George R.R. Martin attributes his frustration with the delay of The Winds of Winter to the pressure that comes with the success of Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire. The novel, more than a decade late, is only one of the many projects that Martin currently works on. Speaking with The Guardian, he shared:
The show has achieved such popularity around the world, the books have been so popular and so well reviewed, that every time I sit down I’m very conscious I have to do something great, and trying to do something great is a considerable weight to bear.
Martin has long admitted that he doesn’t work well with deadlines, and the fact that fans continue to bombard him with messages and comments demanding the release of the book only increases the author’s stress.
Finishing The Winds of Winter Has Become the Curse of GRRM’s Life
The outrage of fans amid the book’s delay prompted Martin to give a fitting response through his website, Not A Blog
When asked about The Winds of Winter, the author shockingly stated:
That’s the curse of my life here. There’s no doubt Winds of Winter is 13 years late. I’m still working on it. I have periods where I make progress and then other things divert my attention.
Martin’s comments could mean that the book has already become a burden to him, especially now that he’s involved with many projects, both related and unrelated to the world of Westeros.
The fame of the franchise wasn’t the only thing that worried him. The book was supposed to be delivered before Game of Thrones Season 6, and the fact that the show was moving forward already put even more weight on his problem. Martin recalled pounding his head against the keyboard out of stress, asking himself if he would ever finish the novel.
The latest update on the book’s progress comes from author Jeffe Kennedy, who revealed it is 70% done, a surprising contrast to Martin’s update in 2022 after he said he’s “three-quarters of the way done” (via Penguin Random House).
Martin’s Frustration Gets Even Worse After Game of Thrones Fiasco
The final season of Game of Thrones suffered immense backlash from fans, and Martin doesn’t think it has done him any good. Speaking with The Guardian, he admitted that
The very thing that should have speeded me up actually slowed me down.
With the show finally over, Martin ought to rush to complete his book since fans will now want to read the print version. However, the HBO series failed to deliver a satisfying ending, putting more pressure again on the author to “fix” the story.
Are you still expecting the release of The Winds of Winter? Let us know in the comments!
