George R.R. Martin admits he made less progress in 2021 than 2020 on the next Game of Thrones book

How's winter coming along — The Winds of Winter, that is?

It's the question fans can't stop asking George R.R. Martin, author of the books Game of Thrones was based on, after waiting more than 10 years for the next novel. Martin has now provided an update on the long-awaited book, The Winds of Winter, writing on his blog he made progress on it in 2021 — but less than the year prior.

"Yes, of course I am still working on The Winds of Winter," Martin wrote. "I have stated that a hundred times in a hundred venues, having to restate it endlessly is just wearisome. I made a lot of progress on Winds in 2020, and less in 2021… but 'less' is not 'none.'"

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The last A Song of Ice and Fire novel was published in July 2011, and Martin has said he has two more planned. He intended to finish his series before HBO completed its adaptation, but the show was forced to cover material he hadn't yet published due to the sixth book's epic delay. The series concluded in 2019.

While Martin said he's still writing The Winds of Winter, he also noted this is just one of his "enormous number of projects," which also include HBO's Game of Thrones spinoffs. In fact, he highlighted that he's quite involved in these shows, such as the upcoming House of the Dragon.

"Those have taken a ton of my time and attention this year," Martin said. "I have seen some comments out there questioning how much I am involved in these new series. The answer is: a lot."

Martin also outlined the other book projects on his plate that aren't The Winds of Winter, telling frustrated fans desperate for him to finally finish the sixth book, "I know, for many of you out there, only one of those projects matters. I am sorry for you. They ALL matter to me."