At a Glance
- George R. R. Martin says he has written about 1,100 manuscript pages of The Winds of Winter
- The author admits he sometimes avoids the project: “Sometimes I’m not in the mood”
- He vows to finish the book himself and calls the idea of quitting “a total failure”
- Why it matters: Fans have waited over a decade for the next A Song of Ice and Fire novel
George R. R. Martin has offered a candid update on the long-awaited sixth A Song of Ice and Fire novel, The Winds of Winter, telling The Hollywood Reporter that while he has completed roughly 1,100 manuscript pages, he still wrestles with motivation and scheduling.
Martin’s Writing Process
The 77-year-old author, whose fantasy saga inspired HBO’s Game of Thrones, said his creative rhythm often stalls.
“I will open the last chapter I was working on and I’ll say, ‘Oh f—, this is not very good,'” Martin explained. “And I’ll go in and I’ll rewrite it.”
He jumps between characters when stuck:
- Switches from a stalled Tyrion chapter to a Jon Snow chapter
- Rewrites pages he deems subpar
- Needs uninterrupted stretches to regain momentum
“If I’m not interrupted though, what happens – at least in the past – is sooner or later, I do get into it,” he noted.
Competing Priorities
Martin said producing duties and side projects consume chunks of his calendar.
“I do think if I can just get some of these other things off my back, I could finish The Winds of Winter pretty soon,” he told the outlet. “It’s been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but … I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for that.”
Other obligations include:
- Producing roles on several television series
- His Tales of Dunk and Egg novella series
- Public appearances and convention commitments
Length and Scope
Martin believes the completed book could become the longest in the series.
“If I wound up doing everything in my head, this could be the longest book in the series,” he said, citing the sprawling cast and interwoven plots as major challenges.
He confirmed that the ending “is going to be significantly different” from the Game of Thrones finale, with character fates diverging from the televised version:
- Some characters alive in his manuscript will be dead in the show
- Some deceased in the books survive on screen
No Ghostwriter
Despite repeated fan requests for assistance, Martin rejected the idea of handing the project to another writer.
When asked about abandoning the series altogether, he replied, “I would hate that. It would feel like a total failure to me. I want to finish.”
Key Takeaways:
- Martin has written 1,100 pages but offers no release date
- He prioritizes the novel yet admits mood affects output
- The book’s ending will differ from the HBO adaptation
- He insists on completing the saga himself
