.jpeg "George R.R. Martin Admits He’s “Not in the Mood” to Finish Winds of Winter")
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the author admitted he is “so far behind on everything” as he continues work on The Winds of Winter, the long-awaited sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Fourteen Years and Counting
Martin has been working on The Winds of Winter for 14 years. The novel follows A Dance With Dragons, which was released in 2011. The book series was adapted by HBO into the global hit TV drama Game of Thrones. The network later expanded the franchise with House of the Dragon and the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Martin has long promised that his final two planned novels — The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring — will end differently from HBO’s adaptation. But progress remains slow.
“I’m so far behind on everything,” Martin told the outlet. He added that although he understands fans see Winds as the priority, he sometimes struggles to focus on it.
“It’s been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but … I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for that,” he said.
Writers’ Block and Rewrites
Martin described a writing process filled with rewrites and shifting focus between characters.
According to the author, when he sits down to work, he often reopens the last chapter he wrote and decides it needs major revisions. If one character’s chapter isn’t progressing — such as Tyrion Lannister or Jon Snow — he switches to another point of view.
“If I’m not interrupted though, what happens — at least in the past — is sooner or later, I do get into it,” Martin explained.
The author is also juggling other projects. He said he needs to write more “Dunk and Egg” stories and hinted that another installment of Fire & Blood is planned.
Fire & Blood previously served as the source material for House of the Dragon.
Different Ending From the Show?
One major question is how closely Martin’s books will align with the ending of Game of Thrones, which concluded in 2019 to mixed reactions from fans.
Martin suggested his version will differ — and may even be darker.
“I was going to kill more people,” he said. “Not the ones they killed [in the show]. They made it more of a happy ending. I don’t see a happy ending for Tyrion. His whole arc has been tragic from the first.”
He also revealed that he once considered killing off Sansa Stark but is now reconsidering.
“I was going to have Sansa die, but she’s been so appealing in the show, maybe I’ll let her live,” he added.
The comments indicate that Martin is still making key decisions about which characters will survive — even as he works toward what he says will be a different conclusion from the television adaptation.
No Release Date Yet
Despite years of updates and assurances, there is still no release date for The Winds of Winter.
Martin insists he is writing, but fans remain frustrated by the continued delays. With multiple HBO adaptations expanding the franchise, interest in the world of Westeros remains strong — and so does anticipation for the next book.
For now, readers will have to keep waiting to see when The Winds of Winter — and eventually A Dream of Spring — finally arrive.
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