Update on the "Winds"

[Cas Stark]

 It does not make business sense for there to be a delay for Winds.  The best release date for Winds was last year. Or the year before.  That is where you get maximum profit.  Not what is happening now.  

 

It makes no sense to have the last book out after the show is off the air.  Which is what is going to happen now.

[Ser Harly of Southwell]

Well, at least it looks like he has a lot done and expects it to be done next year. I'm happy about that

[Estheros]

Most interesting... He's still writing THEON .  So much for an execution!  

Reading between the lines, I feel he'll have the book's last chapter done by early March ..  Likely we'll have a book in June or July 

Me too! Theon might not end up sacrificed by Stannis as I thought until now! It would be great  I love Theon!

 

I hope the book comes out before my 3rd one is born in July, reading will be difficult with a newborn around  ( But I'll manage)...

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

Most interesting... He's still writing THEON .  So much for an execution! 

Well, it could be the last Theon chapter ever, so GRRM polishes it time and again, to give the poor schmuck a nice sendoff. Just sayin'.

[aFeastForDragons]

 Spring 2025 - I'm checking the news on my iPhone 15F and the release date for A dream of Spring has been announced. Finally some closure and the real ending. 

[mushroomshirt]

Me too! Theon might not end up sacrificed by Stannis as I thought until now! It would be great  I love Theon!

 

I hope the book comes out before my 3rd one is born in July, reading will be difficult with a newborn around  ( But I'll manage)...

Most interesting... He's still writing THEON .  So much for an execution!  

Reading between the lines, I feel he'll have the book's last chapter done by early March ..  Likely we'll have a book in June or July 

Well, it could be the last Theon chapter ever, so GRRM polishes it time and again, to give the poor schmuck a nice sendoff. Just sayin'.

I came here to post about the comment on the Theon chapter.  When I first read GRRM's blog post I was hoping it meant what Sub_Zero94 & Estheros posted.  The more I think about it though, he could be revising the sample chapter he released way back in 2011.

[Meera of Tarth]

 

Maybe he just wanted to mention all the characters, important or not?

 

EDIT: Funny how he doesn't mention coldhands and lady stone heart... Could it mean anything?

lsh in s6 maybe? We can dream....

 

 

well, I think that if got is going to be 8 seasons, maybe if twow is published during or after s6, we would still find non spoiled material in the book. Positive thinking

[Meera of Tarth]

 

The biggest dilemma tbh. I eventually decided to watch the show and to force myself to think after each episode that the plot in the show has nothing to do with the book. Before season 5 I thought that I'd be okay because local medias didn't seem much interested in GOT but then, as season 5 was progressing, articles about Sansa's wedding night, Jon's ambiguous end, Cersei's walk of shame and other things started to pop up in local medias as well! I'd rather have the story spoiled by myself than by stupid articles...

in my case it was different because I was a show watcher before becoming a reader, I actually began reading after s4. I won't blame the show because Probably I would have not joined this universe if I hadn't heard of the show before, but after becoming a reader I can't enjoy it as much as before because the books are better. 

Especially, I was very disappointed with their version of book 4 and 5 after having read them (except for some things which were well-adapted and I liked, but the majority of the season was like a bad fanfic). I really enjoyed the first books after watching the show, because they are better, but now I preferred to experience the story reading before the show aired.

But, as you say, it is virtually impossible to avoid the spoilers because even the local media which had never cared about got before 2015 started to spoil the big plots of each episode, the controversy about them, even showing pictures of Jon's death just 5 minutes after it aired, it is insane....

[sifth]

in my case it was different because I was a show watcher before becoming a reader, I actually began reading after s4. I won't blame the show because Probably I would have not joined this universe if I hadn't heard of the show before, but after becoming a reader I can't enjoy it as much as before because the books are better. 

Especially, I was very disappointed with their version of book 4 and 5 after having read them (except for some things which were well-adapted and I liked, but the majority of the season was like a bad fanfic). I really enjoyed the first books after watching the show, because they are better, but now I preferred to experience the story reading before the show aired.

But, as you say, it is virtually impossible to avoid the spoilers because even the local media which had never cared about got before 2015 started to spoil the big plots of each episode, the controversy about them, even showing pictures of Jon's death just 5 minutes after it aired, it is insane....

Not too far from where I live there's a massive billboard with Jon Snow's dead body and at the bottom is the air date for the up coming season. 

 

I find it rather funny at anyone who says it's easy to avoid spoiler after seeing that thing.

[Robb_Warged]

For me dozens and dozens means tht both remaining books are almost finished but he has to wait for the best release dates agreed between HBO and the publishing firm. You know. To achieve the maximum profit and advertisement for both products.

 

When 8 digit money amounts are at stake , art can wait. 

Sweet Summer's child

[The Fattest Leech]

Can't get editor to work  

[thetitansbastard]

I think the bigger issue is that its been clear for awhile  Book 7 will likely not come out for 1+ years after the TV series wraps up in 2018.  I'm fine watching this season but the fact that the conclusion will be spoiled before last book is out is a disappointment.

Still holding out some hope that the turnaround for last book will be much shorter than previous two, but that seems like a pipe dream.

[TaenaOfMyr]

It's disappointing that Winds will not be out. Why people should say "I don't know why you guys are disappointed" is beyond me. Being disappointed that something isn't going to come out is not the same as "I'm completely and utterly surprised it's not coming out. I was willing to bet my mother's life that it'd be out before season 6." It's disappointing. I'm anxious to get my hands on the books because it will be the first time I will be reading it with the rest of the book fandom.

The key is to not set your expectations too high. I'm not disappointed at all by the news, because I never had any expecation that the book would be out before season 6. While I love the show, I am sure a lot more than the majority of the people on this web site, I still would have preferred to read the story in the book before it was shown on the TV show. But considering it has generally taken 5-6 years for GRRM to publish a book since A Storm of Swords came out and considering all the time he has spent on things other than writing TWOW, I didn't think he would have it out pre-season 6.

For me dozens and dozens means tht both remaining books are almost finished but he has to wait for the best release dates agreed between HBO and the publishing firm. You know. To achieve the maximum profit and advertisement for both products.

When 8 digit money amounts are at stake , art can wait.

I highly doubt it. I would lower your expectations to avoid the future disappointment when we have to wait until 2022 or 2023 for A Dream of Spring. As others put it, it made most financial sense for TWOW to be out before season 6. That would result in the largest sales. GRRM and his publishers would never hold it for a longer time period. Likewise, HBO has no reason to force a delay, as they have already existed in an environment for 5 years where the books spoiled the show.

I think the bigger issue is that its been clear for awhile  Book 7 will likely not come out for 1+ years after the TV series wraps up in 2018.  I'm fine watching this season but the fact that the conclusion will be spoiled before last book is out is a disappointment.

Still holding out some hope that the turnaround for last book will be much shorter than previous two, but that seems like a pipe dream.

Being generous, assuming that the show does go 8 full seasons, and hence ends in 2018, I would figure we get the last book no earlier than 2022, 4 years after the final season. And that's assuming things go well, and that book 7 doesn't turn into books 7 and 8. I will not be surprised if it is even longer than that, since GRRM will lose a lot of motivation once the show has spoiled his ending. Not to be negative about it, but you're just setting yourself up for disappointment if you think the final book will come out that quickly.

[ckongo]

Wasn't this from the author who wrote in AFFC in 2005 that ADWD should be out the following year?

GRRM has little reason at this point to work vigorously on the book series. He's rich, famous, old, and it's football season; all excellent distractions. At this point he's only continuing ASOIF because of his own passion for writing and out of loyalty to his fans.

Nor does he need to worry about meeting deadlines (unlike most writers) in order to put food on the table. And also unlike most writers, in relations with his publishers, he knows he's holding all the cards. They need him; not the other way around. If they failed to publish TWoW he could simply find an alternate method, and due to the demand, people would buy it. That's why he's so lax regarding these deadlines.

The whole thing is a shame. From his perspective selling the series to HBO to turn it into ASOIF fan-fiction has proven quite lucrative, but sadly the readers will end up being spoiled regarding how the series ends long before the books come out. Personally, I doubt we'll ever see A Dream of Spring.

[Abbadon]

The whole thing is a shame. From his perspective selling the series to HBO to turn it into ASOIF fan-fiction has proven quite lucrative, but sadly the readers will end up being spoiled regarding how the series ends long before the books come out. Personally, I doubt we'll ever see A Dream of Spring.

Yeah, I doubt it too. It's a shame.

[ckongo]

My own personal belief is that GRRM is endangering his own legacy with the spoils of success.  Sad but very common throughout history.  I'm sure he would violently disagree I think it's pretty clear that the books are now at best a part time job and at worst the real distraction from all that comes with success. 

Pretty much this. I feel he's compromised the artistic integrity of his series for personal profit, which as you said is not atypical, and I can't fault him for it. I just don't like people denying it. At this point the books likely are a distraction; a distraction from spending his golden years in semi-retirement sitting on his HBO wealth. Writing so extensively despite his age, wealth, fame, etc. is almost certainly for his fans; not for himself or HBO. I mean, seriously, does HBO really care about having the books done? It's not like they rely on the source material much at this point anyway outside of a vague guideline.

[melx]

"His series is not reaching a conclusion in a timely fashion (20+years) because he doesn't know how how to conclude it. As a result, the plot is out of control, convoluted, and split along more than half a dozen separate story lines involving supernumerary characters. At his current rate of progress, the book after his presently tardy sequel may not be completed until 2021 or 2022. This assumes he could wrap up the dog's dinner of his story in two books, only takes 5 years to write each of them....His failure to deliver a new novel since the 2011 beginning season of Game of Thrones (now in season 6) and repeated busted deadlines simply demonstrates that he is an unenthusiastic or distracted author. His failure to write books in a timely fashion has all but guaranteed the ending of his story will take place on HBO within the next year or two; and he doesn't seem to care much. Why should he? HBO will pay him more for the rights to end his story on their channel than he could make on the books anyway."

[ssls6]

I have always had a deep seated fear that he doesn't want to finish.  

 

In my own vision of where I think the story going..."Winds" becomes a real important book.  What I mean by this is that "Winds" must bridge the gap between "how a Targaryen gets his/her throne back" and "the battle of dawn".  All Dany needs to do in the east is grow her dragons and get an army.  Now she needs to get back to Westerns and mop up the mess.  Meanwhile back at the wall, the Others can bring down the barrier and spill over claiming the north.

 

This is what makes "Winds" so important.  It must start setting up the end game which means it must move fast, cover most of the known world, and bring the protagonists together.  It can't leave characters just doing their day to day shenanigans for 1000 pages.  Maybe GRRM is realizing this.

[aFeastForDragons]

"His series is not reaching a conclusion in a timely fashion (20+years) because he doesn't know how how to conclude it. As a result, the plot is out of control, convoluted, and split along more than half a dozen separate story lines involving supernumerary characters. At his current rate of progress, the book after his presently tardy sequel may not be completed until 2021 or 2022. This assumes he could wrap up the dog's dinner of his story in two books, only takes 5 years to write each of them....His failure to deliver a new novel since the 2011 beginning season of Game of Thrones (now in season 6) and repeated busted deadlines simply demonstrates that he is an unenthusiastic or distracted author. His failure to write books in a timely fashion has all but guaranteed the ending of his story will take place on HBO within the next year or two; and he doesn't seem to care much. Why should he? HBO will pay him more for the rights to end his story on their channel than he could make on the books anyway."

Ouch!

[DaveSumm]

I have always had a deep seated fear that he doesn't want to finish.  

I've seen this and variants of it (he's bored of it, he doesn't care, he's in it for the money etc etc) so often in all these threads, and I have never seen a shred of evidence for it. The blog post is the most depressed and sullen I have ever seen him, and it seems abundantly clear that the most obvious answer is the correct one; he's an author, he knows full well that this will be his best known work and his legacy, and he desperately wants it finished. He wants to beat the show, he wants to stick the landing and give the series the send off it deserves, but it's just taken him longer than he wanted.

He has said in the past that he should have carried on to Winds immediately after finishing Dance, and I strongly suspect that he will spend more time between now and its completion writing than he ever has. Nothing in the post suggested it was over a year away, so I'm still hoping for Winds in 2016 and Dream will hopefully come in 3/4 years, 2019/2020. By which time he'll be 70/71, well below the average male lifespan so the idea of him not finishing just seems needlessly pessimistic to me.