As filming for the final season of Game Of Thrones has officially wrapped up, writer George RR Martin has spoken out on the books and revealed just how much of an undertaking it was.
Taking about the series, the 70-year-old revealed that the project ‘nearly killed him’ as he swore to now stick to writing short stories.
According to the star, he wants to return to writing novels, but won’t ever produce anything on the same scale and GOT.
Talking to The Express, he said: ‘This thing nearly killed me and it’s probably the most massive work that I’m capable of doing.
‘I hope to continue writing standalone novels, novellas and short stories, but nothing on this scale.’
While at the Emmys, George claimed that he is currently working on the final two books of the set, but admitted that he wished he’d finished them years ago.
He told the Hollywood Reporter: ‘Going to set [of the TV show] is a lot of fun but there’s nothing for me to do there, so I thought I better stay home and not go to Croatia; or Spain; or Belfast, [Northern] Ireland. I still have two books to write.
‘I’m working on [The Winds of Winter], and I wish I’d been done four years ago.’
Before adding: ‘But I’m slow and the book is very complex, although there are a lot of great distractions out there.’
But even though the books aren’t even written yet, the on-screen series is set to come to an end next year, and actor Iain Glen reckons the ending won’t go down well with everyone.
Talking to Metro.co.uk he said: ‘For viewers who have fallen in love with the show over the course of 70 plus hours, you get very strong affiliations and [are] possessive as an audience.
‘I find that with things that transport me, you feel like it’s yours.
‘Without really thinking it through too clearly, you do have aspirations, you’ve got desires for what or may not happen.
‘The bottom line is I’m sure we’ll not please everyone across the board, but when we gathered for reading the scripts right at the beginning, there was a huge sense the writers had done a fantastic job, and a fantastic job for the series as a whole.’
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