GRRM drops everything to write TWOW

[Another Locust]

I'm betting on Early 2015 or Late 2015 for Winds. George doesn't seem to want to admit, but he's obviously afraid to be passed by the series - Otherwise, why would he reveal that Mercy chapter right before the premiere?

I'm guessing that it will be released in December of 2015. Preferably on the December solstice: winter is coming, after all. I always assumed that GRRM released Mercy because of the Arya+Hound scene at the end of the premier. He clearly didn't want that to influence readers' opinions on the book version of that event.

Not the entire book as a movie, just the final 1/3 or whatever would work for the format. The show is deviating enough, and with the way AFFC and ADWD are, it will be harder to match up books with seasons by the end. If HBO decided to end it with a movie, then they'll pace it out in a way that the story works and they don't have to cram too much into 3 hours.

HBO already confirmed that there will be no Game of Thrones movie. Even if another entity was willing to make this happen, HBO owns the digital rights to A Song of Ice and Fire. Something tells me that they won't share it...

[JBlaze94]

Friends, instead of being negative, let's take the time to thank George for dedicating his time to writing The Winds of Winter. He didn't have to do this.

I kind of disagree. He does HAVE to finish it soon. People have been reading this series since it first started, and to have the show potentially finish first, is unfair to people that were fans of his before the show aired. To see something on TV, then read it in a book, takes away the magic from the book. When you read first, then watch the show, the magic is still there IMO. I did not start reading until I watched the first season(I have read them all by the start of the second season.). When I read through A Game of Thrones, I felt bored. I knew what was coming, there was no magic. Now that I read ACOK, then I watched season 2, the show was still good. Just my opinion though.

Basically what I am saying is, there is no point of reading the books, when you have already seen it in the show.

[Another Locust]

I kind of disagree. I does HAVE to finish it soon. People have been reading this series since it first started, and to have the show potentially finish first, is unfair to people that were fans of his before the show aired. To see something on TV, then read it in a book, takes away the magic from the book. When you read first, then watch the show, the magic is still there IMO. I did not start reading until I watched the first season(I have read them all by the start of the second season.). When I read through A Game of Thrones, I felt bored. I knew what was coming, there was no magic. Now that I read ACOK, then I watched season 2, the show was still good. Just my opinion though.

Although prioritizing is the right thing to do, he isn't forced to do it. He chose to spend his time writing his series, rather than pursuing other goals that he wants to do. I'd say that we should be thankful that this won't be another A Dance with Dragons wait.

[TheonGreyjoy]

Its great news, its the best news we got in a really long time. It seems his determined to finish the book now, and he skip to write an episode for the show to finish the book. Might we be as lucky as it will be published before the next season. It will almost certain be a 2015 release. It seems like he want to be ahead of the show, instead of let them finish the series for him. Keep writing George.

[Lord Defiance]

Not that I would actually wager that he will stay ahead of the show, but I've been saying all along that people who say it's certain the show will pass him - and a lot of people say that - are forgetting how much TV writing this guy has done. He is accustomed to meeting deadlines.

HA HA. HA HA. HA. Good joke.

Do you know how many projects he pushes back? He hasn't given a firm date on WoW because he was making people angry that he was pushing dates back so much.

[willofDorne]

GRRM: "I tell people to watch the show. I also encourage you to read the books"

I in other words, there's no way I'd let the show come out before the books. We can't read the books if the show is spoiling it for us... so he's answered the question, I think. I think he's doing all the magic that he has to to get the thing printed... probably approve edits, etc.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

With GRRM stating that he might be able to visit the set early next year, could very well mean that the end is drawing to a close, where George's work is concerned. But after GRRM is done writing, editors will need to do a final check up (though I've understood that editors also receive chapters after they've been finished, to fish out the first mistakes). So next year seems a good possibility, though when in the year cannot be said with certainty.. of course, early 2015 can be ruled out.. but whether it will be middle or end of 2015.. who knows..?

[willofDorne]

HA HA. HA HA. HA. Good joke.

Do you know how many projects he pushes back? He hasn't given a firm date on WoW because he was making people angry that he was pushing dates back so much.

No artist has control over when a thing is released. They may seem like they do, but all this is determined by publishers and producers. It's not outside the realm of possibility that there's things unfinished, but I consider it a serious longshot that he doesn't have a lot more in reserve than he show us.

[TheNinjaDC]

I think he intends to release WOW before Season 6, where the show has a high probability of surpassing his content in mass.

So, a mid 2015-early 2016 seems like a reasonable release window. He seems to be going full gun hoe, so the end is likely in sight. His comments about visiting the set next year, seems to support this.

[Alayne's Shadow.]

I think he intends to release WOW before Season 6, where the show has a high probability of surpassing his content in mass.

So, a mid 2015-early 2016 seems like a reasonable release window. He seems to be going full gun hoe, so the end is likely in sight. His comments about visiting the set next year, seems to support this.

Exactly. I can't see him passing from Early 2016, otherwise there's no possible way there's no spoilers. This season is the last *somewhat* spoiler-free season. Even then, we have Bran and Sansa, the Battle of Winterfell that is likely to be resolved this year as potential spoilers.

[willofDorne]

Exactly. I can't see him passing from Early 2016, otherwise there's no possible way there's no spoilers. This season is the last *somewhat* spoiler-free season. Even then, we have Bran and Sansa, the Battle of Winterfell that is likely to be resolved this year as potential spoilers.

Yes, Bran and Sansa are already at their furthest point in the books. I can't imagine the show will want to hold their plots back an entire year. I imagine he'll release his book early 2015.

[Sub_Zero94]

I hope that the Prologue POV character is Blackfish.

most likely, or possibly Edmure

[Hodor's Dragon]

To me it's a pity that we don't get a Martin episode next season, his scripts are among my favourites.

I think that there is virtually no chance that Martin can write two books before the last season of the tv show airs (and maybe he will even need three to finish the story). There's no point in trying to end ahead the tv show, for that reason I would have prefered if Martin got more involved in the TV show instead of less. So I really hope he writes at least one episode a year again for seasons 6 and 7.

The show can easily be dragged out. The books are packed with good cinematic scenes and dialogue and it's easy to invent new material for these richly-realized (and by now widely-known) characters. (Although leaving out Arianne Martell doesn't make it seem as if that is what they are doing, at least for now.)

They're probably already committed to AFFC = 1 season, but I'll bet if they see a strong possibility of GRRM staying ahead they will seriously considering turning ADWD into 2 and WOW into 2. That would put ADOS in 2020. That's definitely doable.

They would really have to consider cast replacements for some of the lead child actors, though.

[Dornish Vinegar]

The show can easily be dragged out. The books are packed with good cinematic scenes and dialogue and it's easy to invent new material for these richly-realized (and by now widely-known) characters. (Although leaving out Arianne Martell doesn't make it seem as if that is what they are doing, at least for now.)

They're probably already committed to AFFC = 1 season, but I'll bet if they see a strong possibility of GRRM staying ahead they will seriously considering turning ADWD into 2 and WOW into 2. That would put ADOS in 2020. That's definitely doable.

They would really have to consider cast replacements for some of the lead child actors, though.

That would be amazing if they did this, but I think it's pretty well established that HBO has a seven-season plan for the series. Or eight, but even then they're still going to have to speed through the material in the two (or three) unpublished books. Stretching out what's already been published just doesn't seem like it's gonna happen, unfortunately.

[Queen of Whores]

Friends, instead of being negative, let's take the time to thank George for dedicating his time to writing The Winds of Winter. He didn't have to do this. He could have taken more trips, attended more conventions, and written an episode for season 5, but he didn't. Yet, of course, we're already bickering about how much time he has "wasted" doing other things. We should be very, very thankful.

Why? He earns more money than I ever will, and I still hand in my own hard earned money to buy the thing he's written to get himself more money. I'll be as thankful to him as I am to a baker I buy bread from. Both are making and selling something to get money for themselves, and if I didn't personally buy it, it wouldn't matter, since many others would, and he wouldn't give a single toss. I see no particular reason to be so thankful to a man who will still charge me to purchase his fictional story. He should be thankful we fans are patient enough to still support him and to buy his stuff when it finally comes out, because without us and our money, where exactly would he be in his book-writing career?

/rant

(This isn't a hate-post, I think Martin is a good writer and a cool guy, and I love his books, but let's not pretend we somehow 'owe' him anything).

[Hodor's Dragon]

That would be amazing if they did this, but I think it's pretty well established that HBO has a seven-season plan for the series. Or eight, but even then they're still going to have to speed through the material in the two (or three) unpublished books. Stretching out what's already been published just doesn't seem like it's gonna happen, unfortunately.

I probably tend toward wishful thinking, but it isn't out of the question. If the increasing-ratings trend continues in season 5 - and I'll bet it does - they're going to want to extend the goose's life.

[LordStoneheart]

Basically what I am saying is, there is no point of reading the books, when you have already seen it in the show.

I'm going to have to wholeheartedly disagree. I've read plenty of books after watching the show or movie. Dexter. Ender's Game. Golden Compass. LotR. I enjoyed them even though I did know what was up.

[Another Locust]

Why? He earns more money than I ever will, and I still hand in my own hard earned money to buy the thing he's written to get himself more money. I'll be as thankful to him as I am to a baker I buy bread from. Both are making and selling something to get money for themselves, and if I didn't personally buy it, it wouldn't matter, since many others would, and he wouldn't give a single toss. I see no particular reason to be so thankful to a man who will still charge me to purchase his fictional story. He should be thankful we fans are patient enough to still support him and to buy his stuff when it finally comes out, because without us and our money, where exactly would he be in his book-writing career?

/rant

You know how much it costs to publish a book right? And a book in a series at this scale? A fortune. I think we should be happy that he is committing full time to writing, or else D&D would be telling the story.

[Hodor's Dragon]

Why? He earns more money than I ever will, and I still hand in my own hard earned money to buy the thing he's written to get himself more money. I'll be as thankful to him as I am to a baker I buy bread from. Both are making and selling something to get money for themselves, and if I didn't personally buy it, it wouldn't matter, since many others would, and he wouldn't give a single toss. I see no particular reason to be so thankful to a man who will still charge me to purchase his fictional story. He should be thankful we fans are patient enough to still support him and to buy his stuff when it finally comes out, because without us and our money, where exactly would he be in his book-writing career?

/rant

I kind of agree with this, not 100% but mostly. I'm not terribly grateful. I admire him I great deal and I can imagine few things I would rather do than sit down with him and talk about the writing process of these books for a few hours, but grateful? What's the point of that? He doesn't know whether I'm grateful or not and presumably doesn't give a damn, either. He didn't write these books for me.

[FireAndBlood.]

Why?

Because he has provided you with something that you obviously enjoy a great deal, otherwise you wouldn't have spent valuable hours of your life making over 2,000 posts about it on the internet. You have the right to be frustrated and annoyed that it's taking so long, but turning this into an argument about money and saying he owes his fans the world because they made him rich is nothing short of petulance and immaturity.