George R.R. Martin expressed his hope to complete “The Winds of Winter” in 2021, as stated in a blog entry on his official website this Tuesday. This sixth installment in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which has gained immense popularity due to HBO’s adaptation, Game of Thrones, has long been anticipated by readers. However, fans may approach this news with cautious optimism given Martin’s history of missing self-imposed deadlines.
In his blog, Martin attributed some of his writing progress to the enforced isolation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. “I am spending long hours every day on ‘The Winds of Winter’ and making steady progress,” he noted. He recently completed a new chapter, with additional chapters finished on a fairly regular basis. Nevertheless, he tempered expectations by emphasizing that despite this progress, the book won’t be finished or published imminently. “It’s going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go,” he added.
The author mentioned that he has been working on chapters that feature well-known characters such as Cersei and Tyrion Lannister, Asha Greyjoy (also known as Yara Greyjoy in the HBO series), former Kingsguard Lord Commander Ser Barristan Selmy, and Sunspear guard captain Areo Hotah. He plans to focus on a chapter set in Braavos next week.
Martin reflected on his writing journey, acknowledging the ups and downs he encounters. “I have bad days, which get me down, and good days, which lift me up, but all in all I am pleased with the way things are [going],” he stated. He expressed a desire for the writing process to progress more rapidly, reminiscing about the prolific pace he maintained in 1999 while working on “A Storm of Swords.”
In addition to updates on his current writing, Martin provided a brief status report on the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, indicating that it is “flying along wonderfully.” He is also attempting to revive a series adaptation of the sci-fi superhero anthology “Wild Cards,” which he edits. Furthermore, he confirmed that adaptations of his previous works, including “Sandkings,” “The Ice Dragon,” and “In the Lost Lands,” are currently in development for film.
“Mostly, it’s just me in Westeros, with occasional side trips to other places in the pages of a great book,” Martin concluded.
The writing of The Winds of Winter has been underway since 2012.
Image by Sanna Pudas is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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