ve read a number of Elrond stories but few like this. His distance from his father and his cool feelings toward his closer blood relatives are understandable and sad to read. I like the respect and love he still bears for Maedhros and Maglor. Nicely done!
Thanks for reading. I sort of took off from Tolkien's line "Maglor took pity upon Elros and Elrond, and he cherished them, and love grew after between them." No where does he give us anything that indicates the popular fanon interpretation: Elrond finds out what happened and hates Maglor and Maedhros's guts. LOL. My own little rant, I guess.
Great job! I did enjoy this story very much (especially because you decided to use the first-person narrative). You captured Elrond's thoughts and brought his reflections on his childhood beautifully. Very touching!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting Robinka, I'm really happy that you liked it. I like first person a lot too--the intimacy and honest it conveys, It just scares me to write it!
Hi, there. Nice vignette, full of conflict and emotions. I must say that your prejudices are flying their flag full out. All hail the House of Feanor! Woohoo!
Elrond's story is full of possibility, and you've just begun to plumb it. Perhaps Maglor and Maedhros were a reason for him to choose to become an Elf?
Oh, thanks! What I meant to say was "When I was young..." Claudio re-wrote those four words for me and I STILLL couldn't get them right! OMG! I need a secretary/editor/copy-checker fulltime. Seriously, I do intend to write some Elrond in the future, just playing around with possibilities in some of my ficlets. Thanks for reading--I know you have been so busy!
Children do judge their parents harshly, but if anyone is entitled to, it's Elrond and Elros. I loved how defined his voice is and how steadily he goes through his musings, how fondly he remembers Maedhros and Maglor and how his own parenting is moulded by what he lived with them.
Comments on My Shining Stars
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.