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.
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.
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.
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
Major Arcana
Select a Tarot card and use any aspect of the card or its description to inspire your fanwork. 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.
Heh, others have said that... I've really had fun playing with Thuringwethil here! It's been a nice (if a shade grisly) change from my usual Elves. Thank you for reading. :)
Thanks so much! To be honest, this sort of non-Tolkien-specific challenge is quite straightforward - but I skipped the one before it, which was a 'dangerous beasts' challenge: you'd think it might be easier, but working in dragons and wargs before they're meant to have been bred was more of a challenge than I was up for just then...
This was very evocative. Actually, I felt as if I was there (which probably isn't too good, I think, since it was such a dark, horrible place ;)). Very skillfully written, and the last line's contrast was very efffective. Well done!
Thank you! I am about to flood your inbox with replies, I think, so sorry for that - but thanks for all your lovely reviews! They have cheered me remarkably. ;)
I have been having fun playing with a distinct change of tone from the usual stuff with this set. At some point I realised I'd been spending too much time lately writing Elves being nostalgic and wistful, so thought I'd try the same thing with a different group of characters. So this descent into a dark, horrible place...
Thank you! I'm very glad it worked. There's plenty of nasty things down there - and Thuringwethil still waiting for when they come up - so I think they're going to have to run...
Thank you! I do like pulling back to this distant, impersonal perspective - it's a rather odd tone and you can't get away with too much of it, but it's nice to play.
This is an awesome set of most impressive and vividly written drabbles! It must have been both a challenge and a kind of blessing to gain freedom from Melkor (for a time, though) and still with all those beasts lurking around.
Thank you so much! That combination of a challenge and a blessing was really what I wanted here - I'm so glad it came across. And so glad you've enjoyed the set! I do appreciate it and am definitely spurred to get on with it as soon as I can (you are an awesome cheerleader, really! <3).
Yep, that's what I think a vampire might have thought, felt, and imagined. Poor beast, though. Loved the descriptive language of these pieces. Excellent!
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.