Sorry to say it George RR Martin – you should have finished your book
Artists such as Adele and George RR Martin abuse their privileged positions when they don’t produce the goods on time
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Your support makes all the difference.I feel for George RR Martin. Slightly.
At 67 he should be putting his feet up, but instead he's faced with a rather enormous challenge: putting together one of the most convoluted book series of all time.
Disclaimer: I don’t read Game of Thrones. I know, I’m sorry – it’s just nothing really appeals to me about orc copulation or whatever goes on in it.
But still, he should have finished it. A load of my friends, and family, love that franchise - and it plagues me that time and time again, they are left empty-handed as Martin fails to meet an editorial deadline.
This week Martin announced that his sixth book in the Game of Thrones series, The Winds of Winter, would not be out on time. So behind schedule was the book, that its TV adaptation will precede it. But his fans don't seem to care - in fact, he's been overwhelmed with positive messages of support.
But I care: such sluggishness in an artist vexes me greatly. It’s the sort of complacent, self-indulgent behaviour displayed by Adele over the last four years – during which she produced no music for her millions of adoring fans. Sure, she had a baby – but why be a singer if you’re not going to go for it?
Artists who twiddle their thumbs grossly abuse their dominant positions, and squander opportunities that others spend years fighting for. In doing so, they expose the unhealthy belief carried by artists that they are higher beings than those in ordinary roles. They treat procrastination as a natural part of their vocation, rather than something that must be overcome as a matter of professionalism.
Martin’s reasons for delayed works are trivial enough to include free travel offers, video games and writer’s block. The last particularly irks me, as I have never seen writer’s block as anything more than a gross myth. If you want to be productive, you can be productive - artist or not.
The truth is that art, like anything that makes money, is a job. It requires skill, efficiency and the ability to hit deadlines. There are blocks in any profession, but many are not so privileged as to allow them to take over. Fans should not let Martin et al off the hook so easily.
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