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.
Current Challenge
Potluck Bingo
Help yourself to a collection of prompts on bingo boards designed by members and friends of the SWG. Read more ...
Random Challenge
B2MeM 2010
Back to Middle-earth Month 2010 was a collaborative game-style challenge where participants created fanworks in order to progress in their attempt to win the Last Battle. Read more ...
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.
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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.
These are as powerful here as when I first read them in the netherworld. :^) My hat's off to your depiction of the immediacy of Alqualondë from the viewpoint of Teler and Noldo with such crisp language! Nicely done!
Congratulations on taking the plunge! You're doomed now, you know. :^D
I really like how you've conveyed the contradiction of attitudes in these two drabbles: the horror and chaos of the attack from the point of view of the victim, and the steel-cold drive of a trained assailant. The skillfulness would be later turned into pain and remorse, but it would be too late to atone for the disaster. Very well done, and thank you for sharing :)
Thanks Robinka - the idea for the first one came from a discussion with Rhapsody in LJ (the second one was written first, in fact...) Glad you enjoyed and thanks for commenting!
What a debut, Moreth! This is wonderful characterization in these two drabbles. You absolutely broke my heart in both of them. You captured the scene so well. The first character is so young and unaware he will soon be facing something he has never even thought about. (The "Nana" and the "stars are fading" pushed me over the edge.) The Feanorian on the other hand, has been prepared, but is nonetheless tragic, because part of his preparation has been don't think, just keeping moving, do what you have to do. His grief and guilt will necessarily have to be dealt with later.
This moved me far beyond much more ambitious and much longer pieces I have read about Alqualonde.
I'm glad you enjoyed (if that's the right word). The whole scenario seems pretty horrific and confused to me - I'm glad that came across. Indeed, the poor Feanorian is going to have a very bad time afterwards!
Drabbles seemed easier to start on then some full blown epic - so I suspect I'm cheating a little, but thank you ;)
I'm going to have to agree with the others: a most impressive debut! :^D Both drabbles are fantastic and, put together, create a great effect. I literally had shivers by the last line of the first. Such innocence about to abruptly end. Actually, I think that's somewhat true of both, when both Elves are about to learn hard lessons about the world, about the capabilities of their own kind to commit violence.
Again, wonderful work, most highly recommended to anyone stumbling through and willing to take my word on things. :)
Hi Rianna, and thanks for the comment! I hope you have as much fun as I am. The guys (gender neutral) here are great, so I'll pass on the advice given to me - "Go for it"!
There's a lot of detail left out in Tolkien's writing - I can see why, but gritty detail is soooo much more interesting to write! And the more I think about it, the worse it gets for the poor guys... (I entirely blame Rhapsody for the first drabble!)
You know, I absolutely hate people who use so few words and do so much with them. And that is a compliment, immediate and very traumatic, it gives the sense that violence, and the use of weapons to kill is new to the Noldor and Teleri, the shock at the feeling of dying and the shock the Noldo who has killed feels after, fighting, putting all they have learned into practice, seems reflexive, but after - that is when realization hits home. * claps *
Oh, thank you :D Coming from someone who writes such beautifully intricate detail it is a compliment indeed! I tried for something that depicted the shock of violence - from both sides. It was an interesting challenge to balance the two.
This was incredible. The two scenes show such contradicting views but on some level are quite similar, and fit together nicely. And the line, “Nana, the stars are fading...” *shudders* Terrifying, but sort of scarily beautiful.
Like my own kinslayer, yours also just goes through the motions of what he has learnt. When they learnt it, they were probably told of the dangers of Middle-earth, where they would hopefully go some day, perhaps even of Orcs - I don't believe that killing other Elves was ever even thought about in their training.
And when he's finished, and stops to think - yes, I totally believe your desrciption.
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.