"Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin has once again addressed the long-delayed next installment in his series, "The Winds of Winter," admitting he's not proud of the extensive wait and stating directly, "I'm not happy at all."
Speaking to fans at New York Comic Con, Martin revealed he's never been good at meeting deadlines, even from a young age, and now finds the publishing delays even more frustrating.
"I know everyone is complaining that 'The Winds of Winter' has taken too long, but I've always had this problem," Martin said. "I'm not happy about breaking contracts or missing deadlines; it makes me very uncomfortable."
Critics often accuse Martin of being sidetracked by other projects, causing the delay. In response, he asserted that creative inspiration cannot be confined, and he has the right to pursue different works that interest him: "I am indeed still writing 'The Winds of Winter,' but I also love other things, and these stories are all my children."
Since the release of "A Dance with Dragons" in 2011, Martin has published numerous spin-off and supplementary works, including "Fire & Blood," the novellas "The Rogue Prince" and "The Princess and the Queen," and "The World of Ice & Fire." He also continues to oversee the long-running "Wild Cards" anthology series and participates in game and television production.
Beyond his novels, he also contributed to the world-building for the bestselling game "Elden Ring" and has seen the success of HBO's hit series "House of the Dragon."
Despite these accomplishments, each new project announcement often draws frustration and skepticism from some fans. Martin humorously remarked, "Every time I announce something else, the internet goes crazy — 'Why isn't he writing the book?' I just want to say, that was a manuscript I wrote in 1993; they wanted to publish it, so I just sold it to them!"
Martin emphasized that "The Winds of Winter" remains his top priority, but he also acknowledged that time is not on his side. He stated, "A lot of people are already writing my obituary, saying I'll never finish it, and maybe they're right. I don't know, but at least I'm still alive and still working on it."
via： IGN