Poor George R.R. Martin. I mean, he’s overall doing great, and HBO’s House Of The Dragon is only one of several current shows with his producing fingerprints all over them (see also AMC’s Dark Skies). HotD hasn’t been affected by either the WGA or SAG-AFTRA strikes because scripts were already locked when shooting began, and the principal actors (as Martin explained to Deadline) “are members of the British union, Equity, not SAG-AFTRA, and though Equity strongly supports their American cousins (they have a big rally planned to show that support), British law forbids them from staging a sympathy strike.”
So, that’s at least some positive news from the entertainment realm, which is largely shut down as writers and actors picket studios. However, this also brings to mind (as every GRRM discussion does) that long-promised tome, Winds Of Winter. The author has claimed, at various times to be largely, even 75% done, with the book, and at one point, he gave a specific date in which people could imprison him if he didn’t finish the long-awaited work. That day in March 2020 came and went, and in the meantime, GRRM has been picking up new producing work everywhere, it seems.
However, does the strike mean that maybe he might have to finish Winds Of Winter? With all that free time on his hands, he may have no choice. Here’s what GRRM told Deadline:
As far as Winds of Winter, Martin says he’s been working on it “almost every day. Writing, rewriting, editing [and] writing some more. Making steady progress. Not as fast as I would like… certainly not as fast as YOU would like… but progress nonetheless. It keeps me out of trouble.”
In other words, no update yet, but at least the book is now a daily endeavor. And yes, I’m completely reading into all of this, and I am the person (kind-of horribly) suggesting that book progress could be a lone positive effect of the ongoing strike. Fingers crossed for some good news soon on every front, too, because GRRM believes the strikes will carry on for awhile.
(Via Deadline)