George R.R. Martin, author of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series and Game of Thrones‘ EP, has provided another explanation behind the delay of the next book, titled The Winds of Winter. In a recent discussion, Martin opened up about what is keeping him from penning the next entry in his cult classic franchise, stating that he likes to work on other things as well.
George R.R. Martin says he ‘always had trouble with deadlines’
During George R.R. Martin’s recent appearance at the New York Comic Con, fellow novelist Joe Hill jokingly alluded to his stalled Winds of Winter novel by instead asking him a question about the NFL side, the New York Giants. Undeterred, Martin addressed the topic by simply saying that he has always faced issues meeting deadlines. (via Entertainment Weekly)
“I know there’s all this controversy about Winds of Winter and how late it is, but I’ve always had trouble with deadlines,” the veteran author remarked before adding, “And I don’t feel happy breaching contracts or missing a deadline or anything like that.”
Martin then reiterated his love for the source material for Game of Thrones, noting, “Yes, I do love Winds of Winter. I’m still interested in it, I’m still working on it.” Nevertheless, the Elden Ring co-writer highlighted that he harbors equal passion for his other projects, including Wild Cards and AMC drama Dark Winds, stating, “But honestly, I love these other things, too.”
Notably, George R.R. Martin has published five books in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, with the latest one, titled A Dance with Dragons, coming out in 2011. Since then, there have been little to no updates regarding the final two entries, with Martin instead turning his attention towards the television adaptations of his written works.
On the Game of Thrones front, the 77-year-old writer is executive producing the House of the Dragon series, which has spawned two seasons so far. Martin is also executive producing and co-creating another GoT spin-off, titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is currently on track to premiere on HBO in January 2026.
