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.
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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.
I'm very glad that you found this story interesting. I thought it would be a nice idea to have those two icons of "The Silmarillion" talk to one another. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment :)
What a tickling alternate history! Placing any of the Fëanorians in Doriath before the Kinslaying is always a treat and I'm sure anyone from the Noldor would be very, very interested to see Doriath and risk a lot to look at it. I loved the scene where Thingol opens the envelope and sees that it is empty, and the debate/discussion between the Prince and the King is delightful read. The ending was heart-breaking and it seemed to me that the main character has radically changed over the years that passed.
I too think that the Noldor would very much like to confront rumors about the Sindar with the actual facts. Besides, I've fallen in love with Thingol :) and would like to defend his standpoint (and also bash him on the head with a baseball bat for that Silmaril mess ;)).
Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm very happy to see that my idea worked.
Oh, I liked this very much - a really interesting 'might have been.' I like Maitimo's combination of boldness in going into Doriath and hesitancy and outright fear to tell Elwe what happened at Alqualonde - and Elwe's stubbornness, too. Really nicely done!
Thank you! I'm very happy that you think this story interesting :) The idea popped up when I was chatting with my friend about Thingol's policy toward the Noldor. So I thought, let's throw a Noldo -- and one of the most significant in the entire Silm -- to Menegroth and see how he deals with it ;)
Thanks again for taking the time to read and comment!
This is a delightful read. A speculative story that I could almost believe had happened. Made me want to believe that it had happened that way. I loved the almost mischievous quality to Maedhros’s plan and its execution, while communicating to the reader the serious intent behind it. It was so entertaining to see these two formidable strong-willed elves sizing one another up. Although neither really budged an inch on their determination and conviction that they each believed that they knew what was the right manner in which to withstand the onslaught of Morgoth. And yet, they nonetheless parted with a certain grudging respect. The insertion of the secret of Alqualondë was also believable and intriguing. Did Melian know? You also gave me one of the better arguments I have seen for Thingol’s strategy (not saying you changed my narrow Noldor-centric mind, but it is an excellently stated argument).
Oops, almost forgot, one tiny typo in the first line: "impress" should be "impressed."
Thank you so much for your review (and for pointing out the typo -- eeeek, in the first line, lol. Fixed it.) I thought it would be a good idea to confront a Noldo -- preferably one of the Feanorian clan) with the king of the Sindar, and I wanted to explain his attitude in the best way I could and understood his reasons. I'm so glad it worked and that the general idea seems believable. I don't think Melian knew everything, but I do believe she sensed a lot more than she admitted to Galadriel for instance.
Thank you again :) It was fun to write, and I'm happy to see that it's also joy to read.
Oh this is such a wonderful one shot Binks. Even though the professor did not write all, I can imagine that this conversation did take place. I love their swordplay with words, the veiled warnings, Melian's demanour and presence. Thingol still feels like the King of Beleriand and none shall tell him what he can and can't do. As I read that, my mind did wander off to the 2nd kinslaying, so those last words gave me the chills. Thingol indeed should have known better, especially in the context of this story. Well done!
That's exactly what I wanted to achieve -- to show that he *was* the High King of the Sindar :) I'm glad that my idea worked. Thank you for your wonderful opinion. It's much appreciated.
A real pleasure to read (again)! The speed with which Thingol correctly assesses Maedhros' position is very well done - he is clearly a very bright cookie!
That last line really packs a punch! An excellent link back to the earlier discussion. A wonderful 'what if'... :D
"The speed with which Thingol correctly assesses Maedhros' position is very well done - he is clearly a very bright cookie!"
Gotta say that the entire research before I wrote this made me a huge admirer of Thingol. I've always been fond of him, despite the obvious, but now I can really say I've got another muse :)
Thanks a lot for the comment and support all the way through. I appreciate that very much.
This is one of those "it didn't happen this way, but it SHOULD have" moments, and those are so rare and precious that I could just hug you.
I agree with Whitewave's comment as well - the contrast between the Maitimo we see through most of the story and the one we see at the end is heartbreaking. Excellent setup!
I couldn't resist the muse who insisted that I write the two icons of "The Silmarillion" talk to each other, even though they'd never met. Or at least, the chronicles said they hadn't. It would be a clash of the titans, if they did, wouldn't it? Thank you for the review. I know how much you love Maitimo and your opinion means a lot to me. And, well, this is a very difficult moment for us here, and I appreciate your review all the more.
What a fantastic read. A great deal of it seems like it was lifted straight out of canon if it had been written out in more detail. I loved Maedhros' ingenious ploy to get into Doriath, thoroughly enjoyed the game of wits and politic posturing between him and Thingol (who is not a character I am entirely fond of, but hearing his reasons from his own mouth here did a lot to make him more sympathetic to me - well done!).
And the final paragraph - what a way to end this story with such a heart-rending bang! I'm very glad I got this challenge to review for the IDF event, because this might not have been a fic I'd have otherwise clicked, and missing it would have been a shame.
Thank you so much for reading and leaving a review :D I'm really delighted to hear that you liked my story. I'm too glad that you found this story via the IDF event :D It's a wonderful surprise. You made my day!
Comments on The Good, the Bad, and the Queen
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.