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George R. R. Martin: "Winter is coming"

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
frog.jpg



The last night, the last show. After eight epic seasons, HBO’s GAME OF THRONES series has come to an end.

It is hard to believe it is over, if truth be told. The years have gone past in the blink of an eye. Can it really have been more than a decade since my manager Vince Gerardis set up a meeting at the Palm in LA, and I sat down for the first time with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for a lunch that lasted well past dinner? I asked them if they knew who Jon Snow’s mother was. Fortunately, they did.

That was how it started. It ended last night.

And I’m writing. Winter is coming, I told you, long ago… and so it is. THE WINDS OF WINTER is very late, I know, I know, but it will be done. I won’t say when, I’ve tried that before, only to burn you all and jinx myself… but I will finish it, and then will come A DREAM OF SPRING.

How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different?

Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes.

I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget. They had eight hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done… and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them. And of course the butterfly effect will be at work as well; those of you who follow this Not A Blog will know that I’ve been talking about that since season one. There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books… so if nothing else, the readers will learn what happened to Jeyne Poole, Lady Stoneheart, Penny and her pig, Skahaz Shavepate, Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Victarion Greyjoy, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Aegon VI, and a myriad of other characters both great and small that viewers of the show never had the chance to meet. And yes, there will be unicorns… of a sort…

Book or show, which will be the “real” ending? It’s a silly question. How many children did Scarlett O’Hara have?

How about this? I’ll write it. You read it. Then everyone can make up their own mind, and argue about it on the internet.
 

NYR

Member
He basically gave literally no new information but I did notice he acknowledged the ending which to me, goes to show he knows the fans fucking hate it. Because of this, I totally expect a different ending.

I hope he realizes he is on the clock now. If the next book doesn’t come out in the next year, people will have moved on, I suspect.
 
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Papa

Banned
He basically gave literally no new information but I did notice he acknowledged the ending which to me, goes to show he knows the fans fucking hate it. Because of this, I totally expect a different ending.

I hope he realizes he is on the clock now. If the next book doesn’t come out in the next year, people will have moved on, I suspect.

Nah, interest will be rekindled when the -----Arya----- spinoff comes out.
 

NYR

Member
This would be the most hilarious ending, no book ending lol
No way the 6th book isn’t near done and I’m sure he has an outline for the 7th which he would have needed for the show, those notes will come out as a book.
 
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Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I had no clue, that afternoon at the Palm, that I was about to embark on a journey that would change my life.

Maybe if he had, he'd have optioned the story to someone who could have done it better. Nevertheless, it's a great achievement for what it is. Props to all involved, but too bad it shit the bed at the end.

*cheers*
"To self-betterment"
🍻:messenger_pensive:
 
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kbear

Member
He basically gave literally no new information but I did notice he acknowledged the ending which to me, goes to show he knows the fans fucking hate it. Because of this, I totally expect a different ending.
I don’t anticipate a different ending — the core parts of the ending with Dany, Jon, and Bran during the last two episodes. I get the feeling he’s contractually obligated in some capacity to retain the meat of it, or maybe even just an unofficial promise to HBO, either one.
 
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Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I don’t anticipate a different ending — the core parts of the ending with Dany, Jon, and Bran during the last two episodes. I get the feeling he’s contractually obligated in some capacity to retain the meat of it, or maybe even just an unofficial promise to HBO, either one.
Why would HBO give a shit how the books end?
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
It could negatively affect the perception of the show.
I'm not sure about that. There might be some game theory-esque calculus to that, but overall, I think that having both the book and the show try to be the best they can be works the best in terms of maximizing sales.
 

Kadayi

Banned
He basically gave literally no new information but I did notice he acknowledged the ending which to me, goes to show he knows the fans fucking hate it. Because of this, I totally expect a different ending.

I hope he realizes he is on the clock now. If the next book doesn’t come out in the next year, people will have moved on, I suspect.

You honestly expect that GRRM after years of not giving a shit about what fans think is somehow suddenly going to upend his narrative direction because #Teamdany aren't happy with how things pan out? 🤔
 

Jon Neu

Banned
Still I don't think he can wrap it all in 2 books. He expects 3000 pages, but probably he is going to need more like 4000+.
 

KonradLaw

Member
The entire show premiered and ended after 8 seasons, with one gap year, before Marin was capable of finishing a single book :D
 
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JimiNutz

Banned
I have been holding off on reading the books because I refuse to read something with no ending. GRRM will die before the last book so I may never get a chance to read the books.

I'm the same.
I started A Game of Thrones and did enjoy what I read but I don't want to invest all those hours and then sit around waiting years.

I recently purchased A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Fire & Blood so will be reading those instead to get my George R R Martin fix.
 
This is great news. I've really enjoyed the entire experience of GOT. From the books to the show. Westeros will never be able to be tidied up into a particular ending. And I think that can be a little frustrating, but overall I think of GOT as one of the greats. Sorry.
 

Keylime

Spoiler Tag Abuser
Reading GRRM's post, it become wildly apparent how distracted he is right now from just writing...so on one hand I can really understand how all these shows he's apparently working on are taking up his mindspace to not complete the books...

...but at what point do you stop yourself and say: "This is my legacy...this is my 'Wheel of Time' or my 'Dark Tower' or my 'Lord of the Rings'...I have to complete this"

Apparently GRRM says to the many-faced god of writing: Not today...
 
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T.v

Member
You'd be wrong.

Sanderson has said he will not finish ASoIaF. He's a sexphobic Mormon that feels ill when he reads a passage from ASoIaF that contains explicit content.

Sexphobic? You must not have read the latest Stormlight book. There were exposed hands, even a naked woman's back. Scandalous. There's indeed no chance he'd pick up the series. He's stated his dislike and it's obviously not his style.

Sounds like George is pretty busy these days. Which does not bode well for whoever is waiting for him to finish writing. I might read the books one day, but starting a series where it's so unsure it'll even finish at this point is off-putting.
 

BunzLee

Member
Reading GRRM's post, it become wildly apparent how distracted he is right now from just writing...so on one hand I can really understand how all these shows he's apparently working on are taking up his mindspace to not complete the books...

...but at what point do you stop yourself and say: "This is my legacy...this is my 'Wheel of Time' or my 'Dark Tower' or my 'Lord of the Rings'...I have to complete this"

Apparently GRRM says to the many-faced god of writing: Not today...


I am not into riding the "GRRM is the devil" train, but I have never gotten the impression that he was the most focused, disciplined or even "proud" writer. It's the opposite, in fact. Every interview I read or see I get the impression that he goes wherever his whims take him, doing "this or that", and taking his sweet time to complete his work. Isn't there this interview somewhere where he talks to Stephen King, and they talk about that Stephen "just forces himself to keep his routine up", which is something GRRM struggles with?

I know that often people use the "he wrote himself into a corner" argument as an excuse, but I find it quite plausible that he simply can not get himself back into the mindset that is needed to finish the series, so he rather would give advice to D&D and focus his creativity into something else rather than struggling with a project he finds extremely frustrating. And I'm just saying this because I could see me being the same - I love to postpone stuff I struggle with, specially if it ends up "working out" totally by itself. He's making enough money to pursue his passion projects without having to finish his biggest work, so who knows.

In the end it's a decision he has to make, and we really don't know what the reasons are for the books to take so long, but I do agree that it leaves a bit of a bad aftertaste seeing him work on so many other things.
 

Sorcerer

Member
I am not into riding the "GRRM is the devil" train, but I have never gotten the impression that he was the most focused, disciplined or even "proud" writer. It's the opposite, in fact. Every interview I read or see I get the impression that he goes wherever his whims take him, doing "this or that", and taking his sweet time to complete his work. Isn't there this interview somewhere where he talks to Stephen King, and they talk about that Stephen "just forces himself to keep his routine up", which is something GRRM struggles with?

I know that often people use the "he wrote himself into a corner" argument as an excuse, but I find it quite plausible that he simply can not get himself back into the mindset that is needed to finish the series, so he rather would give advice to D&D and focus his creativity into something else rather than struggling with a project he finds extremely frustrating. And I'm just saying this because I could see me being the same - I love to postpone stuff I struggle with, specially if it ends up "working out" totally by itself. He's making enough money to pursue his passion projects without having to finish his biggest work, so who knows.

In the end it's a decision he has to make, and we really don't know what the reasons are for the books to take so long, but I do agree that it leaves a bit of a bad aftertaste seeing him work on so many other things.
George was shocked that King disciplines himself to write 6 pages a day and then give those 6 pages touch ups.
 

lock2k

Banned
Conspiracy time... can't he just find someone who writes with his nuances and ghostwrite the shit out of these new books?

Just give some guidelines, like the show, give the guy a shit ton of money, and be done with it. lol
 

Javthusiast

Banned
I am sure the 6th book is far along enough to come out sooner than later. And by the time that is out and he managed to deal with the dilemma of starting to bring people together, he will find it hopefully easier to write the last book, for which he must have outlines and ending planned as people have mentioned.

I am hopeful that we will actually get a book ending.

And now let me tell you about the tale of BERSERK, which will probably never be done. Oh and HxH.
 

Kadayi

Banned
At least he is going to give us a soulsgame before he dies.

Because that's what the ASOIAF fanbase really need 🤔

Although I do kind of like the idea of one more torment he can heap upon them being to play Game of Thrones: Prepare to Die Again Jon Snow Edition :messenger_beaming:
 

Durask

Member
Conspiracy time... can't he just find someone who writes with his nuances and ghostwrite the shit out of these new books?

Just give some guidelines, like the show, give the guy a shit ton of money, and be done with it. lol

I believe he said that he does not want anyone else finishing his books.
 
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gradient

Resident Cheap Arse
I've already given up any investment I had in the series. He's been faffing around and struggling to write the books for far too long. Honestly, he strikes me as having gotten out of his depth and lost his way. There was a notable decline in the last 2 books - they didn't feel as well considered and coherent as the first few books and the structuring of events was at times forced.

Every year now he puts out the obligatory "I'm still working on it, but it's going to take a bit longer" and at this point he just seems like an author who is stalling to cover for his lack of interest in (or perhaps fear of) completing the series.
 

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
George is saying that if he doesn't have the book done by next summer that he has given permission for New Zealand to arrest him and place him on an island to finish the book.
 
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Sorcerer

Member
I think the trick here is to never go past 3 books. George has a wonderful arc in the first 3 books. If he could have somehow wrapped up the story he would have finished a masterpiece. But you can't sustain that kind of intensity with the 4th book. You have to start over and build again. Which is agonizing for the reader. Its pretty clear he wrote himself into a wall. He should have used the themes in books 4-7 for another story entirely instead of forcing existing characters into it. Consider the fact that Lord of the Rings is around 1200 pages, and a single book in the Song of Fire and Ice saga is that long. That's insane. Every time you read a book in the series you have read the equivalent of Lord of the Rings. I can't help feeling George got overambitious and tried to out Tolkien Tolkien, and it bit him in the ass.
 
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