Game of Thrones Author George R.R. Martin Claims He's Still "Moving Ahead" With Winds of Winter

The self-imposed deadline author George R.R. Martin set for himself regarding the sixth book in the Game of Thrones series, The Winds of Winter, has come and gone but Martin says he's still "moving ahead" on the very eagerly anticipated book. In a new update to his blog, Martin shares a bit about his routine as impacted by the coronavirus pandemic as well says after attending to a few things, he's back at work on the novel.

"I am back in my fortress of solitude again, my isolated mountain cabin. I'd returned to Santa Fe for a short visit, to spend some time with Parris, deal with some local business that had piled up during my months away, and of course fulfill my duties to CoNZealand, the virtual worldcon," Martin wrote. "But all that is behind me now, and I am back on the mountain again… which means I am back in Westeros again, once more moving ahead with Winds of Winter."

He further explains that he is not alone at his cabin and has one assistant with him at all times, with each assistant doing two-week shifts and quarantining at home prior to coming on shift. He also reveals that he writes sometimes all day long describing his life as "very boring", something that is ultimately good for his writing.

"I sleep. The next day, I wake up, and do the same. The next day, the next day, the next day. Before Covid, I would usually get out once a week or so to eat at a restaurant or go to the movies. That all ended in March. Since then, weeks and months go by when I never leave the cabin or see another human being except whoever is on duty that week. I lose track of what day it is, what week it is, what month it is. The time seems to by very fast. It is now August, and I don't know what happened to July," he writes. "But it is good for the writing."

This latest update on The Winds of Winter isn't much different from a previous update in March in which Martin reassured fans that he was well and taking precautions against COVID-19 while working on the novel. That said. Martin has been working on the book for many years at this point and has, at several points, offered updates that made it seem like the book was nearing completion -- including his update in 2019 that he would have the book in hand on July 29, 2020 at the 2020 World Science Fiction Convention in New Zealand in which he gave fans permission to imprison him if it wasn't finished by then -- though the world is definitely a very different place than it was just a year ago.

Continue to check back here for more updates on The Winds of Winter.

What do you think of Martin's latest update on that much-anticipated installment of "A Song of Ice and Fire"? Let us know in the comment section.