George R.R. Martin Responds to ‘Dance’ Delay Criticism
Yesterday in his not-a-blog, Martin responds to the rampant critisism at his missing his promised deadline for the much anticipated “Dance of Dragons.”
Here what he said on his blog:
No, it’s not done.
Yes, I am aware that more than a year has passed since my last update. A lot of you have been emailing me to point that out. Thanks, but really, I did know. Unlike many of you out there, I got my copies of the Song of Ice & Fire calendar, so I knew what date it was.
No, I’m not planning to update the update, for reasons stated in the update itself. Until such time as I can write, “It’s done,” it will remain the last update… aside from what I may say here from time to time, on my Not-A-Blog.
I made a lot of progress on the book in the first half of 2008. So much so that I was optimistic that I would be done by the end of the year. Unfortunately, I did not make much progress on the book in the second half of 2008. Indeed, I made some regress. (That Sansa chapter I talked about finishing, for instance. It’s still finished, but my editor and I decided it belongs in THE WINDS OF WINTER, not A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, so it’s been moved into the next book. Sansa will not appear in DANCE.)
Some of the reasons were literary, arising from problems in the narrative itself. I’m not going to discuss them here, because I really do not like talking about questions I am still wrestling with on a work in progress. It never helps. Art is not a democracy, and these are problems I need to solve myself. Having a few hundred readers weigh in with their thoughts and opinions — which seems to be what happens whenever I post here about DWD — does not advance the process. I’m sorry, but that’s true. I know that many of you would like to help me, but you can’t. I have editors and I have two capable assistants, and that’s sufficient. I’m the only one who can dance this dance.
Some of other reasons for the delay have nothing to do with the book itself. They’re extra-literary, arising from other things in my life. I could sketch out some of them here, sure, but what good would it do? Those who are inclined to understand would send me messages of sympathy and support. Those are not so inclined would dismiss them as “excuses,” or even “feeble excuses.” A few will even go so far as to accuse me of lying.
That’s the part that really bothers me. For the record, I have never lied about anything having to do with A DANCE WITH DRAGONS or the series as a whole. I have been wrong, yes. I have been wrong lots of time, especially when I’ve tried to predict how long it will take me to complete the book, or when it will be published. Being wrong is not the same as lying. Since the very beginning of this series, I have been guilty of being over-optimistic about how long it would take me to finish the next book, the next chapter, or the series as a whole. I cannot deny that. I have always been bad with deadlines… one reason why I did my best to avoid them for the first fifteen years of my career. That’s an option I no longer have, however. Or at least will not have until A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is complete.
That’s the main reason why I no longer want to give any completion dates. I am sick and tired of people jumping down my throat when I miss them.
This latest flood of emails has worn down my resolve, however. So in hopes of quieting it, once more I will step into the breach –
I am trying to finish the book by June. I think I can do that. If I do, A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will likely be published in September or October.
(Yes, I am aware that I have previously said that I hoped to finish by the end of 2008. And before that, I said that I hoped to finish by June 2008, before I went to Spain and Portugal. And before that, I said I hoped to finish by the end of 2007. I know, I know, I know. No, I was not lying. I was wrong. And wrong again. And wrong before that. This time I hope that I am right. But you know, I can’t swear that in blood. I write one chapter at a time. One page at a time. One word at a time. And then the next.)
That’s all I have. But it’s more than Amazon has, or anyone else.
The INSTANT that I finish the novel and put it in the mail to Bantam, I will post that fact here, just as I did for SUICIDE KINGS a few days ago. Until and unless you read that announcement here, believe nothing you hear from any other source.
I have made a lot of progress on the book since August 2007, but this part hasn’t changed:
Thanks for your continued support… and for your patience.
My Response To This:
Let the man write his own damn novel at his own damn pace, people! I want to read the book just as much as the next guy, but the ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ books are masterworks of fantasy literature — writing these books takes lots of time and incredible amounts of effort. I mean, we’re not talking flipping burgers here. Martin’s onus is to maintain the high quality of the series. He’s under an incredible amount of pressure not to disappoint his fans. Martin’s been working on ‘Dance’ for years — I’m sure he wants the book finished just as much as we all want to read it. BUT, I’m glad he’s not going to cater to popular demands to release a not-yet-perfect book. If Martin feels there are issues to be worked out with ‘Dance’, then I’m sure there are. You won’t tell a master painter how to paint his own painting, will you? Martin’s a master artist in his own right, and he, more then anyone (yes, even you ASOFI readers who think you know more about writing ‘Dance’ than does Martin), knows how to write his own damn series.
I hear a lot of people complaining about Martin’s constant book tours, his travelling, his other book projects taking precedence before ‘Dance’, blah blah blah. Come on people, this guy has a life too. Do you want to spend all day, every day at work? We’ll I’m sure neither does Martin! To those armchair critics peppering fantasy forums with complaints about Martin’s delays: write your own damn series then.
I think that Martin started this post badly by abusing his fans (not getting the calender). Sure, the comment won’t get people off ASOIAF but it wasn’t nice.
I’m not sure why people keep emailing him about his book, like it would make a different, who are they to Martin?
However, I am also in the camp of “when the f*** is it coming out?” Perhaps Martins has created too expansive a world and he cannot keep up. It worries me that this book is taking so long, not that it is taking long in itself, but that the next book will take longer and the next one after that (each book in the series has taken longer to write than the previous). Martin isn’t some young whelp anymore and I am deathly afraid of history repeating (ala Robert Jordan).
Comment by Jon Snow — February 20, 2009 @ 1:10 pm
another new post directing his anger to detractors
http://grrm.livejournal.com/75053.html
I find it funny how I don’t visit forums about grrm (book forums don’t count!) but as readers we have still come up with the “Robert Jordan” scenario separately.
Comment by Jon Snow — February 20, 2009 @ 1:37 pm
I don’t necessarly think Martin’s post was bashing his fans, but it looks like he’s pretty fed up with everyone harrassing him about ‘Dance.”
George Martin’s response was pretty funny (especially the video). And yes, it looks like Robert Jordan has scared a lot of fantasy fans. His death was like many a persons’ worst nightmare!
Comment by admin — February 20, 2009 @ 2:24 pm
Of course he is fed up, who wouldn’t be, but I thought his comments were sarcastically derogative.
Yes his video reply was also very funny.
Comment by Jon Snow — February 20, 2009 @ 9:15 pm
Maybe if Martin skipped a few comic book conventions and stopped trying to write multiple books at once he would actually finish a song of ice and fire.
Comment by Kevin — April 5, 2009 @ 3:09 am
I can argue both sides of it… Sure I’m getting tired of waiting, and I wonder if this book will end up being the equivalent to GNR’s “Chinese Democracy”… though I doubt it. I reread the series last year so I could be ready to really immerse myself in the story. And I am sad its still not out yet…
But at the same time, you can’t force creativity and I certainly wouldn’t want a book that was finished under those circumstances. As a person who creates, I can understand how GRRM might feel. Inspiration has to happen on its own. GRRM can’t help it if he’s busy. He can’t help it if feels creatively inclined to focus on other books, or other events.
My last remark is for those of you who are nagging the guy… your negative comments are probably only serving to annoy him more. I’m sure he wants to put a book out that his fans will be proud of, but if I were him and my fans were whining up a storm it would only make it THAT much harder to find the inspiration to write.
Comment by Mel — January 28, 2010 @ 4:33 pm