GRRM - honest thoughts?

I am with Wert on this one. While interesting, the "now infamous" early synopsis cannot be used as a basis for the current storyline.

As for the 5 year gap, I understand why he originally wanted to include it, but I am very glad that he didn't, even if it did result in a slightly meandering plot for some characters, like Dany. He wanted to have the 5 year gap, as wert said, so that the characters could mature a bit and be more ready for coming events. And he decided against it because, basically, he thought of all the things that could happen in 5 years and it wouldn't have made sense to the story to have basically nothing happen in that time, or to have to flash back to things that we didn't see happen. not to mention having to re-describe all of the characters so we could get our heads around the changes that they were supposed to go through during the gap, like Arya becoming a cold-blooded(er) killer, or Jon having 5 years of experience as Lord Commander or as a ranger in the Night's watch. and what, Cersei was supposed to not mess up for a solid 5 years?

I'm going to make a Forum Faux-Pas and mention a series that isn't sci-fi or fantasy (I know, I know, the gall of it). But if anyone has read Ken Follet's books Pillars of the Earth or World without End, (they are like a 2 part series set 100 years apart). Each of those rather substantial books span an entire lifespan, with main characters starting off as children (9 or 10) and ending 30-40 years later, when they are parents and grand-parents. Throughout the books, there are time-jumps, where suddenly 4-6 years pass. Follet deals with these jumps in the story well, and both books are amazing (I really do recommend reading them), but while it makes sense for the story, it can be jarring for the reader, where suddenly we don't know the main characters anymore because they kept living their lives while we couldn't see. One minute a character is a teenaged boy in love with a girl from his village, the next he is married to another woman, has a kid and is living in Italy. Again, while I am a fan of Follet's books, I am glad Martin didn't jump ahead 5 years in his story, I don't think it would have worked for aSoIaF.
 
I keep missing things that people say on this thread because I've never posted on it so it doesn't come up in Alerts.....
 
The truth is he has been diverting his time to writing or editing one side-show project after another. He wants to finish the series, but he doesn't WANT to finish the series. He doesn't have anything keeping him from finishing it, at least not for this long.

He's just procrastinating.

Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time.

Reasons for procrastination include hyperbolic discounting, stress, fear of failure, unable to break things down into small tasks.'

Not sure which reason(s) apply to GRRM but there's no question he is simply a procrastinator.
 
I don't think that GRRM doesn't care about the story. I think he cares very deeply and I also think that is why progress is slow.

The thing that leaps out to me about ASOIAF is the characters. All his characters, like real people, are complex and contradictory. They have emotions which can affect their judgement. A lot of the time, his characters end up in situations where a choice has to be made and there is no obvious "right" answer and either decision will have implications and consequences that the characters will have to deal with. And GRRM takes into account the ripple effect of those choices and follows it through. The characters drive the plot and it's that meticulous attention to consequences that makes ASOIAF what it is. For him to not do this would cheapen the whole thing. He wouldn't be staying true to what he began.

I think abandoning the 5 year gap was the right thing to do. Taking into account the above, there's no way GRRM would have been happy recounting episodes in flashback. Way too convenient. A quick, easy fix. The "couldn't be arsed" option.

IF GRRM had got bored of the whole thing or was only interested in money, he could have easily bashed out the concluding books in a short time but I don't think anyone would have liked the result. If taking his time ensures that we get a quality story then I'm more than happy with that.
 
sozme, I respectfully disagree. Creating art (writing fiction, composing a song, etc.) is not quite comparable to taking out the trash or washing the dishes. Sure, it may take a day or two to get back to the store in order to purchase trash bags or more detergent, but it's pretty obvious that longer than that is procrastination. Developing a story from scratch requires some tinkering, rewriting, input from friends', and quite a bit of time to think about the plot and to let the flow of the words process in the brain and heart.

So GRRM... "doesn't have anything keeping him from finishing it, at least not for this long." Since the publication of ASOS in 2000, GRRM got married... but as far as I know they wedded couple have not taken a honeymoon. Is that because he has work obligations or because he's a procrastinator? He's been to a number of conventions to talk about ASOIAF, his other works, writing, etc. I'm sure his book deal requires him to give interviews, attend book signings around the world, and do other types of promotion. I'm sure you or I could return from Seattle on Tuesday and find time to pick up the dog poop, mow the lawn, do some laundry, vacuum the carpets, wash the car, and take out the trash before leaving for Australia on Wednesday, but GRRM not only has to do that but also get creative and crank out a chapter... How does he get in the mindset from doing the dishes to figuring out the Mereenese Knot? Oooohhh, I know... Calgon take me away!

Martin is writing ASOIAF, Wild Cards, and the Dunk'n Egg stories. He's editing a number of anthologies of fantasy plus The World of Ice and Fire, cookbooks, and other spinoffs. He's managing the licensing deals for TV, computer games, apps, board games, card games, and role playing games. He has many other legitimate concerns and demands of his time. The fact that you may view the licensing deals as superfluous is not GRRM's problem. Is he not allowed to make money? Is he not allowed to provide for his wife? Does the fact that he's in the middle of a series, in which you have invested twenty dollars, mean that he must be chained to a keyboard until you are satisfied?

Calumny, defamation, slander... that's when a person maliciously accuses another without proof. Here's an example...
sozme said:
Reasons for procrastination include hyperbolic discounting, stress, fear of failure, unable to break things down into small tasks.'

Not sure which reason(s) apply to GRRM but there's no question he is simply a procrastinator.
Click to expand...

We need to be better than that on the Chrons.
 
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I will consider my life unfulfilled if GRRM never finishes the series and I am only left with the ending that will be the TV series. A big statement, but true. The hours, days I have spent discussing ASOIF with friends have being some of the happier moments in a generally very enjoyable life. I respect GRRM as a writer devoted to his work and fans. He can take as long as he likes, it is his story after all, and what writer amongst us honestly likes someone telling us to hurry up with our craft.

I would also like to touch on the subject of AFFC and ADWD. Initially on first reading I found them tough going in parts, but now I would regard AFFC as possibly my favourite book in the series so far. The strength of GRRM's writing really comes to the fore and the world building of a Westeros not seen before is excellent.

Finally on the tag 'Grimdark' associated with GRRM and ASOIF. I do not see it myself. What comes across to me in reading ASOIF, especially in AFFC, is strong, adult fantasy that challenges the reader to think about the story, the world and the characters populating it.
 
When have they said the tv series will end? My feeling is the books will end about that time. This is good marketing for Martin and he is nothing if not a good marketer. Nothing wrong with that, this is his magnum opus and his major legacy both as a writer and a provider for his family in the coming years, I'd be disappointed if he didn't do everything he could to sell as many copies and net as many viewers as he could. He's pretty giving of his time for conventions and other things btw.
 
I read an interview with one of the producers who said that they want to wrap the series up by the end of series 7
 
Being honest I'll be disappointed to see the end of the TV series before reading the books, but if that's the case then I'll accept it. It won't stop me from watching the shows and it definitely won't stop me from buying the books on the day they're published.
 
I was just wondering, how big is this forum compared to other GRRM forums? Do you reckon Mr Martin himself lurks occasionally here, reading that which we've said? Mark Lawrence does...
 
Narkalui said:
I was just wondering, how big is this forum compared to other GRRM forums? Do you reckon Mr Martin himself lurks occasionally here, reading that which we've said? Mark Lawrence does...
Click to expand...

I doubt it tbh. He might lurk around westeros.org since that place is really huge, but even that I find doubtful. I think he mostly keeps to livejournal.
 
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