I think it's actually quite fair to say that it can seem like homework, because so many of us have been conditioned into feeling like "this is work, and this isn't." These days (gah, I used the phrase! First, it is an abused phrase. Second, I am only 17 years old and I know quite well that I am not justified in saying it. But I'm using it anyway! Just try and stop me!) anything that really stimulates the mind isn't largely considered enjoyable. When I tell people (normally around my age) that I enjoy very much simply reading and writing, they look at me like I'm nuts. This is how many people look at it, but certainly not all (otherwise I
really wouldn't get along with anyone). There is plenty of example of people (around my age) who don't look at it like that here on the 'Downs...
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To me, The Silmarillion is much more of a 'fantasy story' than The Lord of the Rings.
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That's really interesting, because I think the opposite. I feel like LotR is a fantasy story, while the Sil is more like a myth. But I find defining those to be difficult.
And personally, I think LotR takes quite a lot of imagination and thought to really realize and visualize it. I almost think that, though the characters and the plot itself is easier to follow (because it's one overall plot and one overall set of characters) in LotR than in the Sil, keeping up with the physical descriptions can be tiring. A strong ability in spatial reasoning is not something I possess, and I found it difficult to imagine settings when Tolkien described them, and he spent quite a bit describing them, I think.
As for writing the story yourself, I think we do that all the time in the RP forums.
