It’s no secret that George R.R. Martin likes to take his time with his works, and his fans have mostly gotten used to that fact by now. Still, the author has been particularly slow with the latest installment in his iconic book series, and it’s not clear when “Winds of Winter” will be ready for publishing. While most fans are in agreement that it’s better to wait a little longer and get a quality result in the end, it’s obvious that some people’s patience has been wearing thin after so many delays.
It got to the point where the producers of “Game of Thrones” needed a private meeting with the author to discuss his general plot direction, so that they could avoid clashes between the show and the book. But beyond that, nobody really knows what the storyline looks like, nor how far along Martin is with it exactly.
According to recent reports, it seems like writer’s block is the main culprit behind the delay. Martin has apparently been facing some issues finding a way to finish the story, and knowing how seriously this can affect some creative minds, it’s not unreasonable to expect the delay to go on for even longer. Hopefully that’s not the case, but in the end, it’s George R.R. Martin – the man is a mystery to his entire fanbase and the people that surround him.
Fans were in for a small shock recently when it was reported that the producer of The Beatles – also named George Martin – had passed away. The name similarity sent some people into a state of panic as they believed that the writer’s health had finally caught up with him and they would never get to see the end of the story.
As ridiculous as the whole incident was in retrospect, it actually pointed out something that many people probably don’t want to admit is on their minds – there is an actual fear in the community of Martin’s fans that the book will not actually be finished.
Martin himself has insisted that his fans just have to be patient and their wait will be rewarded, but so far we’re yet to see any indication that he’s made significant progress on his next book. The author did take some time off from public appearances, allegedly so he could concentrate on his writing better, but we’re yet to see any actual results.
Meanwhile, “Game of Thrones” season 6 is approaching fast – there are only a few weeks left before the show returns to the screen, which would arguably make the situation even worse for Martin’s fans. It’s a tradition for many of those who follow both the books and the TV series to read the book first and then watch the corresponding season of the show, but it looks like they might have to swap their priorities this time around.
Or, even worse for some, they would have to avoid watching the show – and engaging in any discussions related to it – until the book has been released if they don’t want to spoil any of the story for themselves. Considering that the show and the book are aligned on their major plot points, it’s obvious how watching the sixth season of “Game of Thrones” can reveal a lot of information that can make “Winds of Winter” a duller experience. And then there’s the fact that it can be easy to avoid watching the show, but not so much to avoid reading what people are saying about it online.