George R.R. Martin ‘Not in the Mood’ for Winds of Winter

George R.R. Martin is talking about The Winds of Winter again—and fans are once more divided. Fourteen years after the last A Song of Ice and Fire novel hit shelves, the author says he’s still writing, but sometimes he’s simply “not in the mood” to work on the long‑awaited sixth book.

The comment has reignited debate across the fantasy community, where anticipation for Winds has become its own epic saga.

“Winds Is the Priority… But”

In a recent profile with The Hollywood Reporter, Martin admitted he feels “so far behind on everything.” He pointed to competing projects, including more Dunk and Egg stories and a second volume of Fire and Blood, as ongoing demands on his time.

“It’s been made clear to me that Winds is the priority,” he said. “But… I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for that.”

For readers who have tracked every blog post and convention appearance, that hesitation lands hard. Back in 2022, Martin estimated he was about three‑quarters done, with roughly 1,100 to 1,200 manuscript pages completed. By 2025, he suggested the draft had grown to around 1,500 pages, potentially making it the longest book in the series.

He has also described the novel as structurally complex, with numerous point‑of‑view chapters finished but still needing to be woven into a cohesive whole.

An Ending Still in Flux

Martin has long promised that his ending will differ from HBO’s Game of Thrones. He has even floated alternate fates for major characters, suggesting he once planned to kill more people—and possibly give Tyrion Lannister a darker conclusion.

That pledge echoes earlier statements, including his insistence that the books won’t mirror the show’s finale, a stance we’ve explored before in his vow that the novel’s ending will not match the series.

Yet even now, Martin admits he hasn’t definitively decided who will live and who will die. Fan reactions to the television adaptation continue to shape his thinking. The gap between page and screen remains active, not settled.

The frustration is understandable. Martin’s world has expanded across multiple HBO spinoffs, including House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. His involvement in new adaptations and stage projects—like the upcoming “Mad King” play at the RSC—keeps Westeros alive in other forms.

But for many readers, the heart of the saga is still the unfinished novel sitting somewhere in Santa Fe. Until The Winds of Winter finally arrives, every update—hopeful or hesitant—will spark another round of debate.