Love seeing you guys rip into the nonsense of some of the prophecies, logics and maths of grrm writing. I love these books they're my favorite series but I've always thought he should have made small anthologies that lead to each other instead of one large sprawling story, as the former is better for his strengths and weaknesses. This man is a yapper. He loves to yap. He will make plot lines and threads after threads without thinking beforehand or in action how to connect it all, he gets lost in the creative euphoria of it and seems resistant to edits, revision, if it doesn't work the first time then he either scraps it or keeps it as it is, so whenever he has to continue any story he is stuck but also too stubborn to back down. Its why i think adapting his work is actually a double edge sword, you'll be loved at first, can even take some creative liberties (like adding to dunks backstory) but the moment you try to fix some threads, make connections you think are reasonable.... It's over for you. You're in his enemies list. It's why though i am loving akotsk I'm nervous whenever i see anything new like guys did we run this through George. Nervous over all as the seasons continuing. This version of these characters are his favorite... And in two seasons they will be written primarily not by him. As a writer on his shows I'd be scared ngl
I don't think I can critique George RR Martin's writing, he does a good job engaging the reader and writing complex characters with flaws and strengths and real reactions that vary. His world building is amazing and he isn't afraid of twisting the characters and making them hurt. I don't think I can say what he should or shouldn't have done and I like the things he has done, some more than others. And I love that he mixes it up. The difference from the Main Story to the historical style of Fire and Blood to the straightforward nature of Dunk and Egg, are very different ways of telling a story.
I'm not saying you're wrong or implying there's anything wrong with critiquing him! Analyzing writing is a whole class in schools at varying levels and I think it brings an appreciation for the writer and writing, I'm just not particularly good or interested in it. I can say what I don't like, usually his endings and I can agree he's a yapper, but I'm sure there's people who disagree, and thats kinda where I start feeling bad. When it comes to writing itself I feel bad critiquing it because not only am I a bad writer, I think there's someone who'll like it and someone who'll hate it.
I can't say whether he's against rewrites or revisions, I don't know him, but I have heard of the Original Draft(s) of the Main Story, you know where Jaime was gonna be King and Sansa was gonna have Joffrey's baby and Daenerys finds her eggs instead of is given them as gifts, and I have heard he didn't plan on including dragons coming back but was urged by his editor(?), I also know he collaborates with people on his writing, in things like "The World of Ice and Fire". None of that sounds like someone who doesn't like editing or revising or critiques. But I don't know him!
In reference to his works being adapted, I don't think there's anything wrong with being heavily involved, a good adaptation includes people who love the source material and want to speak with the writer/creator! With GRRM you have D&D, you have Ryan Condal and you have Ira Parker I believe? Of these, I wasn't around for the Game of Thrones Rise and Fall, as I was a teen who thought it was soooo nerdy and cringe, but from what I know he was giving them clues to his own plans and wasn't against the changes, such as Hodor and Shireen's burning, and the only things I've heard him say negatively, is saying Littlefinger would NEVER give Sansa to the Boltons. Though I've never looked for interviews intentionally. But if he were upset with the ending, I mean... its similar to House of the Dragon, with Ryan Condal, he is there and in I believe the blog post, you know the one, he mentions that when they brought up concerns, he had no problem making changes, like the armour for the DragonKeepers being too expensive. The problem read as more personal; he mentioned he's too old to fight and argue and I can't fault the guy, the changes to Fire and Blood are massive and unnecessary. The story is written in full, either you want to adapt it or you want to write your own story. It must feel disrespectful to give something you made and give grace, only for them to write you off as unimportant. The opposite is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which he seems immensely proud of and may have even inspired him to write! I read he gave them more material to adapt for later seasons, whether this means he had unreleased short stories or he wrote more because of how good everything was I don't know but I hope its the latter, I hope he's refound the joy of writing that he seemed to have lost. Of course, I don't know if he has or hasn't been writing. Maybe he has and has just hated it!
I can understand being frustrated with the way he writes, the Gardner as he calls it, because it can feel like things are not all being resolved and left with no conclusion but it plays well with his world, somethings you never learn the ending to! The story being told in POVs tends to limit what we know about the world. But I do find myself being frustrated with how I want all the answers, I want to pick his brain! But also, isn't that more fun? Seeing these passing references and unanswered questions and saying, "...what if I filled it in?"
