The Winds of Winter Delay: George R.R. Martin Makes Dreadful Confession About Why TWOW Is Still Not Finished

Readers have not been to the cold, dangerous lands of Westeros in a new book in fifteen years, and the wait for the next one has officially become surreal. George R.R. Martin, the man behind the A Song of Ice and Fire series, has recently spoken out about why the sixth book is still in limbo. His honest and, for many, heartbreaking reasons have shocked many.

While fans have spent a decade and a half dissecting every scrap of lore, Martin's recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter suggests that the primary obstacle isn't just the sprawling complexity of the plot, but a simple, human lack of motivation. As the 77-year-old author navigates a schedule packed with television spin-offs and historical novellas, the Winds themselves seem to have stalled. This news is particularly bitter for the fandom as it follows reports that the author's written progress has essentially plateaued since 2022, despite his frequent blog updates.

Chasing Moods and The Winds of Winter

For years, Martin has sought to reassure his global audience that the next book is his absolute focus. However, in his latest discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, he offered a startlingly blunt confession: 'It's been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but ... I don't know. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for that.' This revelation marks a significant shift in tone from a writer who previously described the book as his 'top priority'.

The author admitted that the sheer volume of his other commitments has become a major 'interruption'. He explained that while he used to be able to maintain an impressive writing pace during the 1990s, his current process involves jumping between character arcs and constantly revising chapters he deems 'not very good'.

'If I'm not interrupted though, what happens — at least in the past — is sooner or later, I do get into it,' he remarked, though 'interruption' now appears to be the standard state of his creative life. He admitted that the global phenomenon of the Game of Thrones TV series added a level of pressure that often makes the act of writing the source material feel like an obligation rather than a joy.

A Crowded Calendar and the Future of Westeros

The 'interruptions' in question are no small feats of storytelling. Martin confirmed that his immediate schedule is dominated by finishing more Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas and the long-awaited sequel to his Targaryen history, Fire & Blood. He told the outlet: 'I have to write more Dunk and Egg. There's supposed to be another Fire and Blood book, too. I do think if I can just get some of these other things off my back, I could finish The Winds of Winter pretty soon.'

This news comes at a time when the broader Westeros franchise is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, adapted from the Dunk and Egg series, premiered on Jan. 18, 2026, and Martin is already looking toward continuing that novella series to fuel future seasons.

Meanwhile, with House of the Dragon gearing up for its third season, the pressure to complete Fire & Blood II — which would provide the source material for even more adaptations — has arguably never been higher. Additionally, Martin is reportedly serving as an executive producer on several other non-Westeros projects for HBO, including an adaptation of Roger Zelazny's Roadmarks.

Even though the author has written about 1,100 pages of the manuscript, the last 400 to 500 pages of The Winds of Winter are still unwritten. This means that the fates of Tyrion, Sansa, and the rest of the cast are still up in the air. Martin believes that finishing the saga is a matter of professional integrity. He has said that leaving it unfinished would feel like a 'total failure'. But as the year 2026 goes on, fans are still wondering if the author's changing moods will ever match the cold ending they have been waiting for.