Calling all Game of Thrones fans and A Song of Ice and Fire fans: He’s done it! The Maestro has done it! George R. R. Martin has completed(!!!)…a blog post detailing his latest updates on the definitely-not-yet-complete but hopefully-further-along-than-it-was-prior-to-quarantine The Winds of Winter. Its predecessor A Dance with Dragons came out NINE years ago next month. Yes, readers, that is correct. Understandably, fans have been getting a little antsy for good news, what with the state of the world in constant flux and all. Hopefully, George’s latest post is a welcome relief of stress. Rest assured that he is, as ever, working, on it. How much so? Let’s check out what he says.
“I finished a new chapter yesterday, another one three days ago, another one the previous week. But no, this does not mean that the book will be finished tomorrow or published next week. It’s going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go.”
Oh, do you? Still a long way to go? How many ‘ways’ to go are we talking? 10 pages? 100 pages? 600 pages? We’ll never know! But one thing is clear. He would like those many websites speculating on his progress to simply stop. Martin says, “Please do not give any credence to any of the click-bait websites that like to parse every word of my posts as if they were papal encyclicals to divine hidden meanings.” Given the article I’m writing here, I’d hate for my name to show up on one of those lists. So I’ll make it clear that this is not speculating. Just commenting. And observing. And adding my thoughts. Is that speculating? Dammit.
With CoNZealand canceled, George’s plans to go there fell through, which means more time to rush and get the book out this year…right? “I can always visit Wellington next year, when I hope that both Covid-19 and THE WINDS OF WINTER will be done.” Next year?! Isn’t that what he said last year? Now, remember that we’re in a different place than we were in 2011 when the last book came out. Back then, we were only one season in to what would soon become the biggest show on the face of the planet. Now that the show is over, and everyone all over the Internet loved the ending unreservedly, we’re past all the hype. And yet, the fates of certain characters in the book are still in question.
Will their journeys unfold and conclude the way of the show? Will TV show conclusions that frustrated longtime fans conclude the same way or even similarly in the book? Will Stannis eat it? These are very important questions. One thing’s for sure – George is working on it: “Of late I have been visiting with Cersei, Asha, Tyrion, Ser Barristan, and Areo Hotah. I will be dropping back into Braavos next week. I have bad days, which get me down, and good days, which lift me up, but all in all I am pleased with the way things are doing.” We are thrilled that you are pleased. Now, we would also like to be pleased, so please please your way into the published pile!
But I digress. I know he’s working on it. And as someone who has at most written a short story two pages long, the last time of which was probably in 5th grade, I am definitely not one to speak or even rush him. I’d rather it take a long time and be good than be rushed and be bad. The only question is, how long will it take? “I do wish they would go faster, of course. Way way back in 1999, when I was deep in the writing of A STORM OF SWORDS, I was averaging about 150 pages of manuscript a month. I fear I shall never recapture that pace again. Looking back, I am not sure how I did it then. A fever indeed.”
So what can I say? He’s working on it, and it will be completed at his own pace. For the hot goss on what else George is up to in quarantine, including, but not limited to his latest book recommendations, check out his original post.
