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.
Current Challenge
Potluck Bingo
Help yourself to a collection of prompts on bingo boards designed by members and friends of the SWG. 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.
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!
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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.
Amazing concept! I love the movement from description to a question to Fëanor directly addressing the question. I'm not sure of the intention, but it makes me think of the artist justifying their work to themselves rather than to any real critic.
And, of course, the theme of the world beyond Valinor.... Very fitting to start this series (?) with Fëanor.
'the artist justifying their work to themselves' - Oh I like that interpretation! I was thinking it was criticism he'd received sort of swirling in his mind but I like the idea of imagined criticism, too.
Not sure how much of a series this will end up being, depends on how many of the prompts I end up doing I suppose, but thank you :)
Thank you, I think this will likely be a bit of cumulative inspiration, not necessarily building on the last installment but influenced by what came before :)
While obviously not looking to inflict mental damage on my friends I'm glad it came across so viscerally, I always worry that it might come across too 'flat'. Thank you so much for reading along and commenting <3
Oh, powerful! Remarkable you got a poem into a drabble. Someone once described the transition from prose to poetry or music in drama as a moment where a scene's emotions become too big to be contained in prose. This definitely fits Fëanor at the time of canon.
Feanor being very Feanor, poetically, poor Celebrimbor (and sympathetic Curufin!); nice and unusual Finrod and Daeron encounter (book lovers, unite!)....
Thank you very much (book lovers unite, indeed! Now the ultimate question, will Daeron actually use the blank journals or will they be "too precious"?? LOL)
Delighted that you enjoyed this one! Toooootally didn't have you in mind at all. lol The urge to add "and then they made out" was so strong (but I resisted. ...well, almost)
What a real treat to read these glimpses: Fëanor's delight in his invention and indeed, others content to remain ensconced in the Light would not see their point.
That necklace! I'd like one please, I rarely wear jewellery but it sounds like one I would.
A sleepy Ent tickled by a squirrel is just so cute; a content Avar almost pitying those who left; Gwindor's first moment of freedom; Fëanor's rage, Finrod's precious possession (well, two of them); Celebrimbor... aww, sweetie, it's OK, we've all done it!
Ooooooh! Ok, I so very very much relate to the sentimentality in this! And your description is as fine as this worn, comfortable and comforting fabric. And, I just love seeing Andreth and Bregor share a moment of sibling intimacy. ♡
Hah! I am with Celebrimbor on this, if the bridge looks anything like it did in the films. These are all so clever, becoming a favourite little word snack in my day.
Andreth as sister, Celebrimbor sharing a fear with Narvi, Telchar making something that isn't a weapon, and protective Nuin: what a wonderful selection of characters and ideas!
Excellent! When you said you were writing about Gil-estel I had a feeling we'd be getting a POV we don't get in canon and I'm glad you picked these two. I love how it's a very real moment interrupted by a miracle.
Oh, I'm so with Celebrimbor here!! It's really not the sheer precipitous drops that are the problem, but what lies at the end of them. (Says she who, despite a lifelong fear of sheer precipitous drops, somehow found herself climbing sheer precipitous cliffs for fun for a lot of her life, admittedly initially motivated by a very hot guy, so maybe Narvi will do the same for Celebrimbor.)
Aha! So it's the ang in the northern reaches that draws the needle? Clever.
I love Nuin here — probably utterly confused himself by the odd light, but still being so reassuring to the now-awake sleepers. (I've never really thought about how surprising and terrifying the sunset may have been.)
I have a weird relationship with heights myself - sometimes I can manage, sometimes I am nearly frozen in terror. Bridges just absolutely churn my stomach in knots (moreso if I'm walking than driving), but I can stand on a cliff and be like "yep, this is cool".
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.