Vanity Fair: George and D&D regarding the last two books

[The Snow King]

*cough* fat pink mast *cough* myrish swamp *cough*

Oh yes, but that's just a page or two more in a large book (although I could easily live without them, too). In the series, screen time is much more limited resource.

[Juan_Snow]

It's not as easy as that. If you have a plan, a structure and an outline and that outline concludes the series in 30 more episodes (after Season 4), HBO turning around and saying, "Great, you now have another 10 episodes,", at short notice, could be just as disastrous as the show being cut short. You'd end up with a season in which not a lot happens because storylines are being dragged out over a much longer time period than were planned (this was what made the final season of Babylon 5 such a disaster, though the last few episodes were still good).

Right, if they're still saying 7 seasons after season 5 then yeah, that's probably it. I think once they finish up DwD and AFfC they will have to decide how to go forward. There should easily be enough material in the last two books for 3 seasons, or they could cut it to 2. If it's the latter then the show passing the books is inevitable.

[MegaAIP]

when they 1st started talking about the show I though wow this is gonna be the best thing ever and so far the show has been great, but I am starting to see it as a huge mistake and that it will ruin the books.

[The Unborn]

They can just skip a year in filming the series. Like they did with the Wire and Sopranos. The kid's ages are already off by a lot.

It wouldn't change a thing, I don't expect ADOS before 2020... and that's IF he manages to write everything in two books.

[Werthead]

I am starting to see it as a huge mistake and that it will ruin the books.

This depends on how much self-control you can exercise. It'll be difficult, but not impossible, to avoid watching the last seasons and the last episode and to avoid parts of the internet which are talking about it. For example, there will almost certainly be a very strong anti-spoiler policy in operation here where discussions of the ending will be banned from the book forums.

Obviously, the longer the gap between the last episode airing and the final book coming out, the more difficult it will be.

[Maester Feelgood]

Book three was basically enough for 2 full epic seasons of the show. There are 3 known major battles coming early in Winds, those alone plus how far the book advances the plots could easily justify 8 quality season. D&D definitely seem to think 8 is reasonable and probably know how they'd do it. I'd bet HBO will give it to em, this season is gonna set some new records.

[ARYa_Nym]

Interesting that GRRM says Arya is 11. Hmm, so I guess she did learn all of that under a year. 2 languages and is soon to work on two more plus trade language and the other things she learned.

Anyways, Maisie is already 16 now. She is very short though which should help her portray a young character. Having a round face may also help her look more youthful although I saw pics semi recently where she looked like Lorde. But you never know. I feel like she looks like someone who would not age well.

As for not needing to be young we don't know what she's going to be doing in the future. Perhaps she does something because of her young age and she doesn't do other things because of her young age. It's not as drastic a difference but show Missandei kind of changes the whole vibe the character had.

Bran's actor looks very different than the first season where he was all cherubic looking.

[MegaAIP]

This depends on how much self-control you can exercise. It'll be difficult, but not impossible, to avoid watching the last seasons and the last episode and to avoid parts of the internet which are talking about it. For example, there will almost certainly be a very strong anti-spoiler policy in operation here where discussions of the ending will be banned from the book forums.

Obviously, the longer the gap between the last episode airing and the final book coming out, the more difficult it will be.

But why, it's assinine to avoid the internet for 2 years (throwing a number out there) because he decides to write slow or take on side projects.

[Shebara]

I think the problem is G RR M knows where he WANTS to go to, that he has his "bittersweet" ending in mind but it is possible he got lost on his way in the meantime. All those years and years he has been on those books now, interrupted by all those side projects, conventions, and and and...I personnaly think he has got lost on his own complex story. For example the way he pushed in that "Maggie the Frog" Prophecy all of the sudden to give a certain direction to Cerseis story...a rather plumb means to come to a certain ending with Cersei...seems to me he had to force something there cause he had got lost.

And all the magic in the story...I think G R R M is brilliant when writing an epic mediaval story, the "Game of Throne" battle between powerful Houses, the battles, the description of mediaval condition of living (be it Court, be it smallfolks of Flea Bottom etc.)...he is brilliant in introducing us to his POVs, making us live with them in that "Middle Age" with their grey personalities....but...for me the "Magic" parts in the 5 books rather sucked! Prophecies, zombies, glass candles, visions in the fire.....I personally found those parts rather weak and I fear it is not one of the great talents of G R R M to write about those magic things...and I fear as those magic blablabla will take a much bigger part till the ending of the story...it will not make his writing faster!

Just my personal meaning..

[binhorde]

Another issue at play here is it came out in recent months the cast signed 6 year contracts with an HBO option for a 7th season. So in other words if it goes past a 7th season HBO will have to renegotiate with every single cast member that is left for an 8th season. The significant pay increase they would all want would make for a difficult negotiating process.

And the precedent for such a situation with HBO is not a good one. The Sopranos, Deadwood, Rome, Oz all had significant issues once it was time to negotiate new contracts with the cast and stars. HBO is not the greatest in this regard.

[Don Roberto]

I find it hilarious how some people blame George for "writting slowly". He certainly write as fast as he can, if that's slow (and I've argued before that it isn't), is it his fault? He can't force himself to write 24h/day, not without it severely affecting the quality. Also, blaming him on side projects. We all enjoyed D&E and TPATQ, and I'm certain we're all eagerly waiting for aWoIaF. What else has he done since beginning asoiaf? Three scripts for GoT, and a few anthologies edited. For a prolific author such as him, I'm sure he has plenty of other stories he'd like to write, and yet has put all that aside for the last couple of decades to focus on asoiaf. And people still blame him, somehow. I understand and share the frustration of many who're about to be spoiled by the show, but the finger-pointing is growing more irrational each day.

[harry_dresden]

GRRM is not your bitch.

[El Guapo]

I will only continue to watch the show if its to complete the story.

I don't like D&D.

They have agendas.

Creating a show that is very popular among tv viewers and is also very profitable to HBO?

[sifth]

It's not as easy as that. If you have a plan, a structure and an outline and that outline concludes the series in 30 more episodes (after Season 4), HBO turning around and saying, "Great, you now have another 10 episodes,", at short notice, could be just as disastrous as the show being cut short. You'd end up with a season in which not a lot happens because storylines are being dragged out over a much longer time period than were planned (this was what made the final season of Babylon 5 such a disaster, though the last few episodes were still good).

Are you kidding me, the final season of Babylon 5 was great. I was nearly in tears with the way Londo's story arc ended

[Werthead]

Are you kidding me, the final season of Babylon 5 was great. I was nearly in tears with the way Londo's story arc ended

You misunderstand me, that stuff was great. But in the original story outline Season 4 would have ended with Sheridan's capture and interrogation, then Season 5 would have opened with the end of the civil war and the move into empire-building and then the resurgent Drakh/Centauri stuff. The telepath colony storyline was apparently only a couple of episodes in the middle there.

Because they said Season 4 would be the last one, JMS had to end the civil war stuff early. Then TNT rescued the show and Season 5 was back on the cards, but JMS had nothing to fill in the middle. So he extended the telepath colony arc from 2 or 3 episodes to something like 7 or 8, with a whole bunch of iffy stand-alone episodes dropped in as well. That's the stuff that was terrible.

Once you get past the telepaths and get back to Londo/G'Kar, the Centauri shenanigans and so on, it's all good. But the first half of Season 5 was pretty much total bollocks because the structure and pacing of the season was messed around by studio/network interference.

[sifth]

I find it hilarious how some people blame George for "writting slowly". He certainly write as fast as he can, if that's slow (and I've argued before that it isn't), is it his fault? He can't force himself to write 24h/day, not without it severely affecting the quality. Also, blaming him on side projects. We all enjoyed D&E and TPATQ, and I'm certain we're all eagerly waiting for aWoIaF. What else has he done since beginning asoiaf? Three scripts for GoT, and a few anthologies edited. For a prolific author such as him, I'm sure he has plenty of other stories he'd like to write, and yet has put all that aside for the last couple of decades to focus on asoiaf. And people still blame him, somehow. I understand and share the frustration of many who're about to be spoiled by the show, but the finger-pointing is growing more irrational each day.

yea we all enjoy them, though no wear near as much as I would enjoy reading The Winds of Winter this year, lol

[tallTale]

GRRM is not your bitch.

I don't understand these fanboy excuses.

Because we ask him to finish the books before the show we are making him our bitch?

Sorry, but that is dead wrong.

[sifth]

I don't understand these fanboy excuses.

Because we ask him to finish the books before the show we are making him our bitch?

Sorry, but that is dead wrong.

apparently there of the mind that all forms of complaining about GRRM are wrong and fans are horrible people for doing so

[MegaAIP]

I find it hilarious how some people blame George for "writting slowly". He certainly write as fast as he can, if that's slow (and I've argued before that it isn't), is it his fault? He can't force himself to write 24h/day, not without it severely affecting the quality. Also, blaming him on side projects. We all enjoyed D&E and TPATQ, and I'm certain we're all eagerly waiting for aWoIaF. What else has he done since beginning asoiaf? Three scripts for GoT, and a few anthologies edited. For a prolific author such as him, I'm sure he has plenty of other stories he'd like to write, and yet has put all that aside for the last couple of decades to focus on asoiaf. And people still blame him, somehow. I understand and share the frustration of many who're about to be spoiled by the show, but the finger-pointing is growing more irrational each day.

Don't tell me the side projects have not gotten in the way. I think that's one of the huge issues with it.

Also as to writing slow and blame. He has never come out and said I dedicate x number of hours a week to ASOFI so really we have no idea but you would think in a dire situation where the show over takes the books it would be I will lock my self in a room for x hours a day and get this damn book out ASAP

[Ser Greg of House House]

Martin writes when he wants to. You bought books, not the right to have sequels whenever you want. GRRM is not your bitch. What he does is art, it has its own pace and if you're not a whining child you'll respect that. It's unbelievable that some people believe they can tell the author how to spend his own time.

Anyway, I guess it's very likely that the show will catch up. My only hope is that the Meereenese knot will prove to be too much for the minds of television watchers and the show will be canceled.