Fans of the bestselling fantasy saga "A Song of Ice and Fire" continue to play the waiting game for the release of the sixth and latest installment "Winds of Winter." Ever since author George RR Martin promised to focus on completing the book, seeing him in interviews or shows became almost rare.
Thankfully, coming out of the writing hibernation, the 67-year-old writing superstar decided to sit down for a chat with his alma mater Northwestern University in Medill School of Journalism, where he was honored the Hall of Achievement alumni award. There, he talked about the much-awaited tome.
Martin has long said that he follows no deadline and quality is his priority. He likes writing by his own rules so that he will be able to put out a book that lives by his standard and one that would make fans feel like it is well worth the wait. This is his principle in writing "Winds of Winter" too.
"I've been hearing them come up behind me for years, and the question is 'How can I make myself write faster?' I think, by now, the answer is, I can't," Martin said via Vulture to the audience at the Cahn Auditorium of the school.
He also emphasized that he is not the least bit worried about having been outpaced by "Game of Thrones," a mega hit series adaptation of his books, adding that "what the show is doing is not going to change what the books are."
It has been reported that "Game of Thrones" season 6 is being pushed back for HBO's new rock and roll Mick Jagger-starrer "Vinyl," which took over the show's usual timeslot. As per Inquisitr, the delay may have been instigated by the request of Martin himself to wait for the book to hit the shelves.
This is apparently to avoid the show, which should at least be grounded by the "Winds of Winter" to a certain extent, from spoiling the highly-anticipated volume.
What this could mean is that while the show won't likely air until May, as Vanity Fair predicts, "Winds of Winter" is just a stone's throw away from its release. The publication foresees that the three months before the HBO ratings behemoth, the sixth "A Song of Ice and Fire" should be in fans' hands.
This should help fans of the TV series to get by as they wait for new episodes to arrive. But then again, only Martin knows when he will put the book out and he promises that when it's ready, he will personally be the one to deliver the news.