Game of Thrones/ASOIAF creator George R. R. Martin (GRRM) gives a Winds of Winter update in a recent TV appearance. The author confirms to Stephen Colbert on The Late Show that he is around 75% finished with the book.
As most fans already know, GRRM isn’t a fast writer and it has been a long time since the last book. A Dance with Dragons was published in 2011. Martin has therefore been writing The Winds of Winter for the best part of 11 years. Fans had started to wonder whether the book would ever be finished and ready for publishing? I’m sure fans will be a little more hopeful after hearing what Martin had to say. Though, that will still leave us with the final book, A Dream of Spring in order to finish the story off.
“I am making progress with The Winds of Winter, but it’s still not done yet, I think it’s going to be a very big book.” Martin told Colbert. “I think I’m about three-quarters of the way done. The characters all interweave. I’ve actually finished with some of the characters, I’ve got their whole story, but not others. So I have to finish all that weaving. Still gonna take me awhile.”
As for being hounded by fans, Martin already knows what happens the day after Winds is finally published.
“I do know one thing for certain,” added the writer. “We’re going to deliver it, and it’s going to be published, and the next day I’ll get the first tweet asking, ‘Where’s A Dream of Spring?'”
Martin must be a dreamer to have such prescience of the future. However, you know he’s absolutely correct.
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You can catch the full interview in the video below if you wish.
One thing that’s for certain to me, is that the phenomenal success of the Game of Thrones TV show had a factor in how long Winds has taken. Suddenly Martin was world famous and he was rich. Perhaps more importantly his story was taken in different directions than he intended, then finished without any input from him. Whilst Martin may have told showrunners Benioff and Weiss where some characters ended, he could not tell them the full story because he hadn’t written it yet.
It is therefore highly likely that there will be some stark differences between the versions of the story. Martin has already told fans about a twist he dreamed up involving characters that the show had already killed before he created it.
I would however expect Bran to sill end up on the Throne in the books. It’s just how he gets there should hopefully make a lot more sense than, ‘he has the best story’.
What do you think of his comments as GRRM gives a Winds of Winter update that he is around 75% complete? As always, leave any thoughts below.