George R.R. Martin Reckons HBO’s ‘Game Of Thrones’ Really Fucked With His Writing

George R.R. Martin

Game of Thrones mastermind George R.R. Martin has described the end of the HBO series as “freeing”, revealing he felt a whole shit tonne of stress trying to write his books at the same time as the series.

And all I can say here is “fair enough.”

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In his interview with The Observer, there were a couple of things Martin didn’t want to talk about. I think you already know what they are so if you’re looking for those answers, you’re not going to find them here.

Martin didn’t want to discuss the ending to the HBO series or when The Winds of Winters will arrive. And he didn’t want to talk about his health / age.

But the author did reveal that the series’ end felt incredibly liberating.

“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,” he told The Observer. “I don’t think it was very good for me, because the very thing that should have speeded me up actually slowed me down.”

Martin said he’d feel “terrible” even after a good day of writing – “a good day for me is three or four pages” because he still felt like he was falling behind.

“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.”

Martin has two books left in the series and a slew of spin-off series, or “successor shows” as Martin prefers to call them.

One of the series is being written by Jane Goldman of the Kingman franchise, and Martin. Goldman will also serve as showrunner and both will executive produce.

It’s still rather early days but HBO revealed the series takes place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, and chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour.

“From the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend, only one thing is for sure: It’s not the story we think we know.”

Intriguing. 

Naomi Watts (The Impossible) leads the cast as a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret. Joining her is Josh Whitehouse (Poldark), Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth), Denise Gough (Monday), Jamie Campbell Bower (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Sheila Atim (Harlots), Ivanno Jeremiah (Humans), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia), Alex Sharp (How To Talk to Girls at Parties), Toby Regbo (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), and Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter from the Harry Potter flicks) to name… a few.

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