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…
My newly drawn map of Aman, as complete as I could make it.
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Turgon's Rock Opera
On the anniversary of the publication of "The Silmarillion," we’re reflecting on the importance of music in Arda with prompts that come from rock songs. 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.
Elrond Week 2024
Elrond Week is a fandom event dedicated to Elrond Peredhel that will run from July 10th to July 16th on Tumblr.
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.
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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.
This was such a moving & elegantly read and I think you gave the prompt an immense romantic spin, yet so fitting! Fingon as a character, his growth and confidence just jumps at me. Its in his words and movements, equal partners yet unique alone. Then there is another thing, even though both know that their love for each other is endless, the third fear to me is the risk of growing apart, especially if both live so far apart for that greater cause. Why I suddenly have to think of 'Never tear us apart ' by INXS, but it suits them.
What a terrific comment, Rhapsody. I love the lyrics and think they fit perfectly with this story. (You are the second person who has given me lyrics for these guys! Pandemonium gave me lyrics for A New Day.) I think I will not be able to restrain myself from posting them and bagging about you finding them on my LJ. I am also excited that you see Fingon growing—still the same guy, but his experiences are sobering him (just a bit!).
Ooooh, the opening lines are wonderful. I especially like "in deep winter, the cold could reach bone deep." Exactly how I imagine the stronghold at Himring. The detailed description of the suite is noteworthy, too. Easy for me to imagine the constrast of the cold winter without and the warmth within.
you half expect to find me wallowing in melancholy, if not barking mad.
Fingon wrapped his arms around him and squeezed him until Maedhros let out an unlordly squeak
These made me smile. A lot. I love their interactions and banter. And nice fade to black.
A nicely drawn sketch of these fellows that fits snugly in their story arc.
I am so glad that it worked for you, since you know my story arc about as well as anyone could. I was wondering how it would be during the period when they do not get to spend very much time together, both involved with everything they need to be doing apart. It seemed to me that Fingon would still be worrying about Maedhros and not having Fingon around might make Maedhros worry they could grow apart. Yet in my version they do not. I guess you already figured that, despite his vulnerability, my Maedhros does not do emo, but deep down inside . . .
I didn't think it possible to make this prompt romantic, but I've underestimated you! :) This is such a lovely scene, however poignant their separation. Beautifully done!
This glimpse at older Mairtimo and Findekano burdened by the routine and reponsibilities of running their lands but still perfectly in love is lovely. And, as it was said, to turn this prompt into a sweet, romantic addition to the story arc is quite a feat. It makes perfect sense that at this point their greatest fear should be themselves and their relation rather than dragons and orcish raids. I loved the story.
Thanks, Angelica, for reading and commenting. So happy the ficlet worked for you. You are right that I am thinking of this period as a relatively quiet as far as outright hostilities against the Enemy, but also one when they are forced to be very productive. (I suppose I think of Maedhros as handling what we would call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder very well in light of his past experiences, but that Fingon would remain concerned for him.)
Contrary to the previous ficlet I just read, this has a serious touch to it, but is no less enjoyable. I admire how you portrayed them with the burden of their years and experiences, but they still have a joyful, youthful note to their attitude. Well done again :)
I love the way you show these two expressing their fears: honest (and what very realistic fears for both of them to have!) and yet not soppy or emo in the least. Your Maedhros and Fingon make a lovely pair!
Thank you so much. I am so happy it worked for you. I often feel a little uneasy about giving a positive spin on their lives when so many writers love to milk the tragedy. But real life has taught me that one could not be as effective as either of them if their focus had been entirely on those aspects. And yet...the fears are there, of course. (By the way, I just read your most recent Maedhros story, which I liked very much. Still intend to comment on it, but there is so much to say I have been stalling. Will do it properly soon.)
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.