[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Know who I respect for being up front? Donaldson. He's writing the Third Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, if you didn't know. It's taking him about 3-4 years in between books. Damned if I know why. But, he says he can't do it any faster, and has been clear about this from the beginning. So, fair enough. I don't have to waste time and emotions (I have so few, I'm damn near dead inside) hoping that it will be out soon. I sit my happy ass down and read something else, secure in my knowledge of when it's coming out.

Know what else he's doing that makes me happy? Not working on side projects until the series is done.

[Gabriele]

Maybe his blogging about Dance does him a disservice. Much as I personally like to read that even an author of his experience still struggles with the same problems as little me, POVs that are difficult, scenes that won't fall into place, the irritation caused by construction work in the house .... it gives readers stuff to talk about, and that keeps the Waiting for Dance alive as discussion and rant topic. If he just kept silent about the progress, maybe expectations would not be so high, esp. with statements like, 'I hope to get finished before I travel to Spain.'

But now he has started it and if he stopped blogging, people might wonder Is George Still Alive? It's a no win situation.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Oh, there's a win situation. Finish the damn book, and then give a realistic and attainable goal for the next one.

[Abyss]

Hey, it took Tolkien 34 years and death to write a sequel to LoTR.
It took close to two decades for a new Indiana Jones flic.

It just seems to moi at some point one just stops expecting anything and when the product eventually appears, you (the fan) pick up where you left off or decide not to bother. SIF is a great series. It sells big sticky globs of money worth of books, so the publisher wants it. Badly. This could have led to a (speculation here) RJ-esque situation where the publisher pressures the writer to produce but then doesn't spend the time editting the product. We might go a step further and guess that given the mess that Wot became for about 3 books there (disregarding that those same three all made NYT bestsellers lists) and decided not to lean on GRRM too heavily. And maybe spring for a dietician to follow him around Spain.


- Abyss, notes, once again, how awesome SE is for not falling into any of these traps...

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Much love to SE for continuing to kick them out. I love it.

As long as GRRM makes it as good as I'm expecting it to be, all will be forgiven.

[Optimus Prime]

Raymond Luxury Yacht;338096 said:

Much love to SE for continuing to kick them out. I love it.

As long as GRRM makes it as good as I'm expecting it to be, all will be forgiven.

Agreed. I just like to bitch. It's hard to be a fan of someone and remain objective. GRRM has screwed up a bit...but in the end if the final product is improved it should be worth it.

I mean SE's timeline issue isn't something a lot of us try to explain. It's kind annoying and ridiculous...but the product is still strong to excellent so we endure

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Yeah, much love to GRRM. He's in my top 3 easy. That's why I get so frustrated that the book is taking so long. I'm angry because I care.

[flea]

who's your third?

[Abyss]

Xander;338344 said:

...I mean SE's timeline issue isn't something a lot of us try to explain. It's kind annoying and ridiculous......

I know not of this timeline issue of which you speak.

- Abyss, the timeline is not important, repeat: the timeline is not important, repeat...

[wolf_2099]

Abyss;338556 said:

I know not of this timeline issue of which you speak.

- Abyss, the timeline is not important, repeat: the timeline is not important, repeat...

Am I the only one who has never even noticed the timeline? I am no where near as big of a fanboy as others here, and don't pay a ton of the attention to the dates at the beginning of the chapters, but I find it fairly easy to peace together when stuff happens.

[Kage-za]

Abyss;337889 said:

Hey, it took Tolkien 34 years and death to write a sequel to LoTR.
It took close to two decades for a new Indiana Jones flic.

Funny how it took New Line a lot less time to come up with a sequel to the Hobbit...

Reading the latest post on GRRM's blog that he didn't finish before going to Europe that he tried but just couldn't make it makes it seem like he has been spending a few weeks or months on this project rather than a few years. Seems out of proportion with the amount of emotional investment everyone has with this novel. If he's close, why wouldn't he just try to grind it out? I don't get it.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Kage-za;338716 said:

Funny how it took New Line a lot less time to come up with a sequel to the Hobbit...

Reading the latest post on GRRM's blog that he didn't finish before going to Europe that he tried but just couldn't make it makes it seem like he has been spending a few weeks or months on this project rather than a few years. Seems out of proportion with the amount of emotional investment everyone has with this novel. If he's close, why wouldn't he just try to grind it out? I don't get it.

It seems he is more interested in his side projects. I don't think he even wants to finish aSoIaF.

@Wolf: The timeline has never bothered me either. I rarely pay any attention to the dates at the beginning of the chapters.

[wolf_2099]

Kage-za;338716 said:

Reading the latest post on GRRM's blog that he didn't finish before going to Europe that he tried but just couldn't make it makes it seem like he has been spending a few weeks or months on this project rather than a few years. Seems out of proportion with the amount of emotional investment everyone has with this novel. If he's close, why wouldn't he just try to grind it out? I don't get it.

I can safely say I will not be spending another dime of his books, ASoIaF or otherwise. This is ridiuclous. I mean, the guy is a writer, it's still a job, which apparantly he doesn't do. I'd find a new hair dresser if the guy I went to, while really good, only opened maybe a weekend a month.

I will probably still read them, but it will be from the library or borrowed from a friend. What is waiting another year for the library to get a paperback when I've already waited 5 for the new book?

That way I'd actually have time to read the old books beforehand, knowing that it won't be wasted and I'll need to wait two more years for the new book.

[Abyss]

Raymond Luxury Yacht;338825 said:

It seems he is more interested in his side projects. I don't think he even wants to finish aSoIaF...

Crap - i think you just stumbled upon his evil plan. He does all of his piddly little side projects, watches football, shmoozes with his fans, rants about politics and throws back the occassional gallon on rib-flavoured Haagen Daz, and then when the tall dollars start to run out, he delivers a new SIF novel, and kicks back on the royalites for a few years, thenh repeats.

It's brilliant.

- Abyss, stunned by the evil.

[wolf_2099]

Abyss;338851 said:

then when the tall dollars start to run out, he delivers a new SIF novel, and kicks back on the royalites for a few years, thenh repeats.

You're just figuring this out now?
I could have told you that a year ago, maybe more. You really think he'd be this sidetracked if he wasn't enjoying all the money he has made?

He has no incentive to work on ASoIaF if he doesn't want to. He has got cash, not much longer to live apparantly, so why bother, and he can piss us off as much as he wants because you'll still buy it.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

That's true. For all my bitching and moaning, I'll be getting the new one the day it's released. I'm disgusted with myself. But I have to see what happens!

[Christopher]

Raymond Luxury Yacht;338873 said:

That's true. For all my bitching and moaning, I'll be getting the new one the day it's released. I'm disgusted with myself. But I have to see what happens!

Of course the big problem with that is the wait for the next one...and the next. I ordered Storm of Swords from across the pond to get it a bit sooner than it was out here and ended up paying about twice the amount I would have. And while I could participate in online forums about the books while the conversations were fresh without fear of spoilage, I don't think I'll bother this time.

At this point I'd be pleasantly surprised to see the book out some time next year. This was a book that was supposedly almost done when FFC came out and he still hasn't finished writing the first draft, never mind editing, rewrites, publisher delays, timing of release, presidential elections, Pizza Hut get 4 for the price of 3 sales, etc.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

I really hope the problem is he's having difficulties, not that he doesn't care anymore.

[Christopher]

Raymond Luxury Yacht;338949 said:

I really hope the problem is he's having difficulties, not that he doesn't care anymore.

Honestly, I think he cares a little too much. I think he got caught up in the instant feedback of the internet and being the saviour of the fantasy genre that many seem to think he is. He's probably amongst the first authors to get the such intense internet scrutiny of a series while its still in progress (Jordan would have been first I'd guess). I imagine while being flattering, he does worry a lot more now about making mistakes and wants the timeline and character histories to match up flawlessly.

I've never understood why so many fans seem to think that the low level of magic in the early books of the series is such a genius stroke but many do. I worry that he is moving away from his original outline plan for the series, political intrigue and a civil war leading to increased fantasy elements and an ultimate show down between Good and Evil (with twists of course) and now wants to keep the focus on the politics. And this, I fear, is why he seems to have lost his way. I also worry that the 'secret' of Jon being Rhaegar and Lyanna's son has become too obvious after all this time and he is now reworking that plotline into something more shocking. But I really, really hope this isn't so.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Christopher;338952 said:

lessly.

I've never understood why so many fans seem to think that the low level of magic in the early books of the series is such a genius stroke but many do.

I don't know that I'd call it a genius stroke, but it was refreshing. He actually developed a lot of character and plot, instead of trying to dazzle us with "OOOhhh, magic!" Just different, which is nice.