“That’s the Curse of My Life”: No, George R.R. Martin Hasn't Finished ‘The Winds of Winter’

His contribution to the world of literary fantasy and the epic worlds such written works have brought on-screen cannot be denied.George R.R. Martinis undeniably one of the greats. His work onA Song of Ice and Firehelped develop one of the greatest fantasy epics ever made on television with the advent ofGame of Throneson HBO. While the on-screen adaptation might have wrapped its story, venturing into other aspects of the lore built by Martin. The author is yet to complete the novels that will eventually make up the book series.The Winds of Winteris the sixth in a seven-book series, and Martin has been stuck on that project for 13 years. His latest update doesn’t fill the heart with much optimism either.

Speaking during an interview withTime, Martin reveals that he’s “still working on” the long-awaited book, but does admit thatother projectscan and do take up his time and attention. “That’s the curse of my life here,” Martin said when he was asked about his book. “There’s no doubtWinds of Winteris 13 years late. I’m still working on it. I have periods where I make progress and then other things divert my attention.” DespiteGame of Thronesending six years ago, the franchise hascontinued to expand and grow, and Martin acknowledged that “one of the HBO shows” was one of the factors that could distract him from his novel.

Martin Is Still Committed to Finishing ‘The Winds of Winter’

Despite being responsible for being the mind that has helped bring on shows such as the first spin-off series,House of the Dragon, and the upcoming second spin-off series,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Martin has not been spared from criticism, even from his most die hard fans. The author reveals that while he might have other projects taking up valuable time, he is still working towards finishingThe Winds of Winter. “You’ve heard exactly what role I played in the dire wolf thing,” he said. “It did not seriously impinge on the writing of Winds of Winter. But people make it seem — my more fanatic fans — as if it’s one or the other, and it’s not.”

Martin’s interests spread far and wide, with the author also involved in AMC’s critically acclaimed adaptation of theLeaphorn & Cheenovels byTony Hillerman, inDark Winds. Martin serves as an executive producer on the project. In terms of an estimated timeline for his sixth book, in October 2022, Martin estimated that he had writtenthree-quarters of the book. Subsequent updates have suggested that he had completed 1,100 to 1,200 pages with only 400 or 500 left. Whether Martin completesThe Winds of Winterremains to be seen, but with a seventh book still to be written, the esteemed author has some way to go.