Brandon Sanderson On Winds Of Winter's Seemingly Endless Delay: "It's Been Hard To Watch"

Published Oct 6, 2026, 2:33 PM EDT Hannah is a senior writer and self-publisher at ScreenRant. There, she focuses on writing news, features, and list-style articles about all things comics, books, anime, and manga. She works as a freelance writer in the entertainment industry, focusing on video games, anime, and literature. Her published works can be found on Screen Rant, FinanceBuzz, She Reads, and She Writes. George R.R. Martin’s The Winds of Winter has become one of fantasy publishing’s most infamous unfinished books. Fifteen years after A Dance with Dragons was published in 2011, readers are still waiting for the sixth novel in A Song of Ice and Fire. Brandon Sanderson, another hugely successful fantasy author, understands why that wait is frustrating for Game of Thrones fans but says Martin deserves empathy rather than constant criticism. During an exclusive conversation with Collider at FanX Salt Lake, Sanderson discussed Martin and Patrick Rothfuss, two fellow fantasy authors he considers friends. While Sanderson is known for maintaining an exceptionally consistent writing schedule, he stressed that his approach should not be treated as the standard for every writer. For him, different creative personalities require different methods. Brandon Sanderson's Writing Process Makes Him An Unfair Comparison Sanderson has built a reputation for remarkable consistency, publishing numerous novels across several interconnected fantasy series. That productivity frequently leads fans to compare his output with Martin’s progress on The Winds of Winter. However, Sanderson rejected the suggestion that he possesses some extraordinary writing ability that explains the difference between their publishing schedules. Instead, Sanderson described his own personality as naturally suited to “slow and steady” progress. His routine is based on getting up each day and continuing to write, even without a major burst of inspiration. He acknowledged that many writers work differently, relying more heavily on intense periods of creative motivation, which can make sustained work much harder. That distinction offers important context for Martin’s unusually long development of The Winds of Winter. Martin began working on the sixth A Song of Ice and Fire book after A Dance with Dragons was released in July 2011, but the intervening years have included television projects, other books, public appearances, and work connected to the expanding Westeros franchise. Sanderson Wants Fans To Remember The Person Behind The Manuscript Courtesy of INSTAR Images Sanderson’s strongest defense of Martin focused on something beyond writing schedules, as a real the human being responsible for the unfinished book. He explained that some of his writer friends have dealt with mental health challenges, while members of his own family have faced similar struggles. Combining those difficulties with enormous public expectations, he argued, could make creative work considerably more difficult. The scale of expectations surrounding The Winds of Winter is difficult to overstate. Millions of readers are waiting for the next installment, meaning virtually every statement Martin makes about the novel receives intense attention. Frustration from fans has persisted for years, but Sanderson believes the pressure created by that anticipation can become another obstacle rather than an incentive. Martin’s situation is also more complicated than simply refusing to finish the book. Since A Dance with Dragons, Game of Thrones became a worldwide television phenomenon, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms expanded the franchise further, and Martin’s involvement with Westeros grew beyond the novels themselves. None of that changes the frustration of a 15-year wait, but it helps explain why Sanderson considers comparisons between their careers unfair. For readers desperate to see more Game of Thrones stories of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and the rest of Martin’s characters continue, the wait remains exceptionally difficult. Sanderson is not promising that The Winds of Winter is close to release, nor is he excusing an indefinite delay. His argument is simply that creative work comes from individuals, and treating an author like a machine producing a product can overlook the real challenges behind the manuscript. Game of Thrones $45 $85 Save $40 TV Show(s) Game Of Thrones, House of the Dragon, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms First TV Show Game Of Thrones Cast Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Iain Glen, John Bradley, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Liam Cunningham, Gwendoline Christie, Aidan Gillen, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Rory McCann, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jerome Flynn, Rhys Ifans, Matt Smith, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Emma D'Arcy, Matthew Needham, Olivia Cooke, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey Created by George R.R. Martin