The wait for Winds of Winter was going to be a long one, but the fans never realized that the wait could span over five years and more. There was a time when readers felt that George R. R. Martin might complete the book right on time for Game of Thrones Season 6.
That clearly wasn’t Martin’s plans and it doesn’t look like Winds of Winter will be ready on time for Game of Thrones Season 7 as well. The readers were skeptical about Game of Thrones coming out with their version of the sixth novel since it would spoil the story for them.
They have now realized that the HBO series is the only way the readers can find out what is to come since Martin refuses to complete the sixth novel in ‘A Song of Ice and Fire. He had promised fans in 2015 that he would cut down on his public appearances to spend time at his desk and complete the novel.
Martin had assured fans that he would be ready with the book before HBO could release Season 6 of Game of Thrones; which clearly didn’t happen. He then said that he would be ready with the book by the end of the year. Now with November over, those waiting for Winds of Winter have stopped hoping for a 2016 release.
Martin offered a LiveJournal update on Winds of Winter. He said that he will limit his appearances in 2017 and will remain so until he finishes Winds of Winter. The LiveJournal update clearly removes all hope of Winds of Winter releasing before Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere!
Martin is present at the International Book Fair in Guadalajara, and he said that this appearance would be the last one for him. He will not be available to sign books or give interviews after 30th November, until the day in 2017 when he finally hands over the manuscript for Winds of Winter to the publishers.
Martin will be a part of the International Book Fair as a special guest and will also be a part of the conference as a speaker. He will be participating in different interviews and live streaming events, apart from interacting with the fans and signing books.
Mashable reported that Martin joked about tasting tequila as well while he was there in Mexico. The trip would be Martin’s first to Mexico, and he is interested in interacting with his fans and supporters in the south.
Martin had expressed interest in working on the prequel to Game of Thrones. When there were talks of spin-offs from the popular series, he said that he is ready to work on the story that leads to the incidents of the Game of Thrones.
The author confessed that he had pages of stories written on the events which led to Game of Thrones. While the fans were excited to hear the prospect of the spin-off, they weren’t happy with the news that Martin was ready with material for the same. They felt that Martin was probably wasting time on the prequel instead of working on Winds of Winter.