Whatever you may think is the issue that's taking George R.R. Martin so long to write The Winds of Winter — whether it's an enormously strong case of writer's block, distraction from other projects, and so on — Martin is ardently insisting that the requisite novel will see publication: "I have to finish."
2026 marks almost 15 years that A Song of Ice and Fire fans have been waiting to read The Winds of Winter, the sixth novel in the series. In that time, Game of Thrones both started and ended, and has since moved onto subsequent spinoff projects, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. No matter which angle you look at, the wait has been long and grueling, with many believing that we'll never see The Winds of Winter. But if you ask Martin himself, the author is steadfast in his response: he wants to see The Winds of Winter published more than anyone.
In a recent, enormous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, one that we've already covered extensively, the fantasy author spoke openly about his career, life, and projects. He talked about a lot of things, including discussing The Winds of Winter particularly candidly.
For Martin, finishing The Winds of Winter isn't something he merely wants to achieve, but a target that must be reached. “I have to finish the next book,” he said. “The actual writing [is getting] harder. I’m rewriting. I’m struggling. Maybe I’m overoptimistic about how quickly I can write these things. I’m trying to cut back on anything that I can to clear my decks and get this done …”
Between other projects, he's clearly bitten off a bit more than he's able to chew. He's keen on writing more Dunk and Egg tales, and Fire and Blood is also meant to get a sequel. “I think I’ll stay home," Martin replied when asked about his holiday plans. "I have to write more Dunk and Egg. There’s supposed to be another Fire and Blood book, too. These are not small projects. 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. 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.”
In trying to juggle so many different projects, Martin has fallen behind. “I’m so far behind on everything,” he concluded.
The Winds of Winter isn't even supposed to be the final novel in the series, either. It's supposed to be followed by A Dream of Spring... but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.