George R.R. Martin Shares Update on The Winds of Winter Novel, How It Will Differ From Game of Thrones TV Series

– Author George R.R. Martin, the writer of the epic fantasy series of books that inspired TV’s smash hit Game of Thrones, actually shared in update on his official blog regarding the next installment of his A Song of Ice and Fire book series, The Winds of Winter. The latest book in the series, A Dance with Dragons was released back in 2011. Since that time the Game of Thrones series adapting his books actually completed its run back in 2019 with Season 8. In his blog, Martin spoke about how his still forthcoming book will differ from the HBO show. Below are some highlights from Martin’s blog:

Martin on writing The Winds of Winter: “Most of you know by now that I do not like to give detailed updates on WINDS. I am working on it, I have been working on it, I will continue to work on it. (Yes, I work on other things as well). I love nothing more than to surprise my readers with twists and turns they did not see coming, and I risk losing those moments if I go into too much detail. Spoilers, you know. Even saying that I am working on a Tyrion chapter, as I did last week, gives away the fact that Tyrion is not dead. Reading sample chapters at cons, or posting them on line, which I did for years, gives away even more. I actually quite enjoyed doing that, until the day came that I realized I had read and/or posted the first couple of hundred pages of WINDS, or thereabouts. If I had kept on with the readings, half the book might be out by now.”

On how things might be similar and different in the book than the HBO series: “I have been at work in my winter garden. Things are growing… and changing, as does happen with us gardeners. Things twist, things change, new ideas come to me (thank you, muse), old ideas prove unworkable, I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again, I go through doors that lead nowhere, and doors that open on marvels. Sounds mad, I know. But it’s how I write. Always has been. Always will be. For good or ill. What I have noticed more and more of late, however, is my gardening is taking me further and further away from the television series. Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in GAME OF THRONES you will also see in THE WINDS OF WINTER (though maybe not in quite the same ways)… but much of the rest will be quite different.”

Martin on how the books are bigger and more complex than the TV series: “And really, when you think about it, this was inevitable. The novels are much bigger and much much more complex than the series. Certain things that happened on HBO will not happen in the books. And vice versa. I have viewpoint characters in the books never seen on the show: Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, Areo Hotah, Jon Connington, Aeron Damphair They will all have chapters, and the things they do and say will impact the story and the major characters who were on the show. I have legions of secondary characters, not POVs but nonetheless important to the plot, who also figure in the story: Lady Stoneheart, Young Griff, the Tattered Prince, Penny, Brown Ben Plumm, the Shavepate, Marwyn the Mage, Darkstar, Jeyne Westerling. Some characters you saw in the show are quite different than the versions in the novels. Yarra Greyjoy is not Asha Greyjoy, and HBO’s Euron Greyjoy is way, way, way, way different from mine. Quaithe still has a part to play. So does Rickon Stark. And poor Jeyne Poole. And… well, the list is long. (And all this is part of why WINDS is taking so long. This is hard, guys).”

On changes fans can possibly expect: “One thing I can say, in general enough terms that I will not be spoiling anything: not all of the characters who survived until the end of Game of Thrones will survive until the end of A Song of Ice & Fire, and not all of the characters who died on Game of Thrones will die in A Song of Ice & Fire. Some will, sure. Of course. Maybe most. But definitely not all. Of course, I could change my mind again next week, with the next chapter I write. That’s gardening.”

While the Game of Thrones TV series has ended, multiple television spinoffs are currently in the works. The upcoming prequel series, House of the Dragon, will debut on HBO on August 21. As noted, HBO is also developing a sequel series that continue after the end of the series following the next chapter in Jon Snow’s story.

George R.R. Martin’s The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in his fantasy novel series, does not yet have an official release date.