I read the first four novels in the Game of Thrones series for work. The Sydney Morning Herald had an interview slot with GRR Martin for the launch of the TV series. He was a generous subject as I recall, and I got a lot of great copy out of our chat. (In fact I think I recall his publicist desperately trying to shut him up).
So does this mean he didn't start the books with a (waves hands in a wibbly wobbly type of way) some kind of idea how it would end up and he's struggling tying all the pieces together to get there? He's pretty famous for knocking off characters (and resurrecting them as needs be) surely that's an easy way out? (says the guy who hasn't actually been paid to write anything professionally in his life). Or did he just jump on a story horse not knowing where the hell it was galloping to? Or is he worried about the pressure of living up to the previous books and has lost his wordsmithing hammer. Jeez, too many metaphors in there. I guess that's why i'm not a writer. Do what ever you need to do GRR. Although personally i would love him to troll the world and not release it and then pass away an old man but leave in his will a treasure hunt for the lost manuscript, only the winning punter gets there and opens up a chest filled with nothing but a mouldy sandwich. (on a darker thread of thought - fingers crossed his publishing company doesn't push him off a cliff and get someone else to ghost write it).
I was talking to someone a while ago that said, basically, 'wouldn't it be funny if he's already finished the series and everyone involved is under strict instructions not to publish it until he dies so he doesn't have to put up with people pissing and moaning about how it didn't live up to their expectations'
What better way to protect yourself from the True Fandom™ out there that plagues every creator (more noticeably so since the internet) than to have their words fall on dead ears...
What did we ever do before the internet and someone published a series? We basically just had to read something else. And then re-read the previous books when the new one came out. The true fandom thing never really grabbed me, although i did once consider making the effort to go to a Terry Pratchett book signing on one of the times he was out (kind of regret i never did now that chance is forever taken away). But i'm also making a comment on a blog of an author that i like to read . . . . . irony.
I avoid anything that remotely resembles a bunch of FanBois. Mainly because how incredibly toxic they are, but also because they feel the creator owes them.
'I've read/watched/played all your books/movies/games, so you *owe* me the ending/continuation/whatever to be what I want!'
At least here on JBs blog we seem fairly chill (and if we weren't I'm sure JB would bring out the Mjolnir of Ban Hammers®). Now that I've jinxed that, I await some random using AnGrY sPe4k to come along and demand a Felafel 2.0, starting every post with 'First!' and telling us that the burgers are better at Hungry Jacks...
The cynic that dwells inside me claims it's cos he doesn't know if he can continue to squeeze the teat in streaming land, before he puts the final nail in it. Once done, unless he does a George Lucas, he can let us go to our graves knowing who did what to whom and was it worth it? Also don't give us an Amtrak Wars ending, man!
I feel like someone needs to take GRR's laptop away from him and stick him on a beach with an unlimited supply of fruity drinks with little umbrellas in for a month and strict instructions not to think about that fucking book and let his brain unclench.
When you're that deep in the weeds on something the best thing to do is step away and let your mind do literally anything else for a bit and then suddenly the insight/twist/hook/thingy slinks out from wherever it's been hiding. When I was doing assignments for uni my best insights into whatever problem I was stuck on would come to me when I'd given up for the night and gone to have a shower. Although I can't discount the added magic of Shower Thoughts(tm).
Yeah. Another series that never getting finished. I remember when I was reading the first two books in Name of the Wind thinking that he hadn’t left himself enough narrative runway to get everything in.
So does this mean he didn't start the books with a (waves hands in a wibbly wobbly type of way) some kind of idea how it would end up and he's struggling tying all the pieces together to get there? He's pretty famous for knocking off characters (and resurrecting them as needs be) surely that's an easy way out? (says the guy who hasn't actually been paid to write anything professionally in his life). Or did he just jump on a story horse not knowing where the hell it was galloping to? Or is he worried about the pressure of living up to the previous books and has lost his wordsmithing hammer. Jeez, too many metaphors in there. I guess that's why i'm not a writer. Do what ever you need to do GRR. Although personally i would love him to troll the world and not release it and then pass away an old man but leave in his will a treasure hunt for the lost manuscript, only the winning punter gets there and opens up a chest filled with nothing but a mouldy sandwich. (on a darker thread of thought - fingers crossed his publishing company doesn't push him off a cliff and get someone else to ghost write it).
I was talking to someone a while ago that said, basically, 'wouldn't it be funny if he's already finished the series and everyone involved is under strict instructions not to publish it until he dies so he doesn't have to put up with people pissing and moaning about how it didn't live up to their expectations'
What better way to protect yourself from the True Fandom™ out there that plagues every creator (more noticeably so since the internet) than to have their words fall on dead ears...
What did we ever do before the internet and someone published a series? We basically just had to read something else. And then re-read the previous books when the new one came out. The true fandom thing never really grabbed me, although i did once consider making the effort to go to a Terry Pratchett book signing on one of the times he was out (kind of regret i never did now that chance is forever taken away). But i'm also making a comment on a blog of an author that i like to read . . . . . irony.
I avoid anything that remotely resembles a bunch of FanBois. Mainly because how incredibly toxic they are, but also because they feel the creator owes them.
'I've read/watched/played all your books/movies/games, so you *owe* me the ending/continuation/whatever to be what I want!'
At least here on JBs blog we seem fairly chill (and if we weren't I'm sure JB would bring out the Mjolnir of Ban Hammers®). Now that I've jinxed that, I await some random using AnGrY sPe4k to come along and demand a Felafel 2.0, starting every post with 'First!' and telling us that the burgers are better at Hungry Jacks...
Yeah, I read this bit, and I understood. It's an occupational hazard.
I know I would struggle with the long hard labour of writing if I suddenly found myself richer than Croesus.
The cynic that dwells inside me claims it's cos he doesn't know if he can continue to squeeze the teat in streaming land, before he puts the final nail in it. Once done, unless he does a George Lucas, he can let us go to our graves knowing who did what to whom and was it worth it? Also don't give us an Amtrak Wars ending, man!
I feel like someone needs to take GRR's laptop away from him and stick him on a beach with an unlimited supply of fruity drinks with little umbrellas in for a month and strict instructions not to think about that fucking book and let his brain unclench.
When you're that deep in the weeds on something the best thing to do is step away and let your mind do literally anything else for a bit and then suddenly the insight/twist/hook/thingy slinks out from wherever it's been hiding. When I was doing assignments for uni my best insights into whatever problem I was stuck on would come to me when I'd given up for the night and gone to have a shower. Although I can't discount the added magic of Shower Thoughts(tm).
I have a lot of sympathy for him. I know what it feels like, but I want the books too.
He needs a visit from The Finishers. Him and Patrick bloody Rothfuss.
Yeah. Another series that never getting finished. I remember when I was reading the first two books in Name of the Wind thinking that he hadn’t left himself enough narrative runway to get everything in.