A Song of Ice and Fire **Spoilers** Now more TV talk!

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Totally agree that trying to filter out info from "aired" episodes would be impossible though.

Why? It wasn't impossible for people who had read the books to refrain from disclosing spoilers to people who were watching the show. For years. Why the egregious double-standard? Are people who watch TV primarily simply less disciplined and considerate than readers?

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Why? It wasn't impossible for people who had read the books to refrain from disclosing spoilers to people who were watching the show. For years. Why the egregious double-standard? Are people who watch TV primarily simply less disciplined and considerate than readers?

Yes.

[GreenLantern]

Great SPOILER filled summary of the season 6 speculation in the North:

Spoilered for spoilers.

Spoiler!

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/09/game-of-thrones-season-6-jon-snow-battle-rickon-sansa-stark

[photon]

So much for reading Winds of Winter before the show starts.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/465247.html

HE WINDS OF WINTER is not finished.

Believe me, it gave me no pleasure to type those words. You're disappointed, and you're not alone. My editors and publishers are disappointed, HBO is disappointed, my agents and foreign publishers and translators are disappointed... but no one could possibly be more disappointed than me. For months now I have wanted nothing so much as to be able to say, "I have completed and delivered THE WINDS OF WINTER" on or before the last day of 2015.

But the book's not done.

Nor is it likely to be finished tomorrow, or next week. Yes, there's a lot written. Hundreds of pages. Dozens of chapters. (Those 'no pages done' reports were insane, the usual garbage internet journalism that I have learned to despise). But there's also a lot still left to write. I am months away still... and that's if the writing goes well. (Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't.) Chapters still to write, of course... but also rewriting. I always do a lot of rewriting, sometimes just polishing, sometimes pretty major restructures.

[TheDragon]

At this point, I'll be surprised if it's released before A Dream of Spring gets televised.

[Rubicant]

Originally Posted by photon

So much for reading Winds of Winter before the show starts.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/465247.html

Least surprising news ever.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by TheDragon

At this point, I'll be surprised if it's released before A Dream of Spring gets televised.

Im at that point now

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by photon

So much for reading Winds of Winter before the show starts.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/465247.html

Yeah, this news shocks no one who reads the books who started reading them before the tv show.

[Mike F]

As a fan of the Wheel of Time series, I can say with complete sincerity that I just want them done before he dies.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Mike F

As a fan of the Wheel of Time series, I can say with complete sincerity that I just want them done before he dies.

I don't think there's anyway that happens. He's fairly old, not in great shape, and is getting slower at writing the older he gets. The TV series ending is the only one we're going to get IMO

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by Mike F

As a fan of the Wheel of Time series, I can say with complete sincerity that I just want them done before he dies.

Sanderson was able to salvage that series though from the meandering that Jordan went on.. but I agree, it is always better to have the original writer finish what he or she started.

I am not overly upset about having the show spoil things, it won't be 100% accurate to what Martin is writing so the books will still feel somewhat new. And there will be a ton more content and detail in them.

[CliffFletcher]

It's evident from his interviews and blog posts that Martin dreads sitting down to the keyboard to write these books. Whatever pleasure he had taken in the series is long gone. Now it's just a crushing burden.

Interesting that he admits to being a chronic procrastinator. A classic tactic of procrastinators is to substitute a new activity or goal for the one you're trying to avoid. Martin doesn't outline, and has admitted that although he knows how the series will end, he pretty much makes up the plot as he goes. My take is that sometime early in the Feast of Crows he became frustrated with wrestling the main plot into shape, and allowed himself to get enticed by a host of digressions, hoping that the main plot problems would fix themselves. The story became more complicated, and even more difficult to resolve. Sitting down to write became even more of a chore. Anything became more attractive than writing the next book - conventions, hanging around the TV production, other writing projects.

I don't really fault the guy. He's a very undisciplined writer, but that's just how he writes. And he doesn't owe the fans anything. Still, it should be clear by now that he won't finish the series. And he has said he won't let anyone else finish, even once he's dead. So the TV series is the only conclusion we'll get to the story.

[Finger Cookin]

I'm going to continue watching the show (can't see it going more than 3 more seasons), and will be briefly excited about the book series again when new books release.

[CliffFletcher]

There will two more seasons of the TV show. The Winds of Winter will be released in late 2016 or early 2017. It will be no better than the last two books. Martin will go through the motions of writing a 7th volume, a chapter here and there for a couple years, but it will be apparent to everyone (including him) that it won't be possible to conclude the series in one more volume. And once the 7th season of the show is over, all but the most die-hard fans will pretty much forget all about a Song of Ice and Fire.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

There will two more seasons of the TV show. The Winds of Winter will be released in late 2016 or early 2017. It will be no better than the last two books. Martin will go through the motions of writing a 7th volume, a chapter here and there for a couple years, but it will be apparent to everyone (including him) that it won't be possible to conclude the series in one more volume. And once the 7th season of the show is over, all but the most die-hard fans will pretty much forget all about a Song of Ice and Fire.

Okay, now you're just making me sad

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Okay, now you're just making me sad

It is sad. I read Game of Thrones in 1998. I was an early fan. And since I've dabbled in fiction myself, I have some inkling of what Martin is going through. Following the books since a Feast of Crows has been like watching an ultra-slow motion film of a ship foundering in a storm. Now the ship is rolling over and capsizing, inch by inch.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It's evident from his interviews and blog posts that Martin dreads sitting down to the keyboard to write these books. Whatever pleasure he had taken in the series is long gone. Now it's just a crushing burden.

Interesting that he admits to being a chronic procrastinator. A classic tactic of procrastinators is to substitute a new activity or goal for the one you're trying to avoid. Martin doesn't outline, and has admitted that although he knows how the series will end, he pretty much makes up the plot as he goes. My take is that sometime early in the Feast of Crows he became frustrated with wrestling the main plot into shape, and allowed himself to get enticed by a host of digressions, hoping that the main plot problems would fix themselves. The story became more complicated, and even more difficult to resolve. Sitting down to write became even more of a chore. Anything became more attractive than writing the next book - conventions, hanging around the TV production, other writing projects.

I don't really fault the guy. He's a very undisciplined writer, but that's just how he writes. And he doesn't owe the fans anything. Still, it should be clear by now that he won't finish the series. And he has said he won't let anyone else finish, even once he's dead. So the TV series is the only conclusion we'll get to the story.

Yep, pretty much exactly my thoughts after finishing a Feast for Crows. He doesn't know how to finish the story so he just took us on a long sojourn (which was perfectly referred to by Brienne's wandering around storyline in that book) to avoid facing up to the hard work of working out the end-game.

Thankfully the commercial imperative of filming the TV show will provide resolution to the main plot points. And, maybe that's been his genius all along by recognizing that he was incapable of finishing his magnum opus and passing it off to those who could because of the restrictions, realities and conventions of the TV medium.

[Bigtime]

Oh man this thread has taken a turn...darkest timeline in here.



Anyone reading the Kingkiller Chronicle? I just finished up Book one (The Name of the Wind) in December, about to start book two. I'm enjoying the world being created in that series. Will get back to ASoIaF re-read eventually.

[Bobblehead]

The fact that he isn't rushing this out actually gives me hope. He has an idea of how the story will unfold and isn't letting other timelines force his hand.

No, I'm not pleased it is taking this long - I've been reading since the 3rd book - but he isn't just churning it out to get it done, which I'm sure would be tempting.

And even if he did get this one done, no chance he was going to get the next one done before next season. So I don't really care when the series passes the books.

[Locke]

From what I understand HBO has this for 8 seasons at which point they expect it to wrap up. I cant remember where I read this.