'Winds of Winter' release date: George R.R. Martin clears calendar to finish book instead of writing for 'Game of Thrones' season five

(YOUTUBE / AMAZON BOOKS)George R. R. Martin

George R.R. Martin has become a very busy man. After the premiere of HBO's adaptation of his "A Song of Fire and Ice" series of novels, "Game of Thrones", in 2011, the author has become one of the most recognized names in the world. Lev Grossman of Time called Martin "the American Tolkien", and the magazine later named him as one of the "2011 Time 100," a list of the "most influential people in the world."

Martin's latest book, "A Dance with Dragons," was released four years ago in 2011 and fans have been asking for the next book since then. As "Game of Thrones" catches up with the current storylines from his saga, Martin is now under enormous pressure to finish the sixth book of the series, "Winds of Winter."

In a recent article, Ecumenical News had reported that Martin is now committed to finish the much-awaited novel before the sixth season of "Game of Thrones" airs next year, as he knows that the next season will probably contain stories from his upcoming book.

In order to finish his work, Martin has started cancelling huge events in his schedule. According to Christian Today, Martin will be skipping the San Diego Comic Con to be held in July and the World Convention 2015 to be held in New York in November. The author has also decided not to write for "Game of Thrones" season five in order to double his efforts to complete "Winds of Winter." Martin usually writes the script for one of the 10 episodes for the show each season. And if he finishes his book in time for season six, then the author could once again get involved in the production of the series, which could possibly end with season seven or eight.

There are also reports that Martin had previously admitted to being distracted from writing "Winds of Winter" after he and his work skyrocketed to fame. The author's new-found popularity was accompanied by hectic travelling, appearances, conferences, and interviews, all of which affected his ability to complete the book on schedule.

For now, fans can only hope that Martin finishes "Winds of Winter" before spring. The author has stated that he would be announcing the release date himself on his blog once he is confident of arriving at a date.

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