Game of Thrones begins....

[Habbaku]

Not really surprising at all.  I was expecting no less.

I do have strong hopes for the book to be finished this year, however.  GRRM seems really down on himself in the public post he made on the matter.  I have to think he won't let the novel slip into 2017.

[celedhring]

He's probably getting heat from publishers since they are missing on a lot of money by not releasing before the show.

[Habbaku]

I don't think GRRM has ever given a shit about what his publishers think, at least beyond professional courtesy/personal relationships.  What kind of heat can they possibly give him?  He is immensely wealthy and can get his book printed with any company he wishes.  They have no power on him.

[Eddie Teach]

He's also missing out on money by not releasing before the show.

[Habbaku]

And?

[Norgy]

Dude knows how to sport suspenders and a cap.

[Eddie Teach]

And?

Some people are motivated by that. /shrug

[grumbler]

And?

Some people are motivated by that. /shrug

Beyond a certain point, money becomes meaningless.  Martin seems past that point.  It's pretty obvious that he feels no real pressure to finish the book, other than personal pride.

[The Brain]

He has a personal pride?

[grumbler]

He has a personal pride?

He is a personal pride.  At least part of him is, anyway.  The fat part, maybe not so much.

[Syt]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/george-r-r-martin-cannot-think-of-single-good-reason-to-finish-book-20160105105045

George R R Martin cannot think of single good reason to finish book

AGEING multimillionaire George R R Martin has stopped writing the next Game of Thrones book while in the middle of a sentence.

Halfway through The Winds of Winter, Martin typed 'Tyrion looked darkly at' when he suddenly realised he was already very rich and quite old.

He said: "I was a hundred thousand words into this thing where I've got armies in one continent, zombies in another, dragons burning things all over the place and numerous uninteresting sub-plots involving minor noblemen whose names I cannot currently recall. It is, by anyone's reckoning, a fucking nightmare.

"I was looking at several more months of inhumanly hard graft and even then everyone is bound to slag it off as 'unsatisfying'.

"Meanwhile it is a lovely day outside and I am an older man with more money than I can possibly ever spend.

"You tell me why I should finish this? It's an honest question. Someone else can do it if they like, I'm cool with that."

Martin had already spent the morning wading through a massive Excel spreadsheet listing hundreds of characters as 'ALIVE', 'DEAD' or 'IN SOME SORT OF SKY DUNGEON', which he has since deleted.

[Valmy]

Frankly I was annoyed he spent precious writing time writing that self-flagellating piece. We all know you are writing really slow on these last two books George. If we ever see them we will be pleasantly surprised.

[Martinus]

I wish him best even if the series is never finished. He created it as an "unfilmable" series that became one of the most successful tv shows of all times. He has already given us more than most - he does not owe us anything.

[Valmy]

I wish him best even if the series is never finished. He created it as an "unfilmable" series that became one of the most successful tv shows of all times. He has already given us more than most - he does not owe us anything.

Indeed. Also why I found his apologetic note rather unsettling. He seems to be really wrestling with the strain of trying to finish this thing.

[The Minsky Moment]

I have to think he won't let the novel slip into 2017.

He said he's "months away" even if the writing goes well.  Add in 3-4 months for the publisher to turn it around and it's easy to see him missing 2016.