3 ms·

After producing 3 of the finest fantasy books I've ever read, GRRM has produced 2 books in 20 years that are mediocre at best and filled with fluff that really

by jmyeet 5y ago

After producing 3 of the finest fantasy books I've ever read, GRRM has produced 2 books in 20 years that are mediocre at best and filled with fluff that really should've been edited out. And I have a theory about this. Some writers will write and see where the story takes them. Others (like GRRM) will have a plan. Having a plan gives structure and a destination. It's good. Where it can go bad is the characters can change to where your destination no longer makes sense. Take How I Met Your Mother as a perfect example of this. The (terrible) ending was always the plan but audiences hated it. In part because they loved Cristin Millotti (unexpected) but also because Robin had changed. I believe the delay in finishing the series stems from this: GRRM doesn't know how to get to the ending he originally planned. A popular theory in fan circles is the Meereenese Knot [1]. Personaly I think it's a more fundamental problem than just one plot point. I mean the two great hacks (DnD) rushed to end the show in one of the worst received finales of all time. I'm not sure HBO understands just how much damage these two did because not only have people moved on from GoT but the various promnects set in that universe are probably doomed to failure because literally nobody cares anymore. It's the equivalent of killing the entire MCU with one show. It's that bad. The second trap GRRM has fallen into is another common one with writers: he now doesn't know what to leave out. The original plans was the first 3 books then a long gap and a second trilogy. But then he thought the story of Stannis and Jon Snow needed to be told (it didn't). And other such storylines crept in where these could've been flashbacks or summaries.. His early writing style was fantastic for this. A character's arc would skip ahead to something significant and then layer what's happening with what happened in the gap. It was engaging and concise. So does GRRM "owe" us this story? Probably not. Do I care anymore? Not really. I would actually be shocked at this point if GRRM finishes the series at all (Robert Jordan anyone?). If he does, I'd target 2035 at the earliest for 2 more books. [1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/2pp2m8/spoilers_all_an_analysis_exploration_of_grrms/ https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/2pp2m8/spoilers_all...

the_af 5y ago
> he now doesn't know what to leave out This is crucial for me and a major source of annoyance. In Dance he is still introducing new characters and plotlines -- some of which he introduces and later resolves to nothing, like Quentyn [1], leaving one to wonder why he felt the need at all -- some even major characters like yet another contender to the throne, yet he fails to advanced in any important way many of the early plotlines he's left hanging since forever. Why? Why introduce new plotlines and characters instead of moving the existing ones to a satisfying resolution? Does he not have editors and friends who tell him "hey George, what's the point of Quentyn at all? And what's with the blue-haired boy, is he really necessary?" [1] it's been a long while since I read Dragons and I forgot about the quirky name spellings. Quentin? Quentyn? Kwenteen? PS: now that I write this, I realized there's another famous person named George who could have benefited from people telling him to cut down the crap :D
deleted 5y ago
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by jmyeet 5y ago

the_af 5y ago

> he now doesn't know what to leave out This is crucial for me and a major source of annoyance. In Dance he is still introducing new characters and plotlines -- some of which he introduces and later resolves to nothing, like Quentyn [1], leaving one to wonder why he felt the need at all -- some even major characters like yet another contender to the throne, yet he fails to advanced in any important way many of the early plotlines he's left hanging since forever. Why? Why introduce new plotlines and characters instead of moving the existing ones to a satisfying resolution? Does he not have editors and friends who tell him "hey George, what's the point of Quentyn at all? And what's with the blue-haired boy, is he really necessary?" [1] it's been a long while since I read Dragons and I forgot about the quirky name spellings. Quentin? Quentyn? Kwenteen? PS: now that I write this, I realized there's another famous person named George who could have benefited from people telling him to cut down the crap :D

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