Game of Thrones Season 6

[srjclone]

I think you give GRRM too much credit. If he had a plan all along he would not have taken nearly a decade to release Dance with Dragons. I think he got too axe happy with the characters, and found himself in some difficult spots. I hope he ties up the books well, but the series will likely be over for a few years before he does that. There still seems to be so much to do.

GRRM is not a fast writer because he thinks about everything before it is even started. He is known to write on the fly more than have a general outline with each chapter, which means he is coming up with meaningful stuff constantly. He only has 2 fact checkers, and then a handful of editors, but with so many characters and him constantly changing how he wants everything to play out, it makes the writing process even longer. Not every line is a meaningful line, but I would defend every chapter having some significance in the grand scheme of one storyline or another. With so many POV's and so many characters in general it is hard to keep everything in line, but you have to keep everything that is happening meaningful. Even the littlest thing could play out to be a deciding factor in what a character plans to/ends up doing.

 

[runbikeswim]

GRRM is not a fast writer because he thinks about everything before it is even started. He is known to write on the fly more than have a general outline with each chapter, which means he is coming up with meaningful stuff constantly. He only has 2 fact checkers, and then a handful of editors, but with so many characters and him constantly changing how he wants everything to play out, it makes the writing process even longer. Not every line is a meaningful line, but I would defend every chapter having some significance in the grand scheme of one storyline or another. With so many POV's and so many characters in general it is hard to keep everything in line, but you have to keep everything that is happening meaningful. Even the littlest thing could play out to be a deciding factor in what a character plans to/ends up doing.

The problem is he has'fished the'story in his head, has more money than he knows what to do with, and several pet projects like his theatre.

 

[CycloneWarning]

The problem is he has'fished the'story in his head, has more money than he knows what to do with, and several pet projects like his theatre.

I think his problem is that he loves this "world" he has created and probably has enough new ideas/content in his head for four more novels. And he lacks the discipline to self-edit himself and keep the story to a manageable level, which causes him to linger over the chapters constantly.

 

[srjclone]

The problem is he has'fished the'story in his head, has more money than he knows what to do with, and several pet projects like his theatre.

No he hasn't. He knows how he wants it to end, but there are constant changes on how he is going to get us there. For example, just recently he changed the storyline of a character in the books that is dead in the show to give them a big part to play. Before that he wasn't planning on doing much with that character. He does have several projects, but he knows now that he HAS to finish this one and #7, so he is putting it on hold, but with his writing style (1. being a slow writer and 2. him not having a real skeleton) really makes it take a long time, not to mention his constant changes he wants to do, and where he wants to put each chapter.

 

[Orin02]

No he hasn't. He knows how he wants it to end, but there are constant changes on how he is going to get us there. For example, just recently he changed the storyline of a character in the books that is dead in the show to give them a big part to play. Before that he wasn't planning on doing much with that character. He does have several projects, but he knows now that he HAS to finish this one and #7, so he is putting it on hold, but with his writing style (1. being a slow writer and 2. him not having a real skeleton) really makes it take a long time, not to mention his constant changes he wants to do, and where he wants to put each chapter.

I hate to get drawn into the whole "GRRM is so slow" rant but there is one question I would like to ask him. Your books are well over 1000 pages each. Why not release an "average" book length novel, 380 pages or so, every year? He certainly has a couple of those kinds of books finished. Everyone would be happy then, right?

 

[runbikeswim]

No he hasn't. He knows how he wants it to end, but there are constant changes on how he is going to get us there. For example, just recently he changed the storyline of a character in the books that is dead in the show to give them a big part to play. Before that he wasn't planning on doing much with that character. He does have several projects, but he knows now that he HAS to finish this one and #7, so he is putting it on hold, but with his writing style (1. being a slow writer and 2. him not having a real skeleton) really makes it take a long time, not to mention his constant changes he wants to do, and where he wants to put each chapter.

Here knows how the story ends. Constant tweaks to the storyline are and a character here or there are distractions at this point. AND my point is'he has no motivation to finish the books. He has so many other interests that finding actual "book" time is challenging. We've been down the Martin excuse train for a very long time and I have little hope it will be finished before his death.

 

[CloneIce]

I get your point, and I don't necessarily disagree. I think, though, that the book "fat" is not that at all. I've come to find that GRRM has a reason for everything he writes, so although it may feel like filler and just a way to complete a chapter, it actually has a part to play in his overall storyline. (Everything except for the chapter describing why the Eerie has to be abandoned for the winter)

I do agree though that the addition of Hardhome and Tyrion meeting Dany before she left were great choices to advance the show storylines.

This was true through the first 3 books. He wandered a lot in Books 4 and 5.

 

[srjclone]

This was true through the first 3 books. He wandered a lot in Books 4 and 5.

That's a fair assessment. I guess There is no way to truly know until the new books come out. So I could be wrong, but like you said that was what the first 3 books were, so I figured it would continue in his current writing.

 

[CloneIce]

No he hasn't. He knows how he wants it to end, but there are constant changes on how he is going to get us there. For example, just recently he changed the storyline of a character in the books that is dead in the show to give them a big part to play. Before that he wasn't planning on doing much with that character. He does have several projects, but he knows now that he HAS to finish this one and #7, so he is putting it on hold, but with his writing style (1. being a slow writer and 2. him not having a real skeleton) really makes it take a long time, not to mention his constant changes he wants to do, and where he wants to put each chapter.

As someone who has followed this since I finished A Feast For Crows and began a long wait for A Dance With Dragons - George is stuck. He has been really since he scrapped the 5-year jump. It took him years to figure out the "Meereen Knot", and he didn't really resolve it in the book. He has a combination of writer's block (or paralysis by analysis, another way to say it) and the fact that he has higher priorities than finishing the books. That is fine of course -it's his life. But after he finished the last book, he basically wrote nothing for two years while the show was taking off. He might say it is, but the books aren't his highest priority.

 

[bos]

So now that Ramsey and Joffrey are dead, who is the new super villain? Hell I dont even hate the Night King as much as those two ******.

 

[jsmith86]

So now that Ramsey and Joffrey are dead, who is the new super villain? Hell I dont even hate the Night King as much as those two ******.

Zombie Hodor. Or whichever of the writers is preventing us from having the Brienne of Tarth/Redbeard romance that we fans deserve. Take your pick.

 

[srjclone]

As someone who has followed this since I finished A Feast For Crows and began a long wait for A Dance With Dragons - George is stuck. He has been really since he scrapped the 5-year jump. It took him years to figure out the "Meereen Knot", and he didn't really resolve it in the book. He has a combination of writer's block (or paralysis by analysis, another way to say it) and the fact that he has higher priorities than finishing the books. That is fine of course -it's his life. But after he finished the last book, he basically wrote nothing for two years while the show was taking off. He might say it is, but the books aren't his highest priority.

I would agree, there is no way to truly know what is his highest priority. But to go off of your point, the reason he got so stuck is because he didn't have a full skeleton for his writing, so he started playing with different options and things started to overlap so he became stuck essentially. Then, I believe, to try and get rid of his writers block he moved to other stuff hoping to be able to come back and have a clear mind about everything. But you're definitely right in him have other things going on in his life, and the way his/the books popularity took off didn't help at all.

 

[State43]

So now that Ramsey and Joffrey are dead, who is the new super villain? Hell I dont even hate the Night King as much as those two ******.

Cersei Lanister
Walder Frey
Random Karstark
Always Littlefinger even when he is nice
Dorne *******
Euron Greyjoy
Someone will come out of that group.

 

[bos]

Cersei Lanister
Walder Frey
Random Karstark
Always Littlefinger even when he is nice
Dorne *******
Euron Greyjoy
Someone will come out of that group.

They need to step it up. Big shoes to fill.

 

[runbikeswim]

Cersei Lanister
Walder Frey
Random Karstark
Always Littlefinger even when he is nice
Dorne *******
Euron Greyjoy
Someone will come out of that group.

I think it will quickly switch to humans versus the undead.

 

[CloneIce]

I hate to get drawn into the whole "GRRM is so slow" rant but there is one question I would like to ask him. Your books are well over 1000 pages each. Why not release an "average" book length novel, 380 pages or so, every year? He certainly has a couple of those kinds of books finished. Everyone would be happy then, right?

Please no. Given his writing style, a small(er) book would likely not be very satisfying, or have resolution for very many storylines. It's hard to do a 380 page book when you have 15 POV characters. Better to finish a whole, long book than to put out more installments.

 

[Diggame]

Question: How far are Brienne and Pod Rick? I was wondering if they would show up during the battle

 

[CloneIce]

Cersei Lanister
Walder Frey
Random Karstark
Always Littlefinger even when he is nice
Dorne *******
Euron Greyjoy
Someone will come out of that group.

Other than Walder Frey, I think I hate the High Sparrow more than all of these. Can't stand that dude.

I think we are transitioning towards the end game, with the White Walkers and Danaerys playing huge roles to come in Westeros.

 

[CloneIce]

Question: How far are Brienne and Pod Rick? I was wondering if they would show up during the battle

We haven't been given any indication where they are yet.

 

[CycloneWarning]

So now that Ramsey and Joffrey are dead, who is the new super villain? Hell I dont even hate the Night King as much as those two ******.

Euron has some potential. I could see him attacking Dany/Tyrion/Greyworm/Messandei/Theon and Yara next season on the high seas and inflicting some damage. He would jump to the top of the hate list if he were to kill Messandei and/or Greyworm.