re: #140 Romantic Heretic

I suspect Martin has been caught in a common author’s bind.

The fans want “MOAR! MOAR!” and Martin is, “I am so sick of these books. I’m tempted to just blow up the whole effen world and bring an end to it.”

I’m not so sure. Judging from his own remarks, Martin has a grand plan, which would mean at least six books, but probably more. Clearly the fans want more, and he will give it, but at a glacial pace. It’s been suggested that Martin’s sees A Song of Ice and Fire as his magnum opus, so he’d probably wants to finish it on his terms.

I am not a novelist, but if i were he, I would have avoided adding even more sub-sub-plots and even more characters, to limit the focus of the books to the Stark kids, the Lannisters, Daenyraes (however you spell her name) and the Night’s Watch/Walkers. And maybe the Boltons. Now we’ve got the Dothraki, the Dornish, the Iron Men, the Wildlings, the slavers, the slaves, the dragons (remember them?), the Red Priestess, the skin disease, …. did I leave anything out?

The Faceless Men.