In some lighter news, George R. R. Martin might actually finish The Winds of Winter soon, because he has nothing else to do in self-isolation.
The mind behind Game of Thrones told fans, via a Not A Blog entry, that he’s doing fine amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The entry kicked off with the following: “Strange days are upon us. As ancient as I am, I cannot recall ever having lived through anything like the past few weeks.”
Grim. But Martin said the proper steps are taking place in New Mexico to curb the spread of the virus. He also announced the temporary closure of the historic Jean Cocteau Cinema – of which he owns – in Santa Fe and his non-profit Stagecoach Foundation, which holds classes and workshops on film and television for kids.
His bookstore, Beastly Books, will remain open for the time being with the exception of no author events. His mail order service will remain open.
“For those of you who may be concerned for me personally… yes, I am aware that I am very much in the most vulnerable population, given my age and physical condition,” Martin wrote. “But I feel fine at the moment, and we are taking all sensible precautions.”
The author said he is in isolation in a remote location, aided by one of his staff.
“I’m not going in to town or seeing anyone,” he said.
“Truth be told, I am spending more time in Westeros than in the real world, writing every day. Things are pretty grim in the Seven Kingdoms… but maybe not as grim as they may become here.”
Considering how open Martin has been with his struggles to overcome writers’ block, it’s great to hear that he’s writing a lot again. At one point, the release date for The Winds of Winter was set for 2018.
Martin concluded his latest entry with his own Wash Your Lyrics guideline to remind his readers to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. Instead of a song, Martin quoted Dune.
You can read his full entry right here.
