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.
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 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.
November challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The challenge for November has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic prompt: refuge. Formal challenge: include imitation of a sound. As always, these can be filled independently and also freely combined with SWG and other challenges. 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.
Oh this is magical and marvellous! So many wonderful details: using the 'traditional' swan-drawn ships (Arafin's nervousness about the trip is so sweet), singing the oysters open (amazing idea)... And that end took me by surprise and is adorable. Aw I'm smiling so much after reading this 🥰
Thank you!! I figure that if they took a larger ship it'd be too noticeable, and they wanted this to be a 'stealth' mission 😄
I'm so glad the ending was a surprise! And yes, little Arafin just barely old enough is all nervous about asking, but Elulindo is only too happy for him to become a brother 💖
Thank you! I figured this was the perfect opportunity to slide that detail in - swan-drawn boats! Why row when you can have some really huge birds just pull you along? Just like a horse and carriage 😁
Gorgeous image of the swan boat in its original form. I love the idea of the Feanorian lights being used for pearl diving and undersea exploration. And look at Feanor being helpful in more ways than one! Happier times. I did not expect the lovely ending! Delightful :).
The more I explored this idea the more little thoughts came like oooh using the lamps for diving! That actually was one of the first details I came up with, even though much of the rest of the fic changed drastically from my initial idea.
And yes, I think this is still before Melkor was released so perhaps not nearly the level of strife that the Finweans rose to in later years. Feanor might have been coaxed to be a tad more helpful, at least to his youngest brother. 😉
I love the small details, like the boat being drawn by swans, singing the oysters open, and Feanor not liking doing things for his little brother but unable to resist the stroking of his ego. I had some idea once I realized Arafinwë was after a pearl where he was going with it, but I wasn't sure until the very end.
Not to put the blame on Fingolfin, but it really seems that it was his and Feanor's feud more than Finarfin's. I like to think that they might have at least gotten along passably before things got really bad.
It's canon that he was friends with Earwen's brothers! I figured he might have been friends with them first and that they were only too happy for him to marry their sister 😊
I like the idea of Finarfin being very close to that whole family!
Aaaawwww. I love that. I love Elulindo being all eager to help (has he been watching them all the time and been like ’will you get a move on?!’?). I love how Arafin is really taking much upon himself to bring that ring into existance. A true symbol of what Eärwen means to him.
But oh, Fëanor making the ring has potential for even more heartbreak once all takes a turn for the worst. :( (even more so in my imagination, because I always headcanoned Elulindo falling on the Fëanorians hands.)
😧 ah! Okay I admit I am the first to turn anything to angst but that was just cruel!
But yes, he really did go all out to make both the effort himself but also the symbolism, using the materials that would be most meaningful. I love them so much 😭💖
And it’s so beautiful when people feel such love for certain characters ❤️ Idk if it’s like that for you too, but ’my’ elves are an important part of my life, especially when I’m feeling down. :)
Ahh, the reefs off of Valinor must be magnificent! Arafin almost forgetting why they're there in the first place is very cute, and I can't blame him! This is such a wonderful story. I loved the glimpse of Uinen and Osse dancing on the shore in the starlight.
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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.