Since Game of Thrones aired in 2011, book readers have eagerly waited for the next novel in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and he’s made several comments regarding the anticipated release since. As Martin expanded his universe, the time between novels continuously grew. The previous novel, A Dance with Dragons, was released on July 12, 2011, six years after A Feast For Crows. But with over twelve years of waiting, The Winds of Winter is infamously late.

Game of Thrones was a cultural phenomenon, launching George R.R. Martin from a successful author to one of the world’s most famous and prolific storytellers. With that notoriety came excruciating pressure to release his novel to provide the series with the source material to adapt. That ship sailed, and the series was left to resolve without his work. Martin’s novels are in such high demand that anything he says about The Winds of Winter is a news story, as readers crave any nugget of hope for its release.

10“I’m Not Going To Say”

July 22, 2011

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, George R.R. Martin spoke about The Winds of the Winter for the first time doing press for A Dance with Dragons. When asked about the sixth book, he responded, ”I’m not going to say. I’ve gotten in constant trouble for that. There’s an element of fans who don’t seem to realize I’m making estimates. I’ve repeatedly been guilty of an excess of optimism.” The statement, which he would later contradict by providing estimates, should have been the first sign of a long wait. A Dance with Dragons only grew his world, and more narratives to tie together make for a more challenging conclusion.

9“I Really Look Forward To Publishing It In 2014”

December 7, 2012

In 2012, George R.R. Martin spoke with the Spanish blog Adria’s News, where he gave some brief updates on the novel: “I’ve already written 400 pages of my sixth book and I really look forward to publishing it in 2014, but I am really bad for predictions.” At the time, HBO was preparing for the release of Game of Thrones season 3, meaning he was already behind schedule if he wanted to stay ahead of the adaptation. The Winds of Winter is meant to be roughly 1,600 pages, meaning he was a quarter finished in 2012, not accounting for the immense re-writes he described.

8“I Still Have A Lot Of Pages To Write”

March 27, 2015

2014 came and went without The Winds of Winter, and in 2015, it seemed increasingly likely that Game of Thrones would pass up the novels. In an interview with Access, he mentioned progress toward writing season 6, saying, “I still have a lot of pages to write, but I also have a lot of pages that are already written.” Sadly, the lack of source material led to the downfall of Game of Thrones, which suffered from an oversimplified ending in the absence of Martin’s structure.

7“Anything I Can Do To Clear My Decks And Get This Done”

April 3, 2015

Shortly after the previous interview, Martin was asked by Entertainment Weekly about whether the novel could be published before Game of Thrones season 6 was set to air in the spring. In response: “Maybe I’m being overly optimistic about how quickly I can finish. But I canceled two convention appearances, I’m turning down a lot more interviews—anything I can do to clear my decks and get this done.” The message got hopes up for a 2016 release date, and while season 6 made for one of the best Game of Thrones seasons, the book didn’t arrive.

6“But The Book’s Not Done”

January 2, 2016

George R.R. Martin’s active engagement with fans via his blog is a blessing, and unfortunately, he’s had to utilize it to deliver some disappointing news. In early 2016, Martin broke the news on his blog that he wouldn’t be done by Game of Thrones season 6 and was done setting deadlines. He said: “But when delivery will be, I can’t say. I am not going to set another deadline for myself to trip over. The deadlines just stress me out.”

5“I Think It Will Be Out This Year”

January 10, 2017

Responding to a comment on his blog in January 2017, George gave an update on the novel, saying, “Not done yet, but I’ve made progress. But not as much as I hoped a year ago, when I thought to be done by now. I think it will be out this year.” His comment clearly noted that while he saw it as a possibility, he could never say so with absolute certainty. And, of course, 2017 wasn’t the year after all.

4“I Do Think You Will Have A Westeros Book From Me In 2018”

July 22, 2017

After the January comment, George R.R. Martin wasn’t done in 2017. He returned to his blog to explain the concept of Fire & Blood, the prequel history book about the Targaryen Dynasty. At the end, he added a tease suggesting that readers would have something in 2018, saying, “I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018… and who knows, maybe two. A boy can dream…” He was partially correct, as Fire & Blood was released in 2018, tiding readers over in preparation for House of the Dragon.

3“I Still Have A Long Way To Go”

June 23, 2020

The COVID-19 Pandemic seemed like the perfect time for Martin to make some headway on The Winds of Winter. An Esquire article described a since-deleted blog post from the author, which quotes him saying, “I am spending long hours every day on The Winds of Winter, and making steady progress. I finished a new chapter yesterday, another one three days ago, another one the previous week. But no, this does not mean that the book will be finished tomorrow or published next week. It’s going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go.” Not the most promising update.

2“Three-Quarters Of The Way Done”

October 25, 2022

In late 2022, George R.R. Martin provided an update on a live stream, claiming to be three-quarters done with the novel. Given that it’d already been over a decade since the novel was announced, and still having a quarter to go was daunting. After the Game of Thrones ending, The Winds of Winter became far more important, as lovers of his series eagerly await a proper ending.

1“I Have About 1,100 Pages Written”

November 6, 2023

George R.R. Martin’s most recent update on The Winds of Winter has been one of the most disappointing. In an interview on Bangcast, Martin said: “I have about 1,100 pages written but still have hundreds more pages to go. It’s a big mother of a book for whatever reason. Maybe I should’ve started writing smaller books when I began this but it’s tough. That’s the main thing that dominates most of my working life.” 1,100 pages seems like significant progress, but on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in December 2022, he mentioned that he had roughly the same amount, meaning the past year had been primarily re-writes.