Questions for GRRM - WorldCon and beyond vol. 2

[SimonSez]

What was the inspiration to start writing this series? What was the first image of the world that you had in mind?

[SimonSez]

Will Lord Varys's true allegiances be revealed before the series end?

[Lux in Tenebris]

What was the inspiration to start writing this series? What was the first image of the world that you had in mind?

I believe the vision to start was the image of the Starks finding the direwolves.

[R'hllor's Bastard]

I saw him in an interview once talking about the difference in writing his novels and writing for television, in novels there is an unlimited budget, you dont have to worry about cost/ability of translating it into a visual scene.

Now that ASOIAF has been picked up by television, Is he still writing the series with an unlimited budget? Or does he consider how it can be done on HBO while writing now?

[plurabel]

I'd like to know if GRRM ever conceived that each prophecy mentioned (or alluded to) in every book should be fulfilled in its entirety, concurrently with every other prophecy.

With a tidy little bow on each literal interpetation of each prophecy. Before the end of the series.

I was thinking of suggesting a version of this question. It seems improbable to me that he would mean for any prophecies to be fulfilled entirely to the letter as that would give the religion or belief that the prophecy belongs to a higher status than the others. And it seems unlike GRRM to create a world where one religion/belief is more "true" than the others. It seems more plausible that there is more truth to predictions coming from dreams, fires, visions etc due to magic inherent in the world that is not connected to R'hllor or any other specific deity. Perhaps he means for Azor Ahai/Last Hero prophecies to be just archetypical narratives that are likely to have parallels during times of crisis.

[Little Wing]

Are the Others reanimating the dead on their side of the wall by warging them?

[Little Wing]

What was the inspiration to start writing this series? What was the first image of the world that you had in mind?

Um, didn't he tell this story many a time already? GRRM has said that the scene with the Starks finding the direwolf pups is something that just came to him while working on something completely different, so he wrote Bran's first chapter. (Hm... Bran warged him from the Awesome Ideas Realm if you ask me :drunk: ).

[mrlukeduke]

I'd like to know which fields of study the maesters' chain links stand for, other than the ones we already know.

Are the Others reanimating the dead on their side of the wall by warging them?

Oh my, you lovely, nerdy people. Such great question ideas! :agree:

[mrlukeduke]

Although I will say, in reference the second question I quoted above, that we already "know" (can assume) that the Wights are reanimated from dead corpses, whereas warging as far as I'm aware is into exclusively living beings. But the idea of the question is a good one – perhaps we can ask if the Others can also 'warg', or if 'reanimation' is using the same kind of sorcery or advanced technical wizadry as that which has been used by other powers on Beric Dondarrion, Gregor Clegane, et al.

[Little Wing]

Although I will say, in reference the second question I quoted above, that we already "know" (can assume) that the Wights are reanimated from dead corpses, whereas warging as far as I'm aware is into exclusively living beings. But the idea of the question is a good one – perhaps we can ask if the Others can also 'warg', or if 'reanimation' is using the same kind of sorcery or advanced technical wizadry as that which has been used by other powers on Beric Dondarrion, Gregor Clegane, et al.

Well, since you're referring to my question, let me elaborate a bit, just quickly, because this is not the thread for it.

Since GRRM has said that the CotF and the Others are connected, it can be speculated that the Others are a rogue, mayhaps militant order (wood dancers) that the Children have banished. Why? - Because they warg the dead! Abomination!

Now, the motivation behind them warging the dead is most obviously to make an army, but it may as well be to repel people from seeking them :dunno:

So, I'm curious as to how GRRM would answer.

[Warlock Vetolgar]

Well, since you're referring to my question, let me elaborate a bit, just quickly, because this is not the thread for it.

Since GRRM has said that the CotF and the Others are connected, it can be speculated that the Others are a rogue, mayhaps militant order (wood dancers) that the Children have banished. Why? - Because they warg the dead! Abomination!

Now, the motivation behind them warging the dead is most obviously to make an army, but it may as well be to repel people from seeking them :dunno:

So, I'm curious as to how GRRM would answer.

Wow, I never even thought of that. I also like the idea that the Others are on the offensive in order to protect themselves and their way of life as opposed to doing it just because they're evil.

[King Tyrion I]

Does people's chatter (like in this forum) about previous volumes of the series influence you when writing the next book?

Concerning characters that are still alive.

[Little Wing]

Wow, I never even thought of that. I also like the idea that the Others are on the offensive in order to protect themselves and their way of life as opposed to doing it just because they're evil.

Thanks! It is a bit too black and white to claim they're pure evil, and that's it :dunno:

Does people's chatter (like in this forum) about previous volumes of the series influence you when writing the next book?

Concerning characters that are still alive.

GRRM has already answered this one with - No. :)

[King Tyrion I]

GRRM has already answered this one with - No. :)

I'm relieved to read this.

[Independent George]

Some of these have been asked/debated on Westeros, but I don't think GRRM has ever been posed with them:

1. If Barristan had not been dismissed by Joffrey, how would he have reacted to being ordered to beat Sansa?

2. What do the Starks say during winter?

3. What happened to the Casterlys? If Lann the Clever was from the Age of Heroes, how long did they rule before the Lannisters took over?

4. How many lords in the south still worship the Old Gods?

5. What was the Dornish culture like before the Rhoynish migration? Were they descended from the First Men, or the Andals? When did they start worshipping the Seven?

6. Why didn't the Valyrians settle the Rhoynish lands after Nymeria's exile?

7. What happened to the Andals that remained on Essos?

8. Was Braavos settled gradually, or in waves? How did the escaped slaves migrate all the way from Valyria to the other side of the continent without being noticed?

[clydas]

1. Why didn't you titled the sixth book beggining with the article 'a' like the others?

2. You've said many times that you see A Song of Ice and Fire as a single very long story, the division in books being artificial and for publishing reasons. After the series is finished will you prepare a giant "director's cut" ebook?

[total1402]

When writing A Dance with Dragons, did you ever consider having the slavers retake Mereen before other events become a factor?

[Sworn Shield]

"Gold shall be their crowns and gold shall be their shrouds"

George surely you wouldn't, Tommen and Myrcella are innocent and very sweet. Jaime will surely save them.

[SimonSez]

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere, but what is GRRM's view on happy endings in general?

Not a fan? Thinks they're contrived? Something he learned from Lenny Bruce- "We all live in a happy ending culture, we all live in a 'what should be' culture, rather than a 'what is' culture."

[SimonSez]

Probably an unanswerable question but: The second book marked the end of House Darry, the third of House Hollard and the making of Lord Roose Bolton the Warden of the North. Will the end of the series show a Westeros vastly different from the series start as far as families and houses/seats are concerned?