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!
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.
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."
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…
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
The Gardens of the Entwives are fallen, but two Entwives remain.
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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.
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.
Well, this was certainly a surprise! Awww! What a heartwarming story. Much better than a B-movie. I needed a feel-good story tonight. Also got a kick out of reading the only phrase I know in Hebrew: "Barukh atah Adonai, eloheinu melekh ha-olam, etc."
I wrote it on Monday; it's very much me trying to cope. (My first fic for the Matryoshka challenge didn't work well, so I thought I wouldn't post anything for it. And then Saturday happened and I remembered I had this idea…)
A really nice take on Nerdanel! I like Maglor's wondrous smile and that lovely final scene. Also a neat idea about the Kinn-lai leaving for Valinor in 1492.
(Aside: I'm sort of wondering whether they sing "Morenika" in Valinor, because I'm fond of that song.)
Re: neat idea. Well, the Kinn-lai would have been perfectly happy to stay in Spain… but when the choice is leave, convert to Christianity, or die, they left. Actually, thinking about it, their choice was leave or die; the Inquisition would not have seen them as human, but as agents of the devil.
(I don't know; I've never heard of that song before.)
Follow-up comment: I meant that 1492 would explain neatly how you would have a Jewish diaspora in Valinor--not at all meaning to imply that "neat" would apply in any way to the events in 1492 in Spain!
I was first introduced to the song "Morenika" (or "Morenica") in a concert of Sephardic (Ladino) songs from Spain, hence the association (apparently it's also called "La Morena" or, in Hebrew, "Shecharchoret"). I have since heard it from a number of singers.
Here it is as sung by Mor Karbasi on YouTube, with a translation of the text below.
Sorry this is a little late. I've just remembered you posted something on tumblr.
This was lovely! Nerdanel turning up to bring him home. For a moment I thought he was going to turn her down, but it so nice to have him agree, especially after discovering his brother's were reborn. I love happy endings and unfortunately you don't read that often enough concerning Maglor. But this was a nice change from all the angst normally surrounding him.
I'm sorry to say I'm not at all familiar with the Jewish Prayer that you wrote in the story. I am rather embarrassed as I do have a little Jewish blood, but I know nothing other than that simple fact. It is a lovely prayer though.
This is lovely! The idea of a Jewish community in Valinor is fascinating. Nerdanel is wonderful, and I really like Maglor's just kind of "ugh, fine" response to the note--and then his surprise to find out who really left it! And the ending scene is just wonderful--I love happy reunions, and this one is really delightful.
Thank you! It is definitely fascinating-- I wouldn't have the first idea about how to go about writing anything specifically about them, though. I was a very little bit worried about the ending scene, so I'm thrilled people keeping pointing it out.
I have been meaning to read this since you posted it, and kept putting it off. After an unexpected trip to Florida I figured it was finally time.:)
Anyway, I really enjoyed this fic. I really liked you having Maglor aquiesced to modern life-and with friends and a house and all. It’s an idea I don’t see too often- it tends to be either returned to Valinor, or wandering the shores in mourning for all time, which, to be fair, is what the story says. But I see no reason to believe after all that time he wouldn’t need a house of some sort, as “just wandering” is a nice idea in writing, but in practical detail could prove difficult. I’m not sure what I’m saying, my point is I liked your idea.
I also liked Maglor being Jewish. It does make me wonder the circumstances behind his(and Nerdanel’s!) conversion. Did you have any idea in mind as to the when and why of that?
And I loved the inclusion of the Shehechianu. It is possibly my favorite prayer, something about it really speaks to me. It is one I hold close to my heart, so to see it used in such a way in the story was rather fun.
As for any sort of criticism, the story felt perhaps a bit too lighthearted for being about facing eternity and seeing family for the first time in thousands of years and leaving behind people and places you’ve known for so long, forever, even if it does mean returning to a long ago home. (Although perphaps it’s not so permanent and uncrossable if Nerdanel was able to return?) I feel that the emotions involved would be a bit more complicated.
I am not suggesting you change it, as I like the feel of what you wrote, so it’s not a criticism exactly, just a comment. I may also have been projecting some of my own emotions and thoughts, as it touched on things that I’ve been thinking about, and thus it may be more about that than your actually story.
Anyway, this is getting to be a long-winded comment. What happened last Saturday was awful, and there isn’t really anything I can say about it. It just feels sort of helpless. All the same, “the road goes ever on,” and the best we can do is continue living I suppose.
I honestly tend to assume that Maglor settles down for a bit and then moves on. Him perpetually wandering is really something that I see him doing for the Second and Third Ages.
Maglor's conversion happened around 60 CE, before the Second Temple's destruction. Nerdanel's, well, I honestly didn't put that much thought into it.
Well… this was specifically written as self-indulgent fluff. The eternity and family stuff are things I deal with in my other Maglor-returns-to-Aman fics. I was not in the mood for anything heavier.
Living, I think, is the only thing we can do. Anything else is letting the terrorists win.
I really did enjoy how happy your story was,despite what I said,if I didn’t make that clear in my previous comment. It was just fun and enjoyable to read.
Comments on The Holy or the Broken
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.