Summary

  • George R. R. Martin is responding to the frustration over the delay of The Winds of Winter by showing fans that he is actually working on the book.
  • The length and complexity of the book, as well as the criticisms of Game of Thrones season 8, may be contributing to the long delay.
  • Martin's work on other books in the universe also adds to the challenges he faces in completing the much-anticipated book.

While he is often mocked, Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin is officially biting back. Martin published the first book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series in 1996 and has since completed five of the seven books in the series. The book, The Winds of Winter, has been highly anticipated since the fifth book was published in 2011. The success of the TV adaptation has only encouraged excitement for the book.

The constant Winds of Winter delays has been a frustrating issue for years. Many readers often joke about Martin's refusal to continue working on the book. Now, George R. R. Martin has taken to Twitter to show fans that he really is working.

Martin's post begins with a picture of him standing by a group of aliens. The caption "What everyone thinks I'm doing all day" sits at the bottom of the post. Below that picture is another image of Martin frantically writing on a post-it note while sitting in front of his computer. It is captioned "What I'm actually doing..."

Why Is The Winds Of Winter Taking So Long?

The Winds of Winter Cover

Because Martin insists that he is working on the book, it is prudent to question what is actually behind these constant delays. One explanation could be that The Winds of Winter is the longest book in the series. The page count is not currently set, as Martin is still working, but he has previously stated that it will likely have the highest page count. The sheer amount of pages could be overwhelming, especially since the last book had to be split in two, which eventually became A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons.

Martin has written other books in the universe, including A World of Ice and Fire, Fire and Blood, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Another problem plaguing Martin could very well be the complexity of his world. With so many characters and plots crossing into each other, simply completing one character's chapters could lead to escalating problems in other perspectives. With many stories coming to their natural conclusions, characters could start interacting for the first time, which could very well pose a problem for Martin. Balancing that many points of view is an enormous challenge.

The criticism against Game of Thrones season 8 could also be posing a problem for Martin. He has already seen critiques against plots that could very well be planned for his book. If he chose to delay writing to revise these plots and develop a new storyline, that could easily have caused years of delay. The Winds of Winter may be taking an inordinate amount of time to write, but the Game of Thrones creator is still working on the book.

Source: George R. R. Martin / Twitter