Jump to content

The monkeys growing?


Recommended Posts

There is a reason that so many writers write EVERY DAY.  No matter where they are, or what they're doing.  It's a form of discipline to prevent you from letting yourself get overly discouraged, of then depending on the right mood for writing, which can result in a downward spiral where you don't write for weeks or maybe even months.  That kind of discipline, to force yourself to do some writing even when you are not in the mood, the muse has not struck you is how writers stay sharp and prevent writers block.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Cas Stark said:

That isn't impossible, but probably more like it will end up 6 years, maybe 7, but gosh what a failure that would be.  But then, how long until the final book? 8 more years? 10 years?  And that is even assuming he can finish the series in 2 books which based on the Winds samples and what he has said about Dany's progress seems to me very very unlikely.  It's a sad mess.

 

It's a terrible position to be in, for sure. I'm sure his publisher isn't making too much noise due to the uptick in overall sales thanks to HBO.

As an aside, it's possible they share in HBOs success in a more direct manner, but I don't know much about how the licensing in this case works, admittedly.

So, say another year for Winds. Following past patterns another 5 to 6 for Dream, and as I suspect another volume to actually end the series... at least 11 to 13 years to see the series complete.

Ugh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, JEORDHl said:

 

It's a terrible position to be in, for sure. I'm sure his publisher isn't making too much noise due to the uptick in overall sales thanks to HBO.

As an aside, it's possible they share in HBOs success in a more direct manner, but I don't know much about how the licensing in this case works, admittedly.

So, say another year for Winds. Following past patterns another 5 to 6 for Dream, and as I suspect another volume to actually end the series... at least 11 to 13 years to see the series complete.

Ugh.

No doubt overall the HBO has brought tons more sales...but still.  The prime time for Winds, as obviously GRRM himself knew full well, which is why he gave himself a deadline that would presumably have gotten Winds out for last Christmas shopping season....was between the end of season 5 and the beginning of season 6.....when the fate of Jon Snow was a huge global thing.   Sales for Winds during this window would have been HUGE.  And that opportunity is lost forever.

He doesn't need the money I guess, but it's yet another example of how the author works against his own interests.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, JEORDHl said:

 

It's a terrible position to be in, for sure. I'm sure his publisher isn't making too much noise due to the uptick in overall sales thanks to HBO.

As an aside, it's possible they share in HBOs success in a more direct manner, but I don't know much about how the licensing in this case works, admittedly.

So, say another year for Winds. Following past patterns another 5 to 6 for Dream, and as I suspect another volume to actually end the series... at least 11 to 13 years to see the series complete.

Ugh.

That's alright. It's a long time but so what. I don't want it rushed to be finished. I love talking with my fellow fans, bouncing theories off and what not. It's so fun to me. This kind of experience we have with these books isn't one every fan of every book gets. 

   It'll be a while but no worries. If you become terminally Ill or something if that's what you are worried about, just do a make a wish and have GRRM tell you the ending. Idk 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, JEORDHl said:

I'd be shocked if Winds wasn't a big, big seller, regardless of HBOs reveals.

Oh it will be. They hype is up there, despite those that claim they are mad they have to wait so long that they just give up on the books all together. Those people are all talk. They will buy the book. I think it'll sell better than any of them before it 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think that's it, it's a function of the pressure and the knowledge that he has failed himself as well as fans, so when he's asked these questions and he snaps about people it's less about them and more about him.  However, to some degree, again, he brings it upon himself.  It's not realistic with the level of fame that HBO has brought him that he is going to be able to do public appearances solely on his own terms and never be asked questions he doesn't want to answer.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Entrisen said:

Nooo, you're being a little pessimistic with your prediction there. I think he'll get it out before season 7. My dream says the 17th of July 

I think there is a very strong chance he'll wait until the TV show is done and dusted.  That way he can rewrite a load of stuff so that it differs completely from the TV show.  I even think there is a strong chance he'll change his original ending.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Nattybo said:

If GRRM is a "gardener" author, someone must have salted the Earth.

 

Tip, George: gardening still requires you to actually, y'know, garden. Just like writing means you actually have to write and not recycle pages from ADWD

GRRM claims himself to be a gardener but I don't think he is as big a gardener as he claims or others think.  The proof?  The amount of foreshadowing from the first three books.

What I think he is doing now is adding as many new characters and subplots as he possibly can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Entrisen said:

Go read his latest not a blog, not the blog itself but the comments. It's like, every single time anyone ever even mentions ASOIAF or GAME OF THRONES he gets instantly irritated. They don't even have to ask about winds of winter. Just anything ASOIAF related. 

   He just seems kind of snobby to his fans, the more I read up on him. 

   The guy just asked if ASOIAF books would be allowed to be signed, basically because GRRM said GAME OF THRONES books can be signed. GAME OF THRONES in caps. So, I understand where the guy was coming from. He said game of thrones, NOT ASOIAF. And he put it in caps. So maybe the guy took that as, GRRM probably means hbo related books that pertain to the show? Not ASOIAF? So the guy asked that.

  And GRRM basically called him dumb. 

  He could have just ignored the question rather than make the guy feel bad

Read that at your prompt and it's a weird one. I mean, most fans do delineate between GoT and ASoIaF... it's bizarre that would irritate him, but maybe he's not bullshitting when he says he stays away from online discussions and so wouldn't know those two are distinct to medium?

Strange.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, JEORDHl said:

Read that at your prompt and it's a weird one. I mean, most fans do delineate between GoT and ASoIaF... it's bizarre that would irritate him, but maybe he's not bullshitting when he says he stays away from online discussions and so wouldn't know those two are distinct to medium?

Strange.

 

35 minutes ago, Entrisen said:

Go read his latest not a blog, not the blog itself but the comments. It's like, every single time anyone ever even mentions ASOIAF or GAME OF THRONES he gets instantly irritated. They don't even have to ask about winds of winter. Just anything ASOIAF related. 

   He just seems kind of snobby to his fans, the more I read up on him. 

   The guy just asked if ASOIAF books would be allowed to be signed, basically because GRRM said GAME OF THRONES books can be signed. GAME OF THRONES in caps. So, I understand where the guy was coming from. He said game of thrones, NOT ASOIAF. And he put it in caps. So maybe the guy took that as, GRRM probably means hbo related books that pertain to the show? Not ASOIAF? So the guy asked that.

  And GRRM basically called him dumb. 

  He could have just ignored the question rather than make the guy feel bad

also I guess this irked me because he did the same thing to me personally a couple of weeks ago. But mine was probably more deserved? Yet still. I guess a guy commented on my comment as well, and told me I shouldn't apologize to GRRM because it's what most fans think. I got an email of that. And GRRM deleted that guys comment. 

I've often got the impression he is fed up with ASOIAF.  He cleared loved the fame the TV show brought him but I am not so sure he feels the same way now.  Another reason I can't see him finishing the series.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

People saying "You can't rush / force art"?

Yes you can. It's called "discipline". There's two ways of doing it:

(1) Like Dickens, or like Dumas, he could do "one chapter a week". Both authors HAD to do it: they were getting paid by the chapter. No chapter this week = no pay. Story was finished when it was finished: it was a series of chapters done one at a time, and indeed, collating them into full books was actually done a lot later. Comic book authors frequently run under the same constraints, whether or not they have an overall story arc or are self-contained chapters that don't have to even follow a coherent timeline.

(2) Or, plan a structure, DON'T let things deviate from structure, fill in gaps as and when.

ASOIAF lends itself much more to the first model than the second. Just get one chapter "done and signed off" every week. And, having done it, DON'T GO BACK OVER IT. It's done. It's over. Anything else you write has to accept the premise that the previous writing is unchangeable and unchanged.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Nattybo said:

Remember back when he (re)released Arianne II he said it was because, and I quote, fans would "bitch" about him releasing a WILD CARDS chapter and nothing from TWOW.  He's had the attitude for a long time.

It's unfortunate that he's like that. I hope this new twist of his is actually a new ending to the series. Maybe he found a way to end it all in one book with one large twist because he's so over it.

   If that's the case, then rewrite and do your thing and get this final novel out to us, George. Then you can go on writing what you like to write. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Entrisen said:

That's exactly what I mean, i feel bad for the man. I think he's feeling pressured about the book and while under so much pressure he can't let the flow of writing happen. Like I said you can't force art. He's a pro but anyone who has written a book know what it's like to try to write and finish your book, and it's so personal and nerve wracking when you let someone read it. You want their criticism, but you are also afraid to hear it. 

Ya know, I wouldn't even necessarily say that. Anyone who has art related work such as musicians, architects, painters, writers, advertizers, etc, can tell you this. And as Cas Stark has mentioned, discipline may help with the writer's block but sometimes, not even that works. Our brain is tricky like that and creativity needs to naturally flow.

2 hours ago, Ser Gareth said:

What's really sad is that when people first starting saying it, it was more meant as black humour.  But I think most people expected that once ADWD was released we'd get back to the his original writing pace of a new book every two to three years.  Oh, how wrong were we.

So it may have started off as black humour but now it's a very real possibility.  With the current writing pace and the amount of story left to fit in, I personally cannot see GRRM finishing the series in two books.  It is unfair to expect him to be writing well into his 70's, maybe 80's, to finish the novels so I think we should just accept the fact that the books will probably never be finished but at least we have the show to give us a very abridged closure.

I can see that but still, we're talking about a person. And I think it's even worse when we do it in public foruns where he has family and friends participating. I try to put myself in other people's shoes and I can say I'd hate for someone to be saying that about me. 

TBH, I can see him not finishing the series just because he'd lost interest and can't write it anymore. Maybe he had all these interesting stories to tell and along the way other interesting stories came up such as Dunk and Egg and now that's what he wants to talk about. The attention from the show combined with the pressure of finishing the series. Is it fair? Of course not. But I also don't think it's fair to put it all on him. Shit happens sometimes. And maybe because I've had my share of staring at a freaking blueprint and having a hard time solving issues that I have more sympathy for what he's going through.

39 minutes ago, Entrisen said:

Go read his latest not a blog, not the blog itself but the comments. It's like, every single time anyone ever even mentions ASOIAF or GAME OF THRONES he gets instantly irritated. They don't even have to ask about winds of winter. Just anything ASOIAF related. 

   He just seems kind of snobby to his fans, the more I read up on him. 

   The guy just asked if ASOIAF books would be allowed to be signed, basically because GRRM said GAME OF THRONES books can be signed. GAME OF THRONES in caps. So, I understand where the guy was coming from. He said game of thrones, NOT ASOIAF. And he put it in caps. So maybe the guy took that as, GRRM probably means hbo related books that pertain to the show? Not ASOIAF? So the guy asked that.

  And GRRM basically called him dumb. 

  He could have just ignored the question rather than make the guy feel bad

also I guess this irked me because he did the same thing to me personally a couple of weeks ago. But mine was probably more deserved? Yet still. I guess a guy commented on my comment as well, and told me I shouldn't apologize to GRRM because it's what most fans think. I got an email of that. And GRRM deleted that guys comment. 

I read your comment in his NAB and even though I've just defended him, I think his answer to you was completely uncalled for. First of all, he doesn't have to reply to people, second, if it gets on his nerve so much reading questions about the books, just freaking lock the comment section, pretty simple! As someone mentioned, he's probably frustrated at himself and is taking out on the fans, but it ain't our fault either!

 

Having said all that, I can see him finishing the books once the show is over... Hope not, though...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...