“The Curse Of My Life”: George RR Martin Addresses Winds Of Winter’s Ongoing 13-Year Delay

George R.R. Martin addresses The Winds of Winter‘s ongoing 13-year delay, calling it “the curse of [his] life.” The author’s epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, was adapted into the smash-hit HBO series, Game of Thrones, which premiered in 2011 and came to a controversial conclusion in 2019. The sixth book in the series, The Winds of Winter, was originally supposed to be finished 13 years ago, though that deadline has long passed, and it remains unclear when, or if, Martin will ever finish the manuscript.

Talking to Time, Martin addressed the status of The Winds of Winter, calling it “the curse of [his] life” and acknowledging the ongoing 13-year delay. The author is still working on it sporadically, though he has other commitments, such as HBO shows, that often pull his focus away. Read his full comments or watch the video below:

That’s the curse of my life here. There’s no doubt Winds of Winter is 13 years late. I’m still working on it. I have periods where I make progress and then other things divert my attention. I have a deadline for one of the HBO shows. I have something else to do. But the two things are not connected.

What George R.R. Martin’s Comments Mean For Winds Of Winter

It’s Delayed By Martin’s Other Commitments

While the first five novels in the Song of Ice and Fire series were released in a timely manner from 1996 to 2011, Winds of Winter has seen an ongoing 13-year delay which, as Martin mentions, is because of his commitments to the HBO shows. Martin acted as an executive producer on Game of Thrones and wrote several episodes, including season 1’s “The Pointy End,” season 2’s “Blackwater,” season 3’s “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” and season 4’s “The Lion and the Rose.”

Before Game of Thrones ended in 2019, Martin expedited the publication of his 2018 book, Fire & Blood, so it could be adapted into the HBO prequel series, House of the Dragon, on which Martin is credited as a co-creator and executive producer. Martin is also credited as the sole creator of another upcoming HBO prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on his Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. Based on his latest comments, it seems that Martin’s many commitments to the HBO shows are continuing to pull his focus away from finishing Winds of Winter.

Our Take On George R.R. Martin’s Latest Winds of Winter Comments

I Would Rather See More HBO Shows Than Winds Of Winter

While the author has faced vitriolic backlash from so-called fans for failing to finish The Winds of Winter in a timely manner, I personally can’t get mad at Martin. Since Game of Thrones has already finished the story that The Winds of Winter and the final book, A Dream of Spring, will eventually tell, I would rather see Martin spend his time working on the HBO shows, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will bring new stories to the screen.