Three quarters of the way done

[Raven Princling]

I do not want to get myself hyped and excited again (although it is hard).  So I am just cautiously optimistic. 

[the trees have eyes]

1 hour ago, Craving Peaches said:

Not a deadline per se, but if you are paid money to write a series then I would think it is expected by the publisher that the series will be finished at some point (barring exceptional circumstances). The publisher won't want an incomplete series.

IIRC he pitched a trilogy.  Assuming he uses the same publisher he's delivered them five large ASOIAF novels (two, ASOS and ADWD published in two volumes), a number of side novels, and a number of history/mythos books.  We can debate whether publishers care more about artistic integrity or commercial profit but I think it's moot: they've got more from him than they could possibly have dreamed.  No doubt he signed new and amended contracts for all the other works and if he does produce TWOW and ADOS they will coin it even more but he's already a cash cow for them.

[cytherea]

13 hours ago, Daenerysthegreat said:

Can you share where the update was given please. I want to see more for myself 

It was on a live meeting! On the link below there's the excerpt in video form

https://thebrag.com/george-r-r-martin-confirms-hes-3-4-done-with-winds-of-winter/

[Tyrosh Lannister]

11 hours ago, Sandy Clegg said:

Or to at least publish something. So we'll probably get a book of 'Westeros Castles and their Architecture'

I personally can't wait to read Part 2 of The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister 

[Frey family reunion]

So if it’s taken him 11 years to finish three fourths of the book, by my math we should get Winds in about another three and a half years.  Yay.

[kissdbyfire]

Just now, Frey family reunion said:

So if it’s taken him 11 years to finish three fourths of the book, by my math we should get Winds in about another three and a half years.  Yay.

Yeah, same as my maths… Yay. 

[Aldarion]

Cautiously optimistic: didn't he literally scrap the book and rewrote it from beginning at some point, or I am misremembering something?

[BalerionTheCat]

The word after was maybe. Do you remember the Frey's game? If you say something, then mayhaps, it means nothing... Just that we are not close to see the book.

[Craving Peaches]

I am willing to give my appendix if it means we see both books.

[Ingelheim]

He still took 11 years to make that 75%. So at least 3-4 more years to finish it.

Nothing we didn't know by now. He's never finishing the series at this rate, I'm afraid.

[cytherea]

I wish he'd train someone to continue on the write if he gets too sick/old to, like this other writer did, but given he's a gardener writer, I don't think he would. At this rate, him dying without having it done is a very real possibility, however sad it is.

...but I still have hope, however foolish that is

[Bobby B. VIII]

10 hours ago, Craving Peaches said:

Not a deadline per se, but if you are paid money to write a series then I would think it is expected by the publisher that the series will be finished at some point (barring exceptional circumstances). The publisher won't want an incomplete series.

I think this is ideal but putting out something is better than nothing. I would assume his contract is more for putting out a certain amount of product rather than a specific series. Considering GRRM himself has gone from ASoIaF being a trilogy to a septology, I imagine his publisher is fine with getting things like tWoIaF, F&B, and Dunk and Egg stories instead. I personally think that the bad execution of the "broad strokes" that GRRM gave to D&D and it's poor reception in the last two or three seasons made him rethink some things so he started to focus more on history and lore aspects while he sorts it out.

[Bobby B. VIII]

32 minutes ago, cytherea said:

I wish he'd train someone to continue on the write if he gets too sick/old to, like this other writer did

I'm assuming you mean Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time) passing and Brandon Sanderson finishing the last few books based on Jordans notes, of which he kept extensive outlines of different arcs. Unfortunately, GRRM has stated he does not keep many notes when asked about this specific thing. 

[cytherea]

2 minutes ago, Bobby B. VIII said:

I'm assuming you mean Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time) passing and Brandon Sanderson finishing the last few books based on Jordans notes, of which he kept extensive outlines of different arcs. Unfortunately, GRRM has stated he does not keep many notes when asked about this specific thing. 

Yeah, that one. I just think it would be such an absurd loss to have him die without the completion of asoiaf... and yet its a very tangible possibility

[Ring3r]

For the folks who are worried that he'll never get A Dream of Spring finished....I don't think that's really an issue.  I think it's clear at this rate that he will indeed not finish that book - but he's got Elio and Linda.  They already know the outlines for everything and are privy to it all.  If GRRM were to pass before finishing the final book, we'd have the same situation that occurred with the Wheel of Time series.  Elio and Linda could assist another writer, who I assume GRRM would hand-pick ahead of time (probably already has), and we'd get an end to our story.  Nothin' to worry about.

[Saint Saga]

In my opinion he had a loss of focus.I know that since the first book he always wrote other novelas ,but he went overdrive in that department since 2011.

 

He lost years and years writing stuff for The World of Ice and Fire , the 3 Targaryen novelas (Sons of the dragon, The Rogue prince and The Princess and the queen) -and their "uncut version" Fire and Blood.

 

He wrote "She-Wolves of Winterfell" too in the meantime (that Dunk & Egg novela was going to be published in Dangerous women collection,but he cut it in the last minute ).

 

I really liked all the "G.R.R. Marilion" material,but the wait for Winds was too long.

 

He could went the same rote as he did with  the earlier books: publish parts of it as novelas beforehand (Blood of the Dragon and Path of the Dragon for Dannys' part in books 1-2,Arms of the Kraken for Feast).

[cytherea]

31 minutes ago, Ring3r said:

For the folks who are worried that he'll never get A Dream of Spring finished....I don't think that's really an issue.  I think it's clear at this rate that he will indeed not finish that book - but he's got Elio and Linda.  They already know the outlines for everything and are privy to it all.  If GRRM were to pass before finishing the final book, we'd have the same situation that occurred with the Wheel of Time series.  Elio and Linda could assist another writer, who I assume GRRM would hand-pick ahead of time (probably already has), and we'd get an end to our story.  Nothin' to worry about.

I'd really hope that was the case, but I don't think George considers dying just yet, so I'm not particular to him already having chosen someone. (But maybe he still will? As far as we know he's in good health for now)

[Ring3r]

2 minutes ago, cytherea said:

I'd really hope that was the case, but I don't think George considers dying just yet, so I'm not particular to him already having chosen someone. (But maybe he still will? As far as we know he's in good health for now)

Honestly, operating at the level that GRRM is....I don't think he'd have a choice.  The publisher would require some sort of guarantee.  It's not commonly spoken about because it's sort of morbid, but after a certain level of success, an artists work is subject to insurance.  GRRM is the second most successful fantasy writer in the last 30 years, and he's old and obese (not an insult, I'm prolly not gonna make it to his age anyways!) There's just no way that the business people haven't gotten involved.

[KingintheNorth4]

I'm just happy that we're getting any updates at all. 

[Raksha 2014]

I believe it is possible that Mr. Martin will finish TWOW; that it will be published by or before 2028.  

I do not believe that he is ever going to finish ASoIaF.  I think that Mr. Martin is bored and frustrated with the complexities of the character arcs and plotlines as compared to the easier and more enjoyable work of the Targaryen history books or the Dunk & Egg stories or his Wild Card projects.

I've also read somewhere that Mr. Martin has stipulated that in the event of his passing before ASoIaF is finished; he has not appointed anyone else to finish the series.  

That being said; I sincerely and deeply hope that Mr. Martin proves me wrong.