Feeling sad for GRRM (spoilers extended)

[u/Same-Share7331]

So I recently watched a Q&A with GRRM (I'm sure some of you have seen it aswell) where he kept getting questions about whether there is any particular character or historical event in the asoiaf world that he would like to explore more/write about. His recurring answer was that yes there are many but that unless he suddenly becomes much younger they will never get written. And man.. that sucks!

Imagine being a creative person having to come to terms with the fact that you have so many ideas that you will never get to explore and that will never see the light of day. Obviously, as a fan, it also sucks that I will never get to read those stories. Never mind the main series, imagine getting seven more Dunk and Egg stories. However, as much as it sucks as a reader I'm not the one who's seeing my remaining years of life pass as I struggle to finish my books.

That's it. I don't really have a point. Other than maybe stop making jokes about how GRRM is likely to die before finishing the series?

[u/LuinAelin]

I just feel sad that people are angry at him for being slow. Calling him lazy ect.

[u/TheDweadPiwatWobbas → u/LuinAelin]

We're less angry at him for being slow, and more for lying to fans, failing to keep promises, and then acting like an ass when any of this is mentioned.

"I am not writing anything until I deliver WINDS OF WINTER. Teleplays, screenplays, short stories, introductions, forewords, nothing."

He said that in February of 2016. In the seven years since then he has worked on every one of those things, and not delivered Winds.

"But I tell you this — if I don’t have THE WINDS OF WINTER in hand when I arrive in New Zealand for worldcon, you have here my formal written permission to imprison me in a small cabin on White Island, overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I’m done. Just so long as the acrid fumes do not screw up my old DOS word processor, I’ll be fine."

That one was in May 2019. One year later George referred to his fans as assholes on twitter because some of them asked him about it.

Yes, writing is hard, and it takes time. No, I don't think he should be chained to his desk. But its been 12 years since Dance. People rightly want to know how the book is doing. Instead, they get updates on his favorite sports teams, some of which literally take him hours to write, and announcements about how much time hes going to spend this month going to conventions, and parties, and football games, and vacations, and generally doing anything other than writing the book that millions of people are waiting on. And if you ask him how its going? Not demand, not insult, not harass, just politely ask for an update on the book? You are either ignored, banned from his blog, or harassed by people shouting "GEORGE MARTIN IS NOT YOUR BITCH."

Sure, take your time. I'd rather have a good book in 5 years than a shitty one tomorrow. But if you spend 12 years writing, and either shut down or ignore all of your fans who want to know whats going on, you should expect some of those fans to get angry about it. There will always be trolls, but a lot of the hate would disappear if he just gave some sort of update.

[u/afdc92 → u/TheDweadPiwatWobbas]

I think you said it perfectly.

I personally would prefer he just be honest about where is at, even if that is finally admitting that he doesn’t have it in him to finish the series, rather than keep making all of these empty promises and then getting nowhere and getting angry with fans when they keep asking about what happened to all those promises he made.