Quaithe from Asshai

Correction to your comment: he was isolated before the COVID-19 outbreak.

This one from last October "Relatively Near Future"

GRRM has been MIA lately. I think he's in the same headspace he was in before he delivered F&B. Last NaB post by GRRM was over a month ago (Jan 14). My gut he's in his cabin. My guess an announcement before worldcon (and hopefully the book as well).

Illustrations by Gary Gianni https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M5WNG4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_WYgsEb0RVA9PQ

If July still possible, when is the latest we should hear from GRRM. No news from him for a long while now (I really hope he's almost done). ADWD was announced early march for a July release. If we follow the same pattern that's 20 days or so away. Is hope still possible?

Love this idea! Don't forget GRRM grew up near NYC

He switches voices between books, which is more confusing!

He could have used a dagger or any other weapon on him.

But we did not get any progress on F&B, just NaB with a release date. TWOW could very well be treated the same way.

Actually, if you are looking, there are warnings. This for instance: "Relatively Near Future"

Apparently there is chatter that TWOW is done. Below is the twitter thread. Not sure if there is any stock in this.

I don't think anyone expect him to stay in New Zealand if he's not done with TWOW. What I took from this comment stems from the way he put it. Typically he coaches dates with words like "hope" and "expect". This one read more firm than previous comments. To me, the missing words spoke louder than the one's he wrote. I think he made that comment because he knew what was left. Which read to me that he saw an end, and he wasn't in some quagmire. But who knows what happened since then.

I am with you 100%. I think his mindset last May was a finished and published book before Worldcon. This gives us some insights at where he was at the time.

What he actually said is "... if I don’t have THE WINDS OF WINTER in hand ..." which does not mean a draft, but a published book.

I think he was close enough to know what was left when he wrote the New Zealand post. Probably he guessed what remained could be done before July. But as usual one chapter turns into four, and if there are four chapters to finish one part of the story, he needs to restructure, and on and on and on... Also, probably his travels did not help. But now he's back (hopefully) working on TWOW since October. My guess will hear something this year.