Winds of Winter: George RR Martin admits 'I wish it would come faster'

The author is currently writing the sixth book of the saga - which formed the basis of the wildly popular Game of Thrones television series.

While the TV series has long finished - having diverged somewhat from the plot of the book - Martin is still writing Winds of Winter - as he has been since 2011 - and has previously said that he has written 1,000 pages of manuscript. There has been no word on whether any progress has been made on the mooted seventh book, A Dream of Spring.

Recently he spoke to Collider website about the latest television adaptation to be based in his Westeros world, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which has finished filming and is due to be screened later this year.

Based on Martin’s short stories in the Tales of Dunk and Egg, these episodes are set 90 years before the events of the Song of Ice and Fire series. Martin approves of the adaptation, and has confirmed that a second series will be made.

While talking to Collider, Martin spoke about the adaptations of his books and the pressure of making sure that the screen version lives up to the hopes of the fans of the books, saying: “You try to make the story as good as it can be, and some fans will like it, some fans will not like it. You're always going to get criticism, but you've got to keep trying. You've got to try to do every one the best it can possibly be.”

And then came the moment that casts light on the long-awaited Winds of Winter.

He said: “There's always the books, and I'm aware of that people think that— But no, I have to get back. I have to finish the books. That's the one thing I'm completely in control of. There's no budget limitations. There's no other executives on the studio side that I have to please, or other writers with different views. The books are what I'm going to make them. And, I think the one I'm writing is coming pretty well, but I wish it would come faster.”