Game of Thrones ended exactly three months ago, without much of a warm reception, so why is it still making headlines? Well, its Emmy nominations and spin-offs, to start. But there’s also the small matter of the source material — die-hard fans are still waiting for author George R.R. Martin to finish the final two novels in his Song of Ice and Fire book series, which inspired the HBO series.
Yesterday, in an interview with The Guardian’s “The Observer,” Martin discussed the books and, to an extent, his thoughts on the TV series.
Although he published a lengthy blog post about the show after its finale, thanking everyone involved, he admitted in the interview that the show ending relieved some pressure he had been feeling to write faster.
“There were a couple of years where, if I could have finished the book, I could have stayed ahead of the show for another couple of years, and the stress was enormous. I don’t think it was very good for me because the very thing that should have speeded me up actually slowed me down. Every day I sat down to write and even if I had a good day — and a good day for me is three or four pages — I’d feel terrible because I’d be thinking: ‘My God, I have to finish the book. I’ve only written four pages when I should have written 40.’ But having the show finish is freeing because I’m at my own pace now. I have good days and I have bad days and the stress is far less, although it’s still there. … I’m sure that when I finish A Dream of Spring you’ll have to tether me to the Earth.”
In the interview, Martin also discusses how the series impacted his writing, the pros and cons of fame, and more. Check out the full interview here.
Photo: HBO
