George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series exploded in popularity following the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones. Martin’s books deliver to readers a gritty fantasy world that feels almost as alive as our own world. While millions of fans have read and adored Martin’s books, they have also had to endure the long wait for the next book in the series, The Winds of Winter. The previous book in the series, A Dance with Dragons, was published almost ten years ago in 2011, and fans have had to be patient for Winds. It’s clear Martin isn’t the fastest writer in the world, but he recently took to his blog to give us an update on how the next novel is doing, and it sounds promising.
On his official Not a Blog, Martin stated that, when he’s not sweating over the US election or brooding over the many troubles the world is facing at the moment, he continues to work on The Winds of Winter. He began by saying that no, he’s not finished yet, but is inching closer.
“It is a big big book. I try not to dwell on that too much,” wrote Martin. “I write a chapter at a time, a page at a time, a sentence at a time, a word at a time. It is the only way. And sometimes I rewrite.
“Of late I have been spending a lot of time with the Lannisters. Cersei and Tyrion in particular. I’ve also paid a visit to Dorne, and dropped in to Oldtown a time or three. In addition to turning out new chapters, I’ve been revising some old ones (some very old)… including, yes, some stuff I read at cons ages ago, or even posted online as samples. I tweak stuff constantly, and sometimes go beyond tweaking, moving things around, combining chapters, breaking chapters in two, reordering stuff.
“None of this is even remotely new. It is how the first five books were written.”
Martin said he was “on a roll” earlier this year in June and July, but his progress has continued more slowly since then, though he is picking up steam again. He also noted that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, things are looking good for the Game of Thrones spin-off TV show House of the Dragon, saying that casting has begun.
He finished the post by saying: “So that’s where all that stands. Or at least, that’s as much as I am allowed to tell you right now.
“Hang in there, friends.”
It may still be a while before we get our hands on The Winds of Winter, but it looks like it’s getting ever closer.
Poisonous books removed from the National Library of France
Book Returned to Scottish Library 73 Years Late
Librarian discovers cash inside book returned 53 years late
//
//