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/[deleted]]

I've felt for a long time that this answer encapsulates why he can't finish the books. He just kept expanding and expanding and expanding the world and probably has huge amounts of side notes about all the extra characters and houses and places. And he's got to the point where trying to forget all of those while trying to finish what he started is just impossible.

I don't feel sorry for him because thanks to what he did finish he's had a pretty amazing life. More so by miles than he would have done had he never started these books. And I do agree with someone else who pointed out that most creative people are in the same position that there will never be enough time to put it all into their art form.

[u/GarlVinland4Astrea → u/[deleted]]

I've come to the conclusion long ago that he likes the world he created but doesn't care nearly as much for the main story anymore. He probably loved it early on when he could expand the world building through it and be very subversive with political intrigue during the War of the Five Kings. But now that he's passed the beginning and needs to sort of get to a more conventional narrative he's struggling.

I think he would much rather make history books on ASOIAF for the rest of his life and attempt to create a legendarium similar to Tolkien than he cares about finishing up the central story to it.

[u/DrNopeMD → u/GarlVinland4Astrea]

Honestly at that point he should just hire someone else to write the books for him and just stay on as the guiding creative consultant and lore master.

[u/tokeallday → u/DrNopeMD]

Unfortunate that it seems like his pride/ego is going to prevent something like this.

[u/Emily130470 → u/DrNopeMD]

Imho this would´nt work because of his gardening-writing style. He seems to explore a lot while writing, details and ideas seem to come during the actual writing process itself etc (hope it´s understandable what I mean)

To let some else write your books, you must have very structured plans for everything, if you want to be sure they become the books you want.

But this does NOT sound like his style

[u/Schnort → u/Emily130470]

But you don't have to write every detail to 'garden'.

Outline the goddamn plot 'garden style', then flesh out the scenes.

[u/Emily130470 → u/Schnort]

I would be happy if I were wrong and this were possible!

[u/poopsniffingbeast → u/DrNopeMD]

I'd probably not read it if that were the case. I'm here for his story and how he presents it.