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…
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. 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.
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.
Scribbles & Drabbles 2024
A chill Tolkien event, where artists make art, and authors write little stories in response. Begins in June and ends in November.
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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.
Oh my *fans self* What an image!! Shirtless sweating muscular warden! *this renders me incapable of making complete sentences* Thank you for this one Binka!
It's kind of funny, you know, the other day I looked at the list of my stories here, especially at the characters, and asked myself, now Binka, look: Maedhros, Finrod, Finrod, Maglor, Maedhros... And where are all those fav Sindarin hunks of yours, huh...? LOL! And here they are ;)
Thank you tons for taking the time to read and review.
Binka methinks we think a lot alike, especially regarding gorgeous elves' "other" talents. Can Beleg just stay in Doriath and not rescue Turin anymore please? Please?
I have to tell you that this was the very first drabble I've ever written about Beleg and the second one I've done in my entire fandom life. Thank you a million for reviewing. It means a lot to me.
Binka, I'm putting my foot down--please don't let him rescue Turin anymore!
I'm humbly requesting that you write a romantic story about our favorite Sinda, since it's partially your fault (hehehe) that I imagine Michael Praed in Robin Hood costume when I read about Beleg. It could be AU or whatever, (like I'd know the difference). Please, please.
Oh this so enchanting and so well-drabbled: it's magic with music, sensual mingled with a bitter realisation it will end. This is beautiful Binks: well rounded, complete and yet it leaves the reader (and both lovers) craving for more.
A sweet and cute depiction of Beleg and Mablung. If I could draw -- the picture would be chibi figures. It's nice how "fatherly" you portrayed Beleg here so by the time Turin arrived he was well-practiced.
Poor Nellas! I wonder who she's pining for... (though I've got a suspect in mind). How tantalizing.
I almost feel sorry for Turin here--how forlorn he must have looked to Nellas. As they say, misery loves company so babysitting young mortals must have kept her from being overly sad for her unrequited love.
Ohhh you posted this drabble here, the one with such a twist hehehe. I would like to compliment you with the fantastic build up in just 100 words, it just feels as if the reader comes to this realisation once the arrow flies true!
A lovely what-if you've written here, Binka. You use illusion here to good effect and it's particularly fitting since Lúthien's very name means "enchantment."
And I love the subtle tie-in to the Lethe!verse at the end.
Ahhh, Mablung :) Yes, this is for sure one of my favourite story. Placing in first "5". It excites my imagination. Over and over. :) I'm happy that you posted it here.
I think you're very right in your assumption, my dear :) Thank you for the comment. I'm very happy that you liked this part of "the Sindar Exhibition" too :D Thanks!
Loved how you managed to convey the cultural differences between the Noldor and the Sinda. My favorite line is: "Long had we learned to tame this unfriendly land, neither basking in the Light, nor straying in darkness."
Oh Binks, I am so sorry that I missed this fabulous piece. Wow doesn't even describe it, but it feels so right to see how Daeron, the so blinded by his love for Luthien - finally gets what he deserves.
This bit:
"Why?" he uttered. "After all the tears unnumbered? After all the years uncounted?"
I love this a lot in this fic, it feels right to see it here that it doesn't take just one battle, but also the personal losses and sacrifices of someone to portray a grief this immensely. And where else, at the shores of Cuiviénento bring it full circle for him!
Word weaver, yeah that just feels so right for you!
Oh wow Binks! You outdid yourself with this one! I love the differences between the two groups: you set them both aside in temperaments, but also how both groups can learn from the other.
This bit especially stands out to me, it reads immensely poetically (did I just made up a word for you?):
They came with fire and their burning needs to conquer, rule, and possess; our kin, but distant, alien in their attitude, they brought high hopes, but also the tumult, into which we might inevitably tumble.
Wonderfully drabbled, you summed up the first age from the Sinda perspective in a perfect way!
Oooh, excellent, Binka! You have such mastery of the short form (although I like your longer pieces, too). You've captured the essence of the Sindar and the Noldor here beautifully. I can't help but think of our primary world, too, when more "advanced" conquerors have invaded the lands of aboriginal peoples.
I'm not participating in B2MeM (I'm already too immersed in it :^D) but I'm really enjoying everyone's offerings.
I too think that the Noldor and their arrival can be to a certain extent compared to the conquest of barbarian, pre-Middle Ages Europe by the Romans (though not as violent, I guess). They brought "modern technology", culture, science and an entire set of habits, and the fire too -- their passion in everything they were doing. I'm very happy that you liked the drabble :D Thanks again!
Thank you! It looks like I can always count on the muse (well, not that I didn't believe I could, it's just he's sometimes silent for far too long, and suddenly... You get the idea ;)).
Actually, I did get inspired by what (whom) you associated me with the other day. I asked myself how I would react to the arrival of those distant cousins. I'm glad I seem to have done a good job :D Thank you for both the inspiration and your kind words :D
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.