George R. R. Martin and A Song of Great Expectations

A bit of conjecture is humming around on Twitter regarding the rate of GRRM’s writing vs the rate of the TV seasons for Game of Thrones.

Now, come on, let’s all settle down. The wait for April 6th/7th has been long, but things might be getting a little out of hand now. If viewers love the show for the same reasons readers love the books, one assumes they will wait for the seasons to air after each new book is published. This happens all the time in the publishing world and really isn’t anything new.

However, we’re dealing with a different beast in the ring now – the glutinous, fickle wolf of television. Viewers are veracious, hungry scavengers, snarling and snapping at the hand that feeds, desperate for the next meal, the next taste, the next fix, Can they wait for the books to be published and released in good time before the seasons are produced?

From a reader/fangirl/writer perspective, it is unfair & misguided to exert external pressure on GRRM with the aim to ‘force’ the books onto shelves quicker. If he did cave to demand, what could be the possible result? Ill-formed plots? Slackening in character conflict? A lessening of the intricate complexity we so love? I don’t want to see any of this happen, for the books or the show.

From what I understand, George is what is called a ‘panser’ writer – they just get an idea and start writing without planning. I am a plotter – I plan the basics then write like following a map.
If he is a panser, the guy needs to wait for ideas, and anyone who’s had writer’s block knows THAT is a massive pain. It can’t be shifted, no matter the number of well meaning attempts to crack the idea dam. Like all writers, big time or small, GRRM needs time and space and the freedom to create, otherwise the narrative we love will crumple under the weight of expectation.

Further more, one Twitter-arti mentioned there should be a plan in place in case ol’ Georgie kicks the bucket before finishing the series! I bet no one asked that question about Raymond E Feist and whether he would finish The Riftwar Saga. Jeepers! Where are our priorities as fans? Are we blood thirsty vultures hopping along behind the man, waiting for him to either drop another manuscript or drop dead? Or are we legitimate fans of the art of the process as well as the product.

If HBO and others think the rate of production isn’t up to their lightning fast standards, perhaps they should have gone with a quick turn-around paperback or one of the gazillion vampire books in the market. There is seriously no shortage of those. In the meantime, LEAVE GEORGE ALONE!!

*screams and cries hysterically*