A Song of Ice and Fire: 6 delayed... (again!)

Brian Turner said:
I'm not the only one who thinks that GRRM will need at least 3 novels to finish the series off, then?

Unless he sticks half the cast in a boat and sinks it with all hands lost. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, maybe those of us who have tried our hand at writing novels have a better handle on how much needs to be covered before the narrative concludes. Because I'm genuinely astonished when fans say they believe the series can be completed in two books. Readers will feel cheated if the climax doesn't include POV chapters from the major POV characters of the series. So that's 12-15 POV characters right there. That means only 5-7 chapters for each of the POV characters in the final book, climactic book. So do we really believe Martin can get all the characters from where they are to the opening of the climax in only one book featuring (presumably) 5-7 chapters each? Are we really only 6 Aryra chapters away from her entry into to the climactic conflict? 6 Jaime chapters away? 6 Daenerys chapters away? I'm awed by that kind of optimism.
 
I have little optimism left when it comes to ASOIAF. I lost it sometime during those 6 years I waited for A Dance With Dragons. I have expectations from Martin to put out a good next book, one that is better than ADWD and AFFC, because I find that reasonable, but beyond that, nothing.
 
The one factor that few have mentioned is the TV series.
This will roll forward one year at a time towards a conclusion in ... three or four series. I cannot even pretend to know the legal agreement between Martin and the TV people, but I doubt they will be required to place the series on ice for about six years to avoid running ahead of Martin. They will be plotting their own course towards a conclusion (I doubt Benioff and Weiss are thrashing around for an ending) Martin's input into that process may be limited. Even if Martin is heavily involved, the plot will be revealed and Martin faces the prospect of everyone knowing what is going to happen years before publication. At least Rowling managed to stay ahead of the films.

Sadly, his books will become an anti - climax, trailing in years behind the TV show.
 
Michael M said:
Sadly, his books will become an anti - climax, trailing in years behind the TV show.
Click to expand...

And even though many readers will we eagerly awaiting them (and some will have kept away from the TV series to keep the books fresh) I wonder if the TV series reduces his impetus to finish them. The pressure's off; he's no longer the only source for a resolution to the story.
 
Michael M said:
Sadly, his books will become an anti - climax, trailing in years behind the TV show.
Click to expand...

Sure, if all you care about is just the basic plot points. Have you ever read a book *after* watching its movie or TV show? Did knowing what was going to happen ruin your enjoyment of the book? "Spoilers" just aren't that big of a deal.
 
yes and no viZion. Knowing certain stuff is going to happen does ruin the suspense a bit. You can still enjoy the book definitely, but it's not the same.
 
@myself in above mentioned thread

Koopa said:
This thread goes to show one thing and one thing only:
It's a gathering of a bunch of optimists. Bullies the whole lot of you.
Leaving me as the sole pessimist... . When your appointed day comes and goes, when your launchday dreamdate shatters i will be there to point my finger and laugh MUHAHAHA. Optimists...., recepts for disaster.
Click to expand...

To be honest, i was sad alongside them, wishing the book to be released already as well. By now I'm somewhat lethargic about it (is that the right word), and just waiting on the tv show for some closure on the story. Not too mention I turned out to be an optimist as well. I said something along the lines of spring 2016...
 
Sorry, folks, but I've changed the thread's title.


GoT 6 isn't being delayed at all (given that Game of Thrones is the name of the TV show, not the series of books), but ASoIaF 6.
 
I noticed this on George's blog from about 4 weeks ago. (Most of his blogs/journal entries are about American Football). At least he shouldn't be getting sidetracked too much now other than his blog.
-------------------------------
Hello, Mr. Martin! Sorry for the off-topic question, but will you be writing an episode for Season 7 of Game of Thrones? D&D mentioned in a podcast earlier this month that they were about to start outlining the plot, so we, the readers instantly thought "Okay, will GRRM be involved this time?"

Feb. 16th, 2016 09:57 pm (UTC)
I am not writing anything until I deliver WINDS OF WINTER. Teleplays, screenplays, short stories, introductions, forewords, nothing.

And I've dropped all my editing projects but Wild Cards.
 
Judderman said:
I noticed this on George's blog from about 4 weeks ago. (Most of his blogs/journal entries are about American Football). At least he shouldn't be getting sidetracked too much now other than his blog.
-------------------------------
Hello, Mr. Martin! Sorry for the off-topic question, but will you be writing an episode for Season 7 of Game of Thrones? D&D mentioned in a podcast earlier this month that they were about to start outlining the plot, so we, the readers instantly thought "Okay, will GRRM be involved this time?"

Feb. 16th, 2016 09:57 pm (UTC)
I am not writing anything until I deliver WINDS OF WINTER. Teleplays, screenplays, short stories, introductions, forewords, nothing.

And I've dropped all my editing projects but Wild Cards.
Click to expand...

I saw that, but I didn't really pay much attention to it.

I am cautious with optimism regarding this. There are still dozens of his other, non-writing projects he mentions on his blog quite often and last time he wrote something similar, the whole Hugo kerfuffle of 2015 happened and he ended up writing massive posts about that.
 
But here is part of another of his post's from a couple of weeks ago, about a convention in Virginia. Doesn't sound quite as encouraging. :-O Also as you say he mentions Hugo awards a lot.
------------------
I am looking forward to spending some time with old friends there, and to making some new ones.

Truth be told, I need a good con just about now. I am tired and I am stressed, and I am so so so sick of the toxic rancor that more and more seems to characterize the internet.

So... let's raise a few glasses and have a few laughs at MystiCon, and try to remember why we love science fiction, fandom, and each other.
 
This is the first part of a post this week.
-------------------------
Got back from MystiCon on Monday. It was a fun weekend, and did much to restore my spirits. After all the internet rancor that has dominated on-line discussion of late, it was good to be reminded of what cons are all about... and how warm, welcoming, and open fandom can be. The Roanoke crowd seemed like good folks. And it was great to see how many young people and first-timers were at the con (I asked for a show of hands on several occasions). All the alarums about the demise of traditional SF fandom may be somewhat premature, I'm thinking.

Back home, of course, I had the usual thousand new emails waiting in my inbox. But among them, at long long last, was my Hugo PIN from MidAmericon II. I can finally begin nominating for this year's awards. I urge all of you to do the same.
 
That's really what I mean. Even if Martin isn't actively writing anything else, he is still a man who enjoys various projects and rarely resists taking on a new one. And once nominations are out, you can bet he'll be reading the nominees and their works if he hadn't read them and I am rather sure that Sad Puppies will still be active and he'll still be unable to resist posting in response to them.
 
This constant surveillance and guessing at what George is up to at any given moment is a little bit obsessive, and unnecessary. Most writers, including writers far faster and far slower than GRRM, write for about 4 hours a day, sometimes producing a thousand page novel in a year and sometimes taking three years to write a four hundred page novel. One thing that no writer does, unless they're insane or don't mind churning out utter garbage or perhaps are in the last stage of the final edit under deadline, is write for eight or ten or twelve hours a day non-stop.

George has plenty of time to both write ASoIaF and do other stuff without it affecting his writing output. He's said at points in the past his non-ASoIaF projects have cut into his ASoIaF writing time and that's caused problems. That's definitely not happening now, or for the last few months at the very least.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
Brian G Turner The Influence of Viking Myth on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin George R R Martin 7
SR Binkley 'What ifs' in A Song of Ice and Fire George R R Martin 49
Mark778 A Song Of Ice and Fire book and TV series Book Discussion 2
Groot A song of ice and fire (the song) suggestions George R R Martin 0
R Humorous thought about the ending of Song of Ice and Fire... George R R Martin 3

Similar threads


Back
Top