Interesting Excerpt from GRRM Roundtable

[The Anti-Targ]

I wondered if the series would influence the books that are yet to be written, and in this small way it's clear the series has done so. Strangely enough I always pictured Osha as being a young-ish adult and not the way GRRM visualised her, So Natalia Tena pretty much fit my image of her.

He did bring up Osha though, as maybe the biggest surprise or change from what he had envisioned. “When I was looking at the auditions for Osha and this actress [Natalia Tena] came up I said, ‘This is all wrong. She’s 10 years too young, she’s too pretty.’ Osha is this hard-bitten older woman. And then I watched her audition and her audition just blew me away, she was sensational. And I said, ‘It’s gotta be her.’”

“So my task now is when I bring Osha back [in the books], I’m gonna have to make her more interesting, so I can match the wonderful actress portraying her.”

I actually kinda like that GRRM has felt somewhat inspired to flesh out a character more than he otherwise might have because of the TV adaptation. And that the opporunity is there for Osha because she's been absent from the books so long.

[Ran]

Yeah, it's interesting, though saying it and doing it are different things. George has actually mentioned Osha/Natalia in this context a couple of times before. :)

[Padraig]

Yes. I'm not sure is he 100% serious there. :)

[Dennai]

Yes. I'm not sure is he 100% serious there. :)

Why wouldn't he be? The fact that he has mentioned it more than once seems indicate to me that he will do it. It's not like somebody is bringing the issue up and he just sort of compromise, it's George himself who keep mentioning the "new Osha".

[Padraig]

The fact that he has mentioned it more than once seems indicate to me that he will do it.

He probably mentions it more than once because he has been asked the same question more than once. :)

It sounds like a joke to me..."The actress playing Osha was great. I'll have to make sure she has something interesting to do". I heard him speak in Dublin a few months ago about the topic and that's how it came across to me also. Of course, he could always have planned that Osha had something interesting to do. And he is just having a rather ironic joke.

Or maybe you are right. He might have not spent much time thinking about Osha's reappearance and the strength of the actress has made him think about it more. I'm going with not 100% serious right now though.

[Ran]

I didn't say I thought it was a joke, as such, but I do think that George has more often said that he may do it, and it's not at all clear that in the he will do it. He's considering it. All the other quotes I've seen from him have made it clear it's something he's thinking of. I'm not sure the above quote should be taken as a cast-iron promise, in that case. If he states again in a less hectic environment that he will be or has in fact been beefing up Osha a bit in the books, we can take it as a given.

Until then, I just think it's a maybe and not set in stone. :)

This does not take away from the fact that George has admitted that of course the show has an effect on him, because he's human and it's going to influence him a little bit. He has a very strong vision of the world which, I expect, won't change (the Moon Door will not suddenly be an oubliette set in the floor of the High Hall), but certain small details, certain character details that dovetail with what he's written before, will probably work their way in.

[Venardhi]

He specifically brought her up the other night as something from the series that has worked its way past his barriers between the books and the show. He also said that at least so far, she was the only thing that had.

[Padraig]

All the other quotes I've seen from him have made it clear it's something he's thinking of. I'm not sure the above quote should be taken as a cast-iron promise, in that case.

That's true. I shouldn't have said "joke". When I said he wasn't 100% serious, I meant that he wasn't 100% committed to changing her.

[Brude]

I think it's maybe not unlike the situation with Bronn. Bronn was supposed to be a much more minor character and I think be gone after the incident at the Eyrie, more or less. But he liked the character and kept finding more things for him to do that still made sense in the story, so he hung around for 3 whole books (and could well be around for more?). So, Natalia Tena's performance maybe sparked some more ideas about Osha that he didn't have for her before. He's gotten inspired by her performance, I guess, and that means she may get a bigger role than originally intended. Nothing wrong with that, it's just how inspiration sometimes works.

[Cereal Forel]

It must've been a hell of an audition :)

[Sekhmet]

Interesting. Actors and TV do affect an author. Bernard Cromwell was not all that pleased when Sean Bean was chosen to play Richard Sharpe. Cromwell's Sharpe is dark and tall, quite unlike Bean. Because Sean did such a superb job portraying Sharpe, Cromwell now admits that he thinks of Bean while writing Sharpe. Quite an influence.

[George Snow]

I think it's maybe not unlike the situation with Bronn. Bronn was supposed to be a much more minor character and I think be gone after the incident at the Eyrie, more or less. But he liked the character and kept finding more things for him to do that still made sense in the story, so he hung around for 3 whole books (and could well be around for more?). So, Natalia Tena's performance maybe sparked some more ideas about Osha that he didn't have for her before. He's gotten inspired by her performance, I guess, and that means she may get a bigger role than originally intended. Nothing wrong with that, it's just how inspiration sometimes works.

One thing to remember about Osha, is that GRRM has expressed a great reluctance to do a Rickon PoV. So, if we want to get updated about what is happening with Rickon in future books, it will have to be from another character's PoV. The only character that we are sure is with Rickon is Osha. So beefing up Osha in future books, and having her be a protector of Rickon (flashback to Tonks with Harry) is one way to do it. She is a wildling, and the wildling women are fighters.

GH

[Andhaira]

I for one am not thrilled by this news. I found Osha to be one of the most boring characters in the books, and do NOT want to see more of her.

[Padraig]

I for one am not thrilled by this news. I found Osha to be one of the most boring characters in the books, and do NOT want to see more of her.

OTOH, GRRM suggests that he might make more of an effort to think up interesting things for her. So she could be a lot more interesting. If she ever reappears.

[Breakspear]

Maybe he just means he's going to write several Osha sex scenes.

[Padraig]

Maybe he just means he's going to write several Osha sex scenes.

Heh. :P

[MyDogIsNamedDanerys]

Dear God, I certainly hope he doesn't add an Osha PoV. NO MORE NEW POVs GEORGE!

/rant

Anyway... I like prefer idea of Rickon disappearing entirely, being raised by wildlings, then reappearing near at end of the conflict to claim Winterfell. :)

Alternately Osha could be given more to do without a PoV if she and Rickon join up with another faction (Night's Watch? BwB? Bran/Meera/Jojen?).

[Bronn Stone]

Dear God, I certainly hope he doesn't add an Osha PoV. NO MORE NEW POVs GEORGE!

/rant

Osha is going to become your eyes in Greywater Watch. Just accept that. I don't get the idea of 'too many POVs'. To me, this echoes "Amadeus" and "Too many notes". GRRM has exactly as many as he needs, no more, no less. He can retire them when he doesn't need them anymore. If we get Brienne and Jaime together for an extended period of time, there is no need for both POVs unless GRRM has some real need to show both sides. The POVs don't make the story, the story makes the POVs.

I wonder if knowing her name is a misspelled version of the name of a major ASOIAF character has given your dog self-esteem issues? :P