Martin Teases TWOW in EW....

[Red Rollo]

Got any stock market tips as well? Who do you like for the super bowl this year?

Niners

[GERM]

I love how it always boils down to 2 extreme opinions. Either he is never going to finish or he's practically done. We all must be as hysterical as possible at all times.

I tend to believe things are exactly what he's said they are.

Yes, he's worked slower since becoming famous (for reasons plainly stated).

Yes, he will continue to work on the series and odds are he finishes it.

No, it's not done. Or almost done.

Yes, the television series will overtake it and deliver an inferior version of it. It's unfortunate, but at least we'll have that as a consolation prize if the unthinkable happens.

Yes, some things in the book will probably be different or better anyway.

I find it highly discouraging for our country as a whole that some of you aren't offended by the fact that he sold rights to a story he didn't finish and is comfortable with the story overtaking him. That is unprofessional, regardless of his rights to do so. A little effort, and it doesn't happen. He has no contractual obligations to promote the series, nor do interviews. Fame has gotten to him. It is as simple as that.

He sang a different dance in March about the series overtaking him. Then the producers told him in April to stop worrying about slowing down the show and to "start writing faster." So this is the new Martin we get: not the buckle down and ensure it doesn't happen, we get the "oh well, it won't be exactly like my books" Martin. That isn't good character.

[Cas Stark]

I find it highly discouraging for our country as a whole that some of you aren't offended by the fact that he sold rights to a story he didn't finish and is comfortable with the story overtaking him. That is unprofessional, regardless of his rights to do so. A little effort, and it doesn't happen. He has no contractual obligations to promote the series, nor do interviews. Fame has gotten to him. It is as simple as that.

He sang a different dance in March about the series overtaking him. Then the producers told him in April to stop worrying about slowing down the show and to "start writing faster." So this is the new Martin we get: not the buckle down and ensure it doesn't happen, we get the "oh well, it won't be exactly like my books" Martin. That isn't good character.

I'm not offended by his desire to make a lot of money when he had the chance.

Remember, he did the deal with HBO in late 2006/early 2007!!! So this was already a year after he finished Feast, but he still takes another 4 years to get Dance finished. And now, again, still, we're going on 3 years and no next book. He had three years before HBO even got on the air.

I don't know if its fame or writer's block, I suspect it's more writers block or something about the story because he had already slowed down and taken a dive on quality with Feast, which was out prior to the HBO deal.

[GERM]

I'm not offended by his desire to make a lot of money when he had the chance.

Remember, he did the deal with HBO in late 2006/early 2007!!! So this was already a year after he finished Feast, but he still takes another 4 years to get Dance finished. And now, again, still, we're going on 3 years and no next book. He had three years before HBO even got on the air.

I don't know if its fame or writer's block, I suspect it's more writers block or something about the story because he had already slowed down and taken a dive on quality with Feast, which was out prior to the HBO deal.

It isn't his desire to make money. It is his apparent lack of disregard for those who enabled him to make the money. If people didn't buy his books, he'd never have had a deal blah blah blah.

It also goes beyond that IMO; he could have avoided this whole issue if he simply worked in a diligent manner.

He promised ADWD a year after the release of AFFC. He had the material. He took 11 months off to tour. Then he started doing all sorts of anything, everywhere, and essentially stopped writing. He understood he was moving at a snails pace, which, despite what he says, isn't how he's always written, and went ahead and sold an unfinished story anyways. Then, to cap it off, he continued that pace, has allowed the show to catch up to him and tried to slow the show down instead of increasing his pace on his book.

It is his right to do so, but it is shameful.

[Ygritte]

I find it highly discouraging for our country as a whole that some of you aren't offended by the fact that he sold rights to a story he didn't finish and is comfortable with the story overtaking him. That is unprofessional, regardless of his rights to do so. A little effort, and it doesn't happen. He has no contractual obligations to promote the series, nor do interviews. Fame has gotten to him. It is as simple as that.

He sang a different dance in March about the series overtaking him. Then the producers told him in April to stop worrying about slowing down the show and to "start writing faster." So this is the new Martin we get: not the buckle down and ensure it doesn't happen, we get the "oh well, it won't be exactly like my books" Martin. That isn't good character.

Our...country? Hyperbole much? :D

[SansaSeastar]

I don't think he is making appearances that much lately, hes been on the road for about a week now and he will travel for another 5 weeks, after that nothing until May 2015 & if I remember correctly the last time he went on a tour was in 2013. I don't think we can complain about that.

I still hope/think we will have WOW before s5, if not I believe we will still have it much sooner then 2017. Didn't he state he wasn't rewriting nearly as much as during Feast of Crows and Dance with Dragons? That means he is making more progress and the estimated release of 2017 is, with the evidence we have now, a overly cautious prediction.

[Cas Stark]

It isn't his desire to make money. It is his apparent lack of disregard for those who enabled him to make the money. If people didn't buy his books, he'd never have had a deal blah blah blah.

It also goes beyond that IMO; he could have avoided this whole issue if he simply worked in a diligent manner.

He promised ADWD a year after the release of AFFC. He had the material. He took 11 months off to tour. Then he started doing all sorts of anything, everywhere, and essentially stopped writing. He understood he was moving at a snails pace, which, despite what he says, isn't how he's always written, and went ahead and sold an unfinished story anyways. Then, to cap it off, he continued that pace, has allowed the show to catch up to him and tried to slow the show down instead of increasing his pace on his book.

It is his right to do so, but it is shameful.

But we don't know "why" he is doing it. We don't know if he's gotten lazy or he has writer's block or hates the ending or is sick of the characters or for what reason he is procrastinating in such an insane manner that has now been going on for years and years. Yes, clearly he IS procrastinating and his procrastination has gotten worse, not better, or who knows, maybe only more visible. We also know that he has a history of serious over optimism, LOL.

I can't call it shameful because I don't what the cause is or whether he can help himself or not. I will only say it's a shame how things seem to be playing out with the series end and hope it isn't as bad as I think it may be.

[GERM]

Our...country? Hyperbole much? :D

Lol. Sorry, my bad. I worry for our world then? :cool4:

I don't think he is making appearances that much lately, hes been on the road for about a week now and he will travel for another 5 weeks, after that nothing until May 2015 & if I remember correctly the last time he went on a tour was in 2013. I don't think we can complain about that.

I still hope/think we will have WOW before s5, if not I believe we will still have it much sooner then 2017. Didn't he state he wasn't rewriting nearly as much as during Feast of Crows and Dance with Dragons? That means he is making more progress and the estimated release of 2017 is, with the evidence we have now, a overly cautious prediction.

He was gone in the end of May making visits along the California coast after his convention and completely MIA from Sante Fe for basically Feb., Mar and most of April. Then he met with HBO producers in May for 2 weeks. That's off the top of my head.

Oh well. He has been doing this for the past 7 years, I don't know why it still bothers me.

But we don't know "why" he is doing it. We don't know if he's gotten lazy or he has writer's block or hates the ending or is sick of the characters or for what reason he is procrastinating in such an insane manner that has now been going on for years and years. Yes, clearly he IS procrastinating and his procrastination has gotten worse, not better, or who knows, maybe only more visible. We also know that he has a history of serious over optimism, LOL.

I can't call it shameful because I don't what the cause is or whether he can help himself or not. I will only say it's a shame how things seem to be playing out with the series end and hope it isn't as bad as I think it may be.

I can see this point of view and possibly accept it. Martin can earn an apology from me if he comes through. I will tell him in person too. I hope he proves me to be an impatient donkey.

[Roughspun]

He promised ADWD a year after the release of AFFC. He had the material. He took 11 months off to tour. […] He understood he was moving at a snails pace, which, despite what he says, isn't how he's always written, […]. Then, to cap it off, he continued that pace, has allowed the show to catch up to him and tried to slow the show down instead of increasing his pace on his book.

But we don't know "why" he is doing it. We don't know if he's gotten lazy or he has writer's block […]

Er, what? There are reams of information on the writing process of FfC and DwD and the specific problems encountered there. Nevertheless, some people seem to act like it’s totally inexplicable how these two books each took 5 years to be completed, or that the delay of DwD was simply a matter of writing pace.

And now, GRRM has given a rough explanation of his current rate of progress: yes, he’s now getting less writing done in the same amount of time, because of reasons. So, yeah, we do not know nothing. We can infer from omission that GRRM is not struggling with major plot structural problems as he did when writing FfC and DwD; apparently, he’s simply writing slowly.

[Cas Stark]

Er, what? There are reams of information on the writing process of FfC and DwD and the specific problems encountered there. Nevertheless, some people seem to act like it’s totally inexplicable how these two books each took 5 years to be completed, or that the delay of DwD was simply a matter of writing pace.

And now, GRRM has given a rough explanation of his current rate of progress: yes, he’s now getting less writing done in the same amount of time, because of reasons. So, yeah, we do not know nothing. We can infer from omission that GRRM is not struggling with major plot structural problems as he did when writing FfC and DwD; apparently, he’s simply writing slowly.

I've never really thought the stated problems warranted it taking him 11 years to write 2 books that barely move the story forward and still have Meereen unresolved. And, of course, if that had been the real problem, which has now allegedly been solved, then Winds of Winter would be out now, in 2014. So, my guess is that it's something else for which the "Meereen knot' and the 'five year gap' were proxies for, but that there is something else that is the real issue.

[GERM]

Er, what? There are reams of information on the writing process of FfC and DwD and the specific problems encountered there. Nevertheless, some people seem to act like it’s totally inexplicable how these two books each took 5 years to be completed, or that the delay of DwD was simply a matter of writing pace.

And now, GRRM has given a rough explanation of his current rate of progress: yes, he’s now getting less writing done in the same amount of time, because of reasons. So, yeah, we do not know nothing. We can infer from omission that GRRM is not struggling with major plot structural problems as he did when writing FfC and DwD; apparently, he’s simply writing slowly.

12 years for 2 poorly planned, and executed, books has no excuse. If he took 12 years and put out something wonderful, I highly doubt people would be complaining. If he took 12 years and didn't sell the rights to his story away before they were finished, I highly doubt people would be complaining. If he didn't take ~150 of 210 (includes the month of July and his 5 weeks in Europe after his convention) days off this year alone, I highly doubt people would be complaining.

His work ethic has diminished to nothing. He seems resigned to the fact that he lost to HBO. He isn't picking up his pace. He is letting screen writers tell his final moments for him. I would say people have a justifiable reason to be upset with him regardless of his rights to do all of the above.

I have a right to not mow my lawn all summer. My neighbors have the right to complain to the city. The same applies here.

I don't believe people should be commenting on his overall health though. That isn't their concern. His work ethic, sub-par last 2 books and the 12 years it took him are free game.

[ApKing06]

i may be jaded but i think the next book will be released when it will make the most money. Example: HBO puts out GOT the TV show in April 2011. Its a huge hit. DWD comes out July 2011.

When will WOW make the most money? Seems to me the sweet spot is sometime right before or right after the start of a GOT season.

I dont buy writers block, or only got 25% is done, ETC. He has the world set up, he has the characters, he has a general idea of where he wants the story to end up.

I think a writer of his caliber needs to only buckle down and get typing.

By no means am i belittling his craft. I couldnt do it and I marvel at his skill.

Its because of his skill and what he has set up I think he just needs the uninterrupted time to write it and It will be done when it can make the most money. That may be this year. However, it may be that he needs until well after the 5th season to finish it and if the bean counters tell him he can make the most money at the start of season 6 in 2016 instead of Christmas 2015, then it wont get to buy it until 2016.

[The Human Abstract]

I agree with the rest, but I can't agree with this.It's an excellent, excellent adaptation. It's only inferior for those who are expecting it to be exactly like the books. Take that out, and there's nothing 'inferior' about it.

I probably went a little overboard putting a very subjective opinion into an attempt at an even keel analysis.

[Cas Stark]

I would think he makes the most money by finishing the series while the show is still airing, that will be when he gets maxium interest and exposure. Getting the last book out after the show closes has to be the last thing his publisher wants to see.

[GERM]

I would think he makes the most money by finishing the series while the show is still airing, that will be when he gets maxium interest and exposure. Getting the last book out after the show closes has to be the last thing his publisher wants to see.

No one wants to see that except for the dozen people who think that it's ok here. Lol.

[Cas Stark]

No one wants to see that except for the dozen people who think that it's ok here. Lol.

I can't fault people for optimism, but then, I don't think he can even finish in two more books. And since he didn't get Winds out in 2014, and he may not get it out in 2015, I have serious doubts he can....there is little hope he can get the final book out in spring 2017 which is what he would have to do in order to sync it up with the final season of the show..unless they decide to go 8 years instead of 7.

So, it's pretty much over. I also don't expect him to revert to the form of the first 3 books, but expect to see more dangling POVs and plodding filler and meandering sub plots....but then I lean toward pessimism. LOL.

[The Human Abstract]

For the record, when George remarked that he has slowed down over time I it merely sounded to me like a general statement of fact and not a declaration of struggles specific to TWOW. In fact, being the obsessive fan I am, I recall an interview not long ago in which he stated that so far the writing was going better on this particular book. I don't feel that from this little vignette it is safe to once again fly off the handle predicting doom and gloom and a 2018 release date.

I am simply floored, though, at the number of fans who have apparently hated everything the man's done in over a decade and yet who react extremely to every single little statement the guy makes. I have to say those types are even more obsessive than me, and I actually enjoy the man's work. It's... strange.

[GERM]

I am simply floored, though, at the number of fans who have apparently hated everything the man's done in over a decade and yet who react extremely to every single little statement the guy makes. I have to say those types are even more obsessive than me, and I actually enjoy the man's work. It's... strange.

It's because he wrote 3 great books. He has a following. I am floored that there are fans that still justify the way he does things. We're a majority, not a minority. Something must be seriously wrong for such a large part of his fandom to be angry.

I genuinely have a very low opinion of the man. This is coming from the guy who waited 13 years for books 3 and 4 of the DT series and never was upset. Even that has no true comparison though because King published 18 books during those 13 years.

[sj4iy]

I probably went a little overboard putting a very subjective opinion into an attempt at an even keel analysis.

No problem, we all do it :)

[Brav]

Is there any chance he's essentially writing both books at the same time?