George R.R. Martin Calls ‘The Winds of Winter’ the ‘Curse of My Life’ After 13-Year Delay

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George R.R. Martin’s ongoing work on “The Winds of Winter,” his unfinished “Game of Thrones” novel, has stirred up renewed apprehension as he refers to it as a “bane of my existence.

The sixth installment of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, which has been under development for thirteen years, is causing mounting impatience among readers, some resorting to using AI like ChatGPT to complete the novel.

A portion of the delay is attributed to him being engrossed in his continuous collaboration with HBO, where he’s working on enlarging the Game of Thrones TV realm, including projects like House of the Dragon and other spinoffs that are currently in production, keeping him quite busy.

One additional factor could be attributed to his numerous revisions. Martin himself has acknowledged that the writing journey hasn’t been smooth sailing, yet The Winds of Winter continues to captivate fans as the elusive masterpiece in the renowned fantasy series.

George R.R. Martin addresses delay on Game of Thrones’ The Winds of Winter

Martin shared some insights about his book during an interview with Time, stating, “Regrettably, I’m 13 years behind schedule with The Winds of Winter.

I’m still in the process of finishing it. Sometimes I make good progress, but then other matters come up that require my focus, only to find myself with a pressing deadline for an HBO series.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got to say, despite Martin confirming the delay, he also stood up for himself and his busy schedule. Let me tell you, just this month, scientists stirred quite a buzz when they shared news that dire wolves – yes, those iconic creatures from Game of Thrones – are no longer extinct!

Martin got an invitation to visit the recently born trio of dire wolves, engineered by Colossal Biosciences through cloning and genetic modification techniques.

During their conversation about the progress of the book, the interviewer from The Times referenced remarks made by fans, saying something like “We received authentic direwolves ahead of receiving ‘The Winds of Winter’.

Martin replied, “However, it’s worth noting that these two aspects aren’t linked. Frankly, it’s puzzling to me why some folks assume that I’d abandon my bookstore to write The Winds of Winter instead.

Although I may appear as an employee at the bookstore, I am actually its owner. I have staff who work there and take care of day-to-day operations. If you visit the bookstore, you will find my signed books among the many others by various authors.

As a gamer, I’ve got my own world to conquer. I’m not taking on the task of manning the cash register nor am I pre-ordering the upcoming books. Instead, I’ve got a theater of my own – a virtual one, mind you. I’m not their projectionist, and it seems they underestimate the time I spend in my own gaming adventures.

Beyond owning stocks and bonds, I don’t actively participate in shareholder meetings or hold positions on the board of directors. Essentially, I’ve put my resources into an investment, and occasionally, the value increases, yielding profits for me, but at other times, such as now, it can swiftly decrease, leading to substantial losses. It’s important to note that I am not in control of its operation.

You’re aware of my involvement in the dire wolf incident. At present, I’m comfortably seated at home, possibly engaged in work on The Winds of Winter novel or one of the screenplays, when all of a sudden, Peter Jackson calls me.

Additionally, I’ve learned about this and decided to visit the location, which took approximately four days. However, this journey didn’t significantly interfere with the progress of ‘Winds of Winter’. Some overzealous fans might think it’s an either-or situation, but that’s not the case.

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2025-04-17 12:50