In 1996, George R.R. Martin published A Game of Thrones, the first book in what would become his A Song of Ice and Fire series. HBO adapted the books as Game of Thrones, which ran for eight seasons between 2011 and 2019. But when it ended, Martin still hadn’t finished his books. In fact, fans have been waiting for the sixth entry, The Winds of Winter, since 2011.
Much has been written about why Martin is taking such a long time with his series. Brandon Sanderson, a fantasy author who turns out books incredibly quickly, has his own thoughts.
Brandon Sanderson reveals how he’s able to write so much faster than his peers
It comes down to temperment
Brandon Sanderson published his first novel, Elantris, in 2005. Since then, he’s written five books in his Stormlight Archive series, seven in his Mistborn series, wrote the final three Wheel of Time novels after original author Robert Jordan died, written six science fiction novels in his Cytoverse series, and written three superhero novels in his Reckoners series, and that’s just to start. If George R.R. Martin is an especially slow author, Sanderson is uncommonly fast.
How does he do it, and why can’t other authors match his speed? Speaking to Collider, Sanderson weighed in on what it’s been like to watch authors like George R.R. Martin and Patrick Ruthfuss be judged harshly for their deliberate writing speed. “It is really hard. It’s been hard to watch,” he said.
So George and Patrick are friends of mine, and I just have a natural psychology that lends itself well to slow and steady writing. I’m not really fast. I’m really steady, and that’s not because of anything about me. It’s just I was born with a psychology that is good at getting up every day and doing a little bit. A lot of my writer friends work more by powerful personal inspiration, and that sort of thing can be a lot harder.
Patrick Rothfuss is the author of The Kingkiller Chronicle series; the second book in that series, The Wise Man’s Fear, came out in 2011, and fans have been waiting for the third book, The Doors of Stone, ever since.
Brandon Sanderson’s process
It works for him, but would it work for everyone?
Although we don’t know everything about the way that authors like Martin and Rothfuss write, Sanderson makes it sound as though they wait for inspiration before putting pen to paper, whereas he has “a psychology” that lends itself to “getting up every day and doing a little bit.”
Brandon Sanderson has been open about his writing process. He makes detailed outlines before writing, planning out most of the plot well ahead of time. He writes in very structured blocks, usually from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and then again from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. He makes extensive revisions, producing new drafts until the final one is ready to go.
Clearly, this system works for Sanderson, with his voluminous output as proof. That said, this process can result in books that feel a bit sterile at times. Speaking as someone who’s read Sanderson’s work, while the craftsmanship is very admirable, I find that his books don’t have much of an emotional effect on me. I wonder if the regimented way he writes them drains some of the magic and spontaneity from the final product.
On the other hand, I find the Song of Ice and Fire books very emotionally compelling, and can believe that’s partly due to Martin being the kind of author who waits to get inspired before writing. But what’s the point of inspiration if it never actually results in a book I can read? There are pros and cons to both approaches.
Remember the person behind the words
The role of mental health in writing
Of course, inspiration isn’t the only reason Martin has taken 15 years and counting to write The Winds of Winter. He’s also been busy with other projects, including helping HBO make Game of Thrones and a series of Game of Thrones spin-offs. And Sanderson cautions us to keep in mind the mental health of the people behind these works:
Some of my writer friends — not to get into the details — but they’ve had some mental health challenges, and man, having some family members who deal with the same things, I can’t imagine mixing that with the pressure of millions of people waiting to read the thing that you’re going to produce. You have to produce when you’re inspired, but then the mental health challenges make it harder, and then the stress of everyone makes it much harder.
Rothfuss and Martin have both been open about their struggles with mental health, so Sanderson’s note is well taken.
Sanderson’s time has come
I remain hopeful that I’ll get to read The Winds of Winter and The Doors of Stone before too long. In the meantime, Sanderson’s star is on the rise. Apple is turning his Mistborn books into movies and his Stormlight Archive books into a TV show, and there’s every reason to think that they’ll both be big successes.
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Mistborn