GRRM at recent charity event: I'm still in the middle of the book

[Griffin's Roost]

I just don't see how it possible half the work is done

maybe he means half the book is complete but the other half is in editing. which would obviously mean there isn't another four years of waiting

[Señor de la Tormenta]

Just don't watch the show.

surely I can stay for years not knowing who dies or gets the throne in this 21 internet century...

Cmon.

[Northernmonkey]

I wonder if the second half is easier or harder to write than the first? Hopefully he's got a very clear idea of where he wants to end TWOW and how he's going to get there. I hope to god there's not another Meereenese Knot type problem.

I have to say I don't know people are getting so annoyed. This was more or less where I imagined he was right now.

[TallTyrion]

Where did you read this? Do you have a link?

Here's the link

http://screenrant.com/game-thrones-george-martin-new-hbo-series/

He's developing another unspecified series for HBO. That doesn't mean anything for when Game of Thrones will end or how many season it will have.

[TallTyrion]

surely I can stay for years not knowing who dies or gets the throne in this 21 internet century...

Cmon.

I started watching the show after season 3 was finished, started the books after that nothing was spoiled for me.

It would require no longer coming to this forum though.

[Cas Stark]

Yes, it was clear before but this is a bit different. They will be writing the sixth season come this spring. It is no longer a prospective issue. It will be something that has actually happened.

I think you underestimate his abilities of denial, but we'll see. At this point, I'm about 80% in the camp that believes he isn't going to finish the series, at all. If he really is in the "middle" of the book, even in the best possible interpretation that he's in the middle of the finished book's final edits....which I doubt..I'd say we're still looking at 2016 earliest, most likely 2017, that would be 6 years, his new pace. He already seems quite disinterested, having prioritized many, many other side projects and random appearances over the books and is still doing it.

[Consigliere]

I wonder if the second half is easier or harder to write than the first? Hopefully he's got a very clear idea of where he wants to end TWOW and how he's going to get there. I hope to god there's not another Meereenese Knot type problem.

I have to say I don't know people are getting so annoyed. This was more or less where I imagined he was right now.

Exactly.

A 2015 release also sounded like wishful thinking to me. A 2016/2017 release date is more realistic. He says he's halfway through, that's good enough for me.

[TallTyrion]

I think you underestimate his abilities of denial, but we'll see. At this point, I'm about 80% in the camp that believes he isn't going to finish the series, at all. If he really is in the "middle" of the book, even in the best possible interpretation that he's in the middle of the finished book's final edits....which I doubt..I'd say we're still looking at 2016 earliest, most likely 2017, that would be 6 years, his new pace. He already seems quite disinterested, having prioritized many, many other side projects and random appearances over the books and is still doing it.

Doing other work doesn't mean he's disinterested in ASOIAF. Writers have their methods. Clearly Martin thinks that the best results for the series won't come from him locking himself in a room till tWoW is finished.

[Mrs_Darcy]

Here's the link

http://screenrant.com/game-thrones-george-martin-new-hbo-series/

He's developing another unspecified series for HBO. That doesn't mean anything for when Game of Thrones will end or how many season it will have.

Thanks. To me, this does not sound as if the series he is going to produce is anything related to Westeros, but rather something else.

[sj4iy]

I can honestly say that I'm not really bothered. I didn't think we were getting it before the show, anyway.

As long as the show gives us something, I'm fine.

[Colonel Green]

1- Is there any truth to GRRM being under some sort of contract to produce the 6th book by Spring of 2015?

2- The World of Ice and Fire is cool, but considering it was mostly written by 2 other people, and the stuff Martin wrote for it seemed honestly a little lacking as far as BRAND NEW material is concerned.

1. None of us know the terms of his contract, but that's almost certainly not true. Among other things, if GRRM was facing actual contractual deadlines that would result in penalties, one expects he would have focused more on writing the book.

2. Keep in mind that GRRM wrote an enormous amount of material for that book that wasn't used (over 200,000 words, I believe).

[ellstaysia]

I feel bad for the dude. he lost his chance for ASOIAF to be as legendary as LOTR. the series will still be immensely popular but there will be a cheapness felt (as there already is) when the shows continues to pass the source material. I'll still watch & read both but am sincerely bummed. it's weird because I'm sure george will become influenced by the show as he continues to write. they will get to show these epic scenes before him. it's so strange.

[TallTyrion]

Thanks. To me, this does not sound as if the series he is going to produce is anything related to Westeros, but rather something else.

Yeah I doubt it is going to involve Westeros. Martin got his start in TV anyway. It will probably be some sort of sci fi show.

[Leonardo]

Here's the link

http://screenrant.com/game-thrones-george-martin-new-hbo-series/

He's developing another unspecified series for HBO. That doesn't mean anything for when Game of Thrones will end or how many season it will have.

David and Dan confirmed 7.

Listen, HBO bought the rights and material; this includes the ending.

David and Dan would have to convince the network not to produce the real ending, and I don't see that happening. They don't want the side story ending David and Dan cook up, they want the ending they paid for. Its also INCREDIBLY lucrative for them to be able to be able to present the ending of the series

The only way I can really see it going otherwise is that GRRM agreed on this new deal for the reason they don't change the ending and they were able to lowball him.

[TallTyrion]

I feel bad for the dude. he lost his chance for ASOIAF to be as legendary as LOTR. the series will still be immensely popular but there will be a cheapness felt (as there already is) when the shows continues to pass the source material. I'll still watch & read both but am sincerely bummed. it's weird because I'm sure george will become influenced by the show as he continues to write. they will get to show these epic scenes before him. it's so strange.

Well ASOIAF was never going to be as legendary or influential as LoTR but that is beside the point.

HBO finishing it before him is irrelevant to the quality of the series as it doesn't affect anyone reading them in the future. The only thing HBO finishing first affects is your enjoyment.

[NOT A TARG I SWEAR]

He gave us his page counts for A Dance With Dragons throughout the writing process and we can extrapolate out for A Feast for Crows.

Which is to say he has not had a "good year" this millennium.

Well I believe for Feast he had written a good amount of it before he had to essentially start over when he decided to nix the 5 year gap so he probably had a larger amount of manuscript pages written per pages in the actual book.

[TallTyrion]

David and Dan confirmed 7.

Listen, HBO bought the rights and material; this includes the ending.

David and Dan would have to convince the network not to produce the real ending, and I don't see that happening. They don't want the side story ending David and Dan cook up, they want the ending they paid for. Its also INCREDIBLY lucrative for them to be able to be able to present the ending of the series

The only way I can really see it going otherwise is that GRRM agreed on this new deal for the reason they don't change the ending and they were able to lowball him.

I wasn't saying that they will change the ending, but that they could add more stuff between now and the ending to keep the series running.

[Ser Leftwich]

Im really disappointed as a reader. I do not diserve to be spoiled by HBO, and lets face it, its impossible to be hiden of the world during years until this guy ends the books.

I put my time, my money, and my passion in this books since almost the begining, and as a customer I think I diserve better.

If this is in earnest, read the link in my sig line. This is about the art of writing and storytelling.

[Faint]

Well I believe for Feast he had written a good amount of it before he had to essentially start over when he decided to nix the 5 year gap so he probably had a larger amount of manuscript pages written per pages in the actual book.

No, I accounted for that. The page count per year was not any better, even disregarding the first few years after A Storm of Swords was published.

He has not written five hundred pages per year in any of the previous fourteen years.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

How about publishing the half then? The old cliffhangers are getting boring.

You know what? I'm ok with it. I'm even ok with him publishing a chapter every month and pay whatever to download it.

Monica: David. There you are. I love you.

David: I love you too, mommy!

*they spend the whole day together*

Monica: Time for us to sleep. Where's Henry?

Teddy: Uh. Yeah about that. He's dead.

Monica: What?

Teddy: All the humans are dead. We brought you back to life. But just for one d-

Monica: What?!

Mecha: Oh shit. You shouldn't have told her. You should not have told her.

Monica: What the hell is that?!

Mecha: *sighs* We are from the future - 2 thousand years.

Monica: Really?! But.. b-

Mecha: Bu-bu-bu-bu-bu what? Look. We took over the world. The humans died. Get the fuck over it.

Monica: I..

Mecha: Oh, yeah. You're only going to live for one more day. After that, capush dead again.

Monica: Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod!!

Mecha: Uhuh. Look you don't have much time.

Monica: *sigh* If I don't have much time. There's something I want to know.

Mecha: Yes.

Monica: Who won the game of thrones?

Mecha: What?

Monica: The game of thrones! Who won it?

Mecha: Oh, the book? The 7th book wasn't finished. We found dna of George and created a superintelligence computer that perfectly mimics his writing capabilities, habits, and future distribution. The calculations predict the series to be finished in 11,485 years.

Ok, at least this made me laugh.

Im really disappointed as a reader. I do not diserve to be spoiled by HBO, and lets face it, its impossible to be hiden of the world during years until this guy ends the books.

I put my time, my money, and my passion in this books since almost the begining, and as a customer I think I diserve better.

I haven't been here since the beginning (I was like 13 when the first book was published) but I agree.

Just don't watch the show.

You're not getting the point. If I decided not to watch, dunno, TBBT anymore, and somehow I'm spoiled the end, personally, I would understand. I haven't yet seen Lost, but I know the ending. It was pretty much impossible to hide from the tons of articles everywhere about it. It's kinda of a commitment done for living in this hyper connected society.

But GoT is different. GoT is based on a book that is not yet published. And it has an ending that many people wants to read BY the same author that started the books. HBO is offering another "alternative": showing a "light" version of the story (and it is a lighter version, we already know many characters have been cut). So, in the book we don't only get to know that Jon is King (just to take an example). We get so see the route to it, and how different characters gather to that storyline. So, we will read the road to the end, and discover it finally.

If the last chapter of the show also has Jon being King, everybody will know it. And that will be spoiling us the books. And the worst is that I don't want to know that Jon is King. I want to know how he GOT there. And even wooooorst than that, is that if, for example again, Arianne had a role to play in that, or the Northern Lords, or Jeyne Poole or the Greyjoys or Connington or Aegon, we won't see that. We're only getting the final results.

So, yes. It is very very VERY unfair. Because we WILL find out how the show is ending.