GRRM was actually asked about him dying before finishing. Response = Hilarious

[RuthBolton]

I have to admit, I didn't hear the question itself, and am just reacting to the OP, and depending on the wording of the question, it may have in fact been put as appropriately as possible. But just because the question had to be asked, and the interviewer was just doing his job doesn't mean the question wasn't offensive. If I'm GRRM, I'm thinking "I am who I am and I write how I write, at my own pace, and with the way my novels are poured over,and all the work I've put in, I'll be damned if I'm going to hurry, that's not what got me here, and by the way, Fuck You, I'm not going anywhere," procrastination and and endless editing have been more the rule more than the exception since the beginning of time with writers, and won't change with him.

And lest we forget, this is a work of fiction. The story has almost definitely changed and grown a great deal in his mind, which changes the things he's already written or conceived of. Writing is most certainly an art form, and neither art nor the artist should be hurried, IMHO, unless we are eager for an inferior finished product. The muses come when they will! Sometimes you will write hundreds of pages, only to realize you must scrap nearly the whole damn thing because it doesn't fit or meet your expectations (as actually happened to GRRM,) other times you may write 100 or more pages quickly and then struggle with a one-page conclusion to a scene because you aren't sure about this or that, as any writer will tell you.

I want to read more of the 7K, and an eventual conclusion, as much as anybody. But I figure if I love the books, though I need not love the author, I should respect him. And with that comes an understanding that different writers are different people, they have different interests and hobbies, various family obligations, health complications, they've got different expectations of themselves, different standards, different lives entirely, and they all wish to keep varying portions from the public eye, so just because one author feels a certain way or writes at a certain pace doesn't mean I expect it of another, nor do I feel I necessarily have the right to begrudge he/she taking a while to finish their books. I have no idea what he may be dealing with in his private life, the distractions or challenges that may preclude him from making writing his priority, assuming he wanted it to be. And these are long books, man! He's not churning out formulaic 250-pagers here! What's more, he has a legion of fans who are all-too-willing to scour his novels for errors, inconsistencies, and (potential) hidden plot lines and clues, making constant revisions a necessity far beyond what is the norm.

So, even though if I had my druthers, I may want him writing creatively 12 hours a day, I can't pretend that my needs are more important to him than his own. Steven King is generally quite generous with fans, and an absolute machine when it comes to churning out prose, yet even he took over two decades to finish his Dark Tower series, which consisted of less than 4,000 pages over seven books, and was, for the most part, much less complicated.

So let us hope for the best and prepare for the worst, and try to be grateful for what he has done, not resent him for what he hasn't. :)

This.

I'm nervous I won't live to see the end of the series, and I was born the year he started writing them. I'm not going to chain him to his desk even if I get the opportunity, though. He deserves respect and although it's valid to worry it's not fair to plague him with those worries; I'm sure he has plenty of his own.

Besides, it's easy to get sick of writing, and a happy writer is more inclined to write than a miserable one, so for both selfish reasons and wishing an enjoyable life for GRRM I see no reason to prevent him from traveling etc. If he's procrastinating that's because he's not feeling inspired, and pressure is hardly going to change that.

[sifth]

This comes off as rather insulting if you ask me. You don't give the middle finger to your fans without coming off as a dick in my book, especially ones who are just worried about something rather practical.

[mushroomshirt]

This comes off as rather insulting if you ask me. You don't give the middle finger to your fans without coming off as a dick in my book, especially ones who are just worried about something rather practical.

Did you watch the interview? Just curious since it sounded a lot more insulting to me before I actually watched it.

Once I watched the interview it seemed like more of a joking response to a question he has been asked a million times.

I'm curious if you watched it and still feel insulted.

[Tywin Smokin a Blunt]

This comes off as rather insulting if you ask me. You don't give the middle finger to your fans without coming off as a dick in my book, especially ones who are just worried about something rather practical.

Its not practical, its an irrational fear based on insulting assumptions about the man's health. Would you say something like that to a family member or a friend? Of course not, but because he's a celebrity that means he's not a real person so its ok. He has every right to be pissed.

[sifth]

Its not practical, its an irrational fear based on insulting assumptions about the man's health. Would you say something like that to a family member or a friend? Of course not, but because he's a celebrity that means he's not a real person so its ok.

True, but it's never the less a real worry and sad as it might be there is a good chance it will happen. Being concerned for George's health is worthy of a middle finger and a fuck you. Yea I can't help, but view that as insulting.

[Tywin Smokin a Blunt]

True, but it's never the less a real worry and sad as it might be there is a good chance it will happen. Being concerned for George's health is worthy of a middle finger and a fuck you. Yea I can't help, but view that as insulting.

Yeah and he could get hit by bus tomorrow, what's your point? You insult him, and his reaction is very flippant, but yeah you're the one who deserves the apology, good call.

[LordStoneheart]

True, but it's never the less a real worry and sad as it might be there is a good chance it will happen. Being concerned for George's health is worthy of a middle finger and a fuck you. Yea I can't help, but view that as insulting.

I'd say because in the end both his health and finishing the series is his own business, so being pestered about both in the same question is aggravating.

[sifth]

Yeah and he could get hit by bus tomorrow, what's your point? You insult him, and his reaction is very flippant, but yeah you're the one who deserves the apology, good call.

You don't say fuck you to people who simply want you to live long enough to complete your book. That comes off as just rude and you know it.

but I suppose your just one of those who believe "George has a right to be a dick if he wants to".

I respect the guys work, but as a person he's gone down a few pages in my book.

[LordStoneheart]

"George has a right to be a dick if he wants to".

and... why exactly does he not?

[sifth]

and... why exactly does he not?

so being a horses ass is a good thing?

why not I suppose, ha ha ha

[LordStoneheart]

so being a horses ass is a good thing?

why not I suppose, ha ha ha

Never said it was good thing, but why does he not have the right to? You indicated that you don't think he has the right to.

[sifth]

Never said it was good thing, but why does he not have the right to? You indicated that you don't think he has the right to.

So by that logic I have the right to think he's a dick for doing what he did, lol

[White Ravens]

GRRM clearly states that he finds it insulting when people speculate about his health and his death and replies "So "fuck you" to those people." He is simply responding to an insult. What is so hard to understand about his response?

[LordStoneheart]

So by that logic I have the right to think he's a dick for doing what he did, lol

I haven't disputed that either. But you said:

You don't say fuck you to people who simply want you to live long enough to complete your book. That comes off as just rude and you know it.

but I suppose your just one of those who believe "George has a right to be a dick if he wants to".

Which tells me you think he does not have the right to be rude or a "dick." And well, if he doesn't surely you don't.

[sifth]

I haven't disputed that either. But you said:

Which tells me you think he does not have the right to be rude or a "dick." And well, if he doesn't surely you don't.

When you do that to your fans and people who more or less are just concerned for you, if comes off as being a jerk in my book, what more can I say.

[LordStoneheart]

When you do that to your fans and people who more or less are just concerned for you, if comes off as being a jerk in my book, what more can I say.

Because concern is really not what it is. I said this earlier in the thread:

The questions regarding his health are not actually regarding his health; they're regarding what he can do for the fans before he dies, which comes back to that entitlement mindset. If you're asking about his mortality, it's pretty unlikable that is what you really care about.

If he's asked about his health, it's most likely a selfish question. How his personal health will affect the questioner. It's not genuine concern.

[LordStoneheart]

I just saying this a real issue, it's not like fans are making this up for shits and giggles.

And it still comes down to him dealing with real issues on his own time for his own benefit, not fans who want something out of him. It's not concern for him, it's concern for the books being left incomplete, which is rather insensitive and dehumanizing to GRRM, a living, breathing person who has his own life to worry about and not just the books.

[Charles Calthrop]

The guy didn't ask/refer to his death. Simply suggested George wouldn't finish the series. Given how much interest GRRM has in other things, this is entirely plausible without even touching the death aspect.

GRRM could live to be 95 (not bloody likely, but for sake of argument) and still may well not finish the series. This is not implausible for a man who is a)occupied with many activities outside writing b)quite frankly interested in writing things outside of Planetos c)within Planetos, far more interested in writing his prequels, not ASOIAF and d) constantly extending his series. There's already talk there will "need" to be eight books. The series continues to stretch. Who's to say in 10 years, when book 6 has been published and 7 is close (e.g. 3 years away) GRRM won't hint at a ninth book?

The tv show is going to overtake him. We'll find out the end (unless the writers make the end of the series a huge deviation from the books) in three years. He's not publishing everything in three years. At that point - will he even feel that motivated to finish it up?