The official release date of The Winds of Winter remains to be one of the biggest mysteries today. The sixth installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series was first announced in 2011. However, up until now, George R.R. Martin has not yet completed the book.
Avid followers of the famous epic-fantasy book series continue to wonder what went wrong that the much-anticipated book was delayed over and over again. George R.R. Martin, previously, claimed that there have been a lot of distractions that affected the writing process. Besides his travels abroad, the 70-year-old American author was also busy working on the scripts of the upcoming five Game of Thrones prequels.
In 2017, George R.R. Martin revealed that he worked on the first volume of the Fire and Blood series, leaving him lesser time to finish The Winds of Winter. At the time, he predicted to finish the sixth book of the A Song and Fire series in "late 2018 or early 2019." However, things did not happen the way he and his fans wanted to since no new ASOIAF novel is released as of late.
In a previous interview, George R.R. Martin divulged to the public how his self-editing process work. The author of the The Winds of Winter novel stated that it involves doing away with several strips of his writings. He reiterated his previous statement in a talk with Entertainment Weekly, saying that he needs to do it most of the time "especially with these books, especially as we go deeper."
"I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, or the series is getting more complicated," George R.R. Martin told the entertainment news outlet. "I think I've been influenced by my own good reviews. I've had so many people say this is the greatest fantasy since Tolkien or even greater. It's awoken in me a desire not to blow it," The Winds of Winter writer added.
In a 2011 interview, George R.R. Martin also said that dealing with the "chronology" was harder that he thought. The veteran author claimed that he wants to feature the growth of each character. Thus, making things more complicated.
"And I thought I'd have a chapter. And the the next chapter would be a month later," George R.R. Martin, previously, stated. "Then the next would be two months after that. And by the end of the book a year will have passed," the author of the upcoming The Winds of Winter novel went on.
Meanwhile, George R.R. Martin hinted that the forthcoming sixth installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire could be released on or before July 2020. However, just like his previous forecasts, this should be taken lightly until everything is finalized. For now, stay tuned to Business Times for the latest news and updates about The Winds of Winter!
