Game of Thrones begins....

[Barrister]

GRRM is 71, overweight, and evidently doesn't enjoy writing these books anymore. I predict that he'll finish The Winds of Winter within the next 5 years and then abandon the series entirely and/or die.

I'm confident he'll earn a lot of money from releasing a book however...

[Valmy]

GRRM is 71, overweight, and evidently doesn't enjoy writing these books anymore. I predict that he'll finish The Winds of Winter within the next 5 years and then abandon the series entirely and/or die.

I don't think that is evident. He wrote a freaking tome about the Targaryens and lamented he wishes he was younger because he had so many more ideas of things he wanted to do with the world.

[Valmy]

GRRM is 71, overweight, and evidently doesn't enjoy writing these books anymore. I predict that he'll finish The Winds of Winter within the next 5 years and then abandon the series entirely and/or die.

I'm confident he'll earn a lot of money from releasing a book however...

It is not like he needs the money.

[Habbaku]

GRRM is 71, overweight, and evidently doesn't enjoy writing these books anymore. I predict that he'll finish The Winds of Winter within the next 5 years and then abandon the series entirely and/or die.

I don't think that is evident. He wrote a freaking tomb about the Targaryens and lamented he wishes he was younger because he had so many more ideas of things he wanted to do with the world.

Yeah, I don't think it's evident in the least that he doesn't enjoy writing. He might not enjoy the struggle of writer's block, but who the fuck does? He seems to very much love and care for the world he's created, judging by the other works he's done within it and the constant attention he pays to it.

[grumbler]

"Cersei: Will the king and I have children?
Maggy: Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, she said. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you."

Now to the part you referred to directly.  One thing of interest is the part about how she would die is not the answer to her question.  She only asked whether she would have children.

Since the answer is in relation to her question about her children, it just occurred to me that "valonqar" could mean the younger brother amongst her three children.  But that would mean that Tommen's body was not burned as Cersei had instructed but instead kept by the Hand for whatever twisted experiments he likes to perform on his own time.

An interesting bit of speculation that I hadn't seen or thought of.  And that would fit perfectly with the twisted thinking of GRRM in his series.

Regarding Arya, valonqar could be a reference to someone who resembles one of Cercei's younger brothers.  The books don't tell us how precise the translation is.

That I find too much of a stretch.  People who merely resemble brothers aren't brothers.

[grumbler]

Yeah, I don't think it's evident in the least that he doesn't enjoy writing. He might not enjoy the struggle of writer's block, but who the fuck does? He seems to very much love and care for the world he's created, judging by the other works he's done within it and the constant attention he pays to it.

Maybe all of the other books are attempts to write around the writer's block?

[The Minsky Moment]

"the younger brother" /= "your younger brother"

It could be any younger brother or someone who in some way represents the concept of a younger brother. Arya is a girl but often acts like/takes the shape of a boy.

Presumably there is some reason why the soothsayer uses a foreign word for that particular term and presumably that reason is not to make things more clear.

[The Minsky Moment]

[Yeah, I don't think it's evident in the least that he doesn't enjoy writing. He might not enjoy the struggle of writer's block, but who the fuck does? He seems to very much love and care for the world he's created, judging by the other works he's done within it and the constant attention he pays to it.

I agree the real problem is the opposite of disinterest or laziness. The tail (the background of the world he imagined to support the narrative) is wagging the dog of writing the novels. He's become so entranced by his own world building that its taken over the original project of writing well plotted novels.  It's been increasingly apparent since the 4th book when he started to overly multiply narratives and side plots.

[Habbaku]

No contention there. I'd read as many world-building/travelogues/etc. as Martin wanted to put out, but...not everyone's into that, and it doesn't solve his plot problems. I'm sure he's realized that by now, and he seems positive from the most recent interviews he's given.

Whether that means book 7 will actually be released is anyone's guess.

[The Minsky Moment]

Hold on a sec.

"Valonquar" is a Valyrian word.  Why use it?  Perhaps to signify that it is the little brother of a Valyrian?
The most prominent Valyrian family in Westeros is the Targaryens.
The head of the Targaryen family is Jon Snow.
Snow has no living biological brothers but he has adopted siblings he regards as brothers:
+ Rickon is dead
+ Bran is "changed"

In the shows Jon Snow is the one that gives Arya her sword and encourages her "boyish" pursuits.  Their realtionship is akin to that of an older and younger brother.

Arya is THE Valonquar, the younger brother of the Valyrian.

Or . . . maybe Bran/Night King finishes her off . . .

[Habbaku]

I'm okay with Arya killing Cersei/being the valonqar or whatever, but I swear to Christ if they have someone info-dump the explanation like that, I might shoot the TV.

[grumbler]

...the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.

People really think that this could possibly describe Arya?  She doesn't have "his hands" and she doesn't kill by choking people.  Poison and stabbing/cutting are the elements of her MO.

[Habbaku]

I think Arya being the valonqar would be stupid as shit, but no stupider than some of the stuff the show has done already. Making a teen girl into a murder-hobo is apparently "cool" and "empowering", so why not have her kill Cersei too?

[The Minsky Moment]

If Tyrion is the son of the mad king, he would be Rhaegar's younger brother (valonquar), as well as Cersei's.

[Habbaku]

There is a scintilla of support for Tyrion being the Mad King's son. It's such a dumb theory.