Archive Software Upgrade and Downtime on April 19, 2025
Expect site outages on Saturday, April 19, 2025 as we perform a major software update on the archive.
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!
Archive Software Upgrade and Downtime on April 19, 2025
Expect site outages on Saturday, April 19, 2025 as we perform a major software update on the archive.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow
Dragons are one of the most familiar creatures in Tolkien's world and one of the least understood. In this interview, Shadow spoke with cloudyhymns about his Mereth Aderthad presentation "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," the nature of dragons and their connections with Dwarves, and the musicality of Tolkien's works.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June
The first Saturday of each month, we will be hosting instadrabbling on our Discord server.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with polutropos by Dawn
"And love grew after between them"—those words have fascinated a fandom intent on revealing the how and why of the "kidnap fam" plot point in "The Silmarillion." In this interview, polutropos discusses her upcoming Mereth Aderthad paper on the topic, “'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium."
[Writing] High in the Clean Blue Air by StarSpray
They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky…
[Series] I made loving you a blood sport by atlantablack
In which Fëanor & Fingolfin are re-embodied in 4th age Aman, are nowhere near as healed as everyone believes them to be, and decide to pretend that sleeping together will fix their relationship instead of causing more problems.
[Writing] evidence of a love that transcends hunger by atlantablack
Fëanor does not even get a chance to finish being annoying before Fingolfin’s eyes flash with something far too dark to be only fury and his hand snaps out to grab a handful of Fëanor’s hair. He wrenches Fëanor’s head back in a move that is so surprisingly painful it throws him off balance. In…
[Writing] Not Going Without You by StarSpray
Daeron is caught by orcs in the shadow of the Ephel Dúath, but is rescued by someone entirely unexpected.
[Series] Instadrabbling by SWG Moderators
We get together from time to time on the SWG Discord and produce spontaneous fanworks based on randomly chosen prompts. This collection includes drabbles, ficlets, and other flash fanworks produced as part of our instadrabbling sessions.
[Writing] April Fancies by AdmirableMonster
A series of short responses to instadrabbling prompts on Sat, Apr 5, 2025.
[Writing] She Hath My Love (Drabbles about Women) by Elrond's Library
A collection of drabbles about women in Tolkien's Legendarium.
Birthday Bash
Daily word, image, and poetry prompts are loosely structured around events and milestones leading up to our 20th birthday. Read more ...
End Is the Beginning
Take the ending of a story from "The Silmarillion" and use it as the beginning of a fanwork. Read more ...
Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow by cloudyhymns, daughterofshadows
Shadow spoke with cloudyhymns about his upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025, "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," where he shares his theory about how Dwarves and dragons are connected in the legendarium, a topic full of implications for fanworks.
Interview with polutropos by Dawn by polutropos, Dawn Felagund
Dawn spoke with polutropos about her upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad, “'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium," including the appeal of kidnap fam, the appeal of Maglor's character, and how The Silmarillion as an incomplete, complex word makes it ripe for both fanworks and scholarship.
Maglor by polutropos
As one of the most beloved Silmarillion characters, Maglor is a bundle of contradictions undergirded by a complex textual history. Warrior, musician, wanderer, and survivor, Maglor brings to the fore key themes in Tolkien's early legendarium, such as the role of music, oaths, and exile.
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.
Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
[Writing] Paradox of the Fourth Age by Alassante
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…
[Writing] By Mirrormere by bunn
A new Age dawns, and Moria is retaken at last.
[Writing] Beneath the Bitter Rain by bunn
The Gardens of the Entwives are fallen, but two Entwives remain.
Silmarillion Epistolary Week 2025
Silmarillion Epistolary is a challenge dedicated to creating fanworks to tell the story of the Silmarillion in the style of an epistolary novel.
April Challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for April has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic prompt is: wood. The formal challenge is: linnod (Gilraen's canonical verse form). These can be filled separately and freely combined with other challenges and prompts that allow this.
Celedriel Week 2025
Celedriel Week is a Tumblr events for fanworks about Galadriel and Celeborn.
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.
Teitho March/April Challenge: Mothers
The Teitho Contest theme for the months of March and April is mothers.
What a sad farewell!
the chaos of the time appealed to me as well as the panic of a mother trying to mae her children as safe as she can even when she cant be with them and putting the responsibility on the oldest to look after them :) thanks for reading
Oh, wow! This was written in response to my request! I am sorry I did not see it sooner. It passed by me. I think I must not have been tracking the LJ thread and missed it when you posted it here.
My apologies and thank you so much for such a lovely fill of this prompt. It is beautifully done and devastating in its authenticity. I love the characterizations of the different sons.
Atarince and Carnistir will not leave their backs exposed but they need a steady hand. Macalaure, what will this do to that mind, enveloped in this. Do not let him lose his way, do you hear me, keep him on the right path. Tyelkormo will be lost, as a limb tore from the tree, hearing too many whispers on the wind and none of friends. And the Ambarussa, keep them close, do not let them out of sight or one will never set foot on the other side.
This entire section is convincing (of course, we are viewing it with the knowledge of what to come--but the importance is not the deeds as much as the how and the why of it. Your interpretation of them speaks to that).
The most heartbreaking part is that she feels by the time Maedhros begs her not to stay behind, the time for making a choice has already long passed and he is not the person who could have convinced her in any case. The most traumatic for her is that she wants so much to try to protect all of them, but in her desperation to hope against all hope and reason that her firstborn (and possibly best loved) son might be able to do something to help, she neglects to convey to him her love for him and take part of that last precious moment to say good-bye.
Feanor! He already burned his bridges and your short story explains that as well. When he stops listening to her, he lost his last best hope. And I am not unsympathetic to him. I see the provocations he is operating under also.
Thank you so much for writing and sharing this story filled with illuminating riches of interpretation.
I am glad you found it lol and glad you enjoyed it. as soon as i saw your prompt the story came into my head, the desperation of losing her children, the huge responsibility put on the eldest child...
there was so uch happening all at once so many decisions and farewells. it must have been a truly heartbreaking time both for those leaving and, maybe even more, for those staying behind knowing their loved ones were walking into lands where violence and death happened as in opposition to valinor. to see those you love the most go to war against a god.... i cant even imagine the horror of it which is why i concentrated on just one voice in this.
I am not unsympathetic to Feanor either LOL but writing him, not as evil nor as a hero but simply someone beyond her ability to help was a nice change (she says as if she hasnt been out of writing for years)
Thank you for reading oshun and thank you for, a always, lovely feedback xx
Site © Dawn Felagund
Logo © Bunn
All copyrights for creative work hosted on this site are retained by their creators.
This site is built using Drupal and the theme W3CSS.
Characters and stories associated with J.R.R. Tolkien's works remain the property of his estate. Creative work using this material has been written solely for the enjoyment and enlightenment of its creator and their associates. No profit is made on the materials shared on this site.
Comments on Caught in the maelstrom
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.