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A Song of Ice and Fire / Announcements / A Storm of Swords -- DONE!

Next 20 Messages Newest Messages

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 21st 4:12 AM
Just in from GRRM:

You cannot imagine how much it thrills me to be able to tell you all that A STORM OF SWORDS is finally finished.

The manuscript is being xeroxed at Kinko's even as I type, and should be winging its way to my various editors, publishers, and agents by tomorrow.

I do feel as though as I have given birth to a wooly mammoth -- this is a BIG beast, with a nasty disposition, and pretty damned hairy too. It weighs in at 1521 manuscript pages, some 350 pages longer than A CLASH OF KINGS. There are 79 chapters, a prologue, =and= a epilogue.

I fear I lied about the four weddings and the funeral. Now that I am done, I see there are four weddings, =two= funerals, and a wake. Four trials as well. And three dragons, four bears, many mammoths, an unkindness of ravens, and a turtle of unusual size. More battles, swordfights, and deaths than I can count, but two births as well, just to remind us all that life goes on.

There's plenty more work after this, of course; editorial revisions,copediting, proofreading, correcting galleys, notice to mention the maps and
the appendices, to which I must now turn my attention. But the mammoth is at least on its feet; the rest is just a matter of polishing up its tusks.

Thank you all for your patience, and your continued enthusiasm. I hope you'll feel the book was worth the wait.

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 21st 4:22 AM
Just a note from me: after a quick calculation, 1521 MS pages translates into roughly 900(!) book pages. It's not improbable that some trimming and compression will be happening in the revision, editing, proofing, etc. process, but it's certainly going to be at least 800 pages in size at the end. Yummy. ;)

Ser Benjen
User ID: 2122084 Apr 21st 6:52 AM
OH MY GOD.

Ser Benjen
User ID: 2122084 Apr 21st 6:55 AM
Turtle Of Unusual Size. I guess that will be known as the TOUS, probably not related to the ROUS' from "Princess Bride"

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Apr 21st 7:16 AM
Methinks this book will indeed be well worth the wait. GRRM actually sounds excited himself. That gets me doubly excited. Can you imagine how much discussion a book of that size will spawn???

Thanks for the update, Ran. C

Claidhaim
User ID: 8590713 Apr 21st 8:02 AM
Whoo Hooo!!!

Jeff
User ID: 1536664 Apr 21st 8:36 AM
Ran, did he drop any hints as to whether we _finally_ will learn whether Tyrion is a man who wears boxers, briefs, or goes bareback?

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Apr 21st 9:18 AM
Ran, did he offer any thoughts as to when the book might finally hit the stores?

Kristin
User ID: 0192094 Apr 21st 9:41 AM
Hurrah!

Fourthman
User ID: 0199184 Apr 21st 1:11 PM
Could the turtle possibly be Tom Tuttle from the Wild Cards Books? (Another GRRM Creation)

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 21st 1:19 PM
I was wondering that, actually -- I haven't really read any of the Wild Cards things, but I remember being told about the turtle fellow... Could be. ;)

Ser Gary,

No comment there about date. But, when he said originally that he'd be done around the beginning of the year, the publishers seem to have put the date of July about. Six months is a typical time for the process of going from MS to press to on-the-shelf, so I think it'll hold here, more or less. October, or perhaps more probably November (which is the date that Ballantine has been giving lately.)

Tom R.
User ID: 3647314 Apr 21st 4:14 PM
That's good news, Ran. Thanks for the update. But just how long will it take GRRM to finally finish this entire series (and will any of us still be alive to read it)? Another author I greatly enjoy (who also took a LOT of time on each book), James Clavell, actually passed away before completing his "Asian Saga" (which includes Shogun, Tai-Pan, Noble House, etc.). He left, sadly enough, a lot of fascinating plot lines forever unresolved.

If GRRM's books keep growing (and taking longer and longer to complete), well, I may not be around to see what REALLY happens when winter finally comes. After all, I'm already 42 and not getting any younger! Oh well. At least I'll be around long enough for ASOS (at least I think I will). There's some comfort in that, I suppose.

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 21st 4:44 PM
Longer and longer? Two years from start to finish is pretty good, in my book. ;) Considering that there are authors who struggle to turn out 350 pages in a year -- or 200 pages...

Actually, I believe it took GRRM two and a half years between _AGoT_ and _ACoK_, and that's with the Legends story ... so, he's improved, even when packing in more material. At least, assuming I'm right -- I think I heard that _AGoT_ was released in the early summer of 1996.

Also, given that this is already the halfway point, I don't think we've got more than .. oh, seven years. ;) Given that Jordan won't be done in that amount of time . . . I'm a happy camper. ;)

Padraig
User ID: 1564944 Apr 21st 6:23 PM
Brillant news. It funny though, Jordan and Martin seem to be keeping more or less identical publishing times for their last few books. ACoK and PoD both came out at the end of '98, aSoS and WH come out at the end of 2000 and if your right about aGoT coming out in the summer of 96, well i'm pretty sure aCoS also came out in the summer of 96. And it's possible perhaps that Jordan also has 4 books left to publish in tWoT (never know);-)

There�s some useless musings. Strange though.

Now James Clavell, he knew what the word epic meant. I loved Shogun.

Arend
User ID: 8590713 Apr 21st 6:24 PM
Good Friday indeed! And those plot teasers - there will be a whole summer between the book and me, but that maybe just as well for my degree :-) I imagine GRRM is feeling slightly lighheaded right now - whenever I finish a long and arduous paper, and I'm printing out the final version, it feels so surreal. Like you can't believe it.

I thought the turtle was a subtle paean to Terry Pratchett myself

Padraig
User ID: 1564944 Apr 21st 6:39 PM
And who's going to have the POV for the epilogue? A regualar or someone new? Perhaps someone who really knows what is going on so that we enter the 5 year break clued in. Or not.

Nice catch on Pratchett, Arend.

Oh this is exciting news.

Friend
User ID: 9836983 Apr 21st 11:28 PM
The news is out and to think i'm one of the first to hear is good.Thanx for the important announcement although there's still a bit of waiting to be done.

LindaElane
User ID: 0276214 Apr 22nd 0:54 AM
Oh my gosh, I am so excited I have tears of anticipation.

Regarding the large turtle. It is just out of keeping with the books that there will be some kind of large magic turtle with high intelligence running around in these books. I suspect GRRM is using his well developed sense of humor. My best guess is that we will revist Patches ( I think that was his name) and hear of a giant seaturtle. At any rate, I believe it will be something like that.

Still, I think it is perfectly nice of GRRM to tease us like this. Now we can be all excited. I don't know another author in the world who emails his fans with fun teasers on the day he/she finishes a book. All the others would take a well deserved rest. GRRM is the greatest!

Tom O.
User ID: 1118614 Apr 23rd 1:55 AM
Yippie kei yai!!!

Didn't GRRM say that it took 60 days to print after He submitted ACoK to the editors? Well. Probably just my wishful thinking. The nice thing about his message, is that we can crank up some ideas about who is who and what is what. <g>

Tom

Zer0hour
User ID: 1432154 Apr 23rd 2:26 PM
...and where is where and why is why and when is when and how is how and huh is huh.

Next 20 Messages Newest Messages

Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 21st 4:12 AM Just in from GRRM: You cannot imagine how much it thrills me to be able to tell you all that A STORM OF SWORDS is finally finished. The manuscript is being xeroxed at Kinko's even as I type, and should be winging its way to my various editors, publishers, and agents by tomorrow. I do feel as though as I have given birth to a wooly mammoth -- this is a BIG beast, with a nasty disposition, and pretty damned hairy too. It weighs in at 1521 manuscript pages, some 350 pages longer than A CLASH OF KINGS. There are 79 chapters, a prologue, =and= a epilogue. I fear I lied about the four weddings and the funeral. Now that I am done, I see there are four weddings, =two= funerals, and a wake. Four trials as well. And three dragons, four bears, many mammoths, an unkindness of ravens, and a turtle of unusual size. More battles, swordfights, and deaths than I can count, but two births as well, just to remind us all that life goes on. There's plenty more work after this, of course; editorial revisions,copediting, proofreading, correcting galleys, notice to mention the maps and the appendices, to which I must now turn my attention. But the mammoth is at least on its feet; the rest is just a matter of polishing up its tusks. Thank you all for your patience, and your continued enthusiasm. I hope you'll feel the book was worth the wait.
Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 21st 4:22 AM Just a note from me: after a quick calculation, 1521 MS pages translates into roughly 900(!) book pages. It's not improbable that some trimming and compression will be happening in the revision, editing, proofing, etc. process, but it's certainly going to be at least 800 pages in size at the end. Yummy. ;)
Ser Benjen User ID: 2122084	Apr 21st 6:52 AM OH MY GOD.
Ser Benjen User ID: 2122084	Apr 21st 6:55 AM Turtle Of Unusual Size. I guess that will be known as the TOUS, probably not related to the ROUS' from "Princess Bride"
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Apr 21st 7:16 AM Methinks this book will indeed be well worth the wait. GRRM actually sounds excited himself. That gets me doubly excited. Can you imagine how much discussion a book of that size will spawn??? Thanks for the update, Ran. C
Claidhaim User ID: 8590713	Apr 21st 8:02 AM Whoo Hooo!!!
Jeff User ID: 1536664	Apr 21st 8:36 AM Ran, did he drop any hints as to whether we _finally_ will learn whether Tyrion is a man who wears boxers, briefs, or goes bareback?
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Apr 21st 9:18 AM Ran, did he offer any thoughts as to when the book might finally hit the stores?
Kristin User ID: 0192094	Apr 21st 9:41 AM Hurrah!
Fourthman User ID: 0199184	Apr 21st 1:11 PM Could the turtle possibly be Tom Tuttle from the Wild Cards Books? (Another GRRM Creation)
Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 21st 1:19 PM I was wondering that, actually -- I haven't really read any of the Wild Cards things, but I remember being told about the turtle fellow... Could be. ;) Ser Gary, No comment there about date. But, when he said originally that he'd be done around the beginning of the year, the publishers seem to have put the date of July about. Six months is a typical time for the process of going from MS to press to on-the-shelf, so I think it'll hold here, more or less. October, or perhaps more probably November (which is the date that Ballantine has been giving lately.)
Tom R. User ID: 3647314	Apr 21st 4:14 PM That's good news, Ran. Thanks for the update. But just how long will it take GRRM to finally finish this entire series (and will any of us still be alive to read it)? Another author I greatly enjoy (who also took a LOT of time on each book), James Clavell, actually passed away before completing his "Asian Saga" (which includes Shogun, Tai-Pan, Noble House, etc.). He left, sadly enough, a lot of fascinating plot lines forever unresolved. If GRRM's books keep growing (and taking longer and longer to complete), well, I may not be around to see what REALLY happens when winter finally comes. After all, I'm already 42 and not getting any younger! Oh well. At least I'll be around long enough for ASOS (at least I think I will). There's some comfort in that, I suppose.
Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 21st 4:44 PM Longer and longer? Two years from start to finish is pretty good, in my book. ;) Considering that there are authors who struggle to turn out 350 pages in a year -- or 200 pages... Actually, I believe it took GRRM two and a half years between _AGoT_ and _ACoK_, and that's with the Legends story ... so, he's improved, even when packing in more material. At least, assuming I'm right -- I think I heard that _AGoT_ was released in the early summer of 1996. Also, given that this is already the halfway point, I don't think we've got more than .. oh, seven years. ;) Given that Jordan won't be done in that amount of time . . . I'm a happy camper. ;)
Padraig User ID: 1564944	Apr 21st 6:23 PM Brillant news. It funny though, Jordan and Martin seem to be keeping more or less identical publishing times for their last few books. ACoK and PoD both came out at the end of '98, aSoS and WH come out at the end of 2000 and if your right about aGoT coming out in the summer of 96, well i'm pretty sure aCoS also came out in the summer of 96. And it's possible perhaps that Jordan also has 4 books left to publish in tWoT (never know);-) There�s some useless musings. Strange though. Now James Clavell, he knew what the word epic meant. I loved Shogun.
Arend User ID: 8590713	Apr 21st 6:24 PM Good Friday indeed! And those plot teasers - there will be a whole summer between the book and me, but that maybe just as well for my degree :-) I imagine GRRM is feeling slightly lighheaded right now - whenever I finish a long and arduous paper, and I'm printing out the final version, it feels so surreal. Like you can't believe it. I thought the turtle was a subtle paean to Terry Pratchett myself
Padraig User ID: 1564944	Apr 21st 6:39 PM And who's going to have the POV for the epilogue? A regualar or someone new? Perhaps someone who really knows what is going on so that we enter the 5 year break clued in. Or not. Nice catch on Pratchett, Arend. Oh this is exciting news.
Friend User ID: 9836983	Apr 21st 11:28 PM The news is out and to think i'm one of the first to hear is good.Thanx for the important announcement although there's still a bit of waiting to be done.
LindaElane User ID: 0276214	Apr 22nd 0:54 AM Oh my gosh, I am so excited I have tears of anticipation. Regarding the large turtle. It is just out of keeping with the books that there will be some kind of large magic turtle with high intelligence running around in these books. I suspect GRRM is using his well developed sense of humor. My best guess is that we will revist Patches ( I think that was his name) and hear of a giant seaturtle. At any rate, I believe it will be something like that. Still, I think it is perfectly nice of GRRM to tease us like this. Now we can be all excited. I don't know another author in the world who emails his fans with fun teasers on the day he/she finishes a book. All the others would take a well deserved rest. GRRM is the greatest!
Tom O. User ID: 1118614	Apr 23rd 1:55 AM Yippie kei yai!!! Didn't GRRM say that it took 60 days to print after He submitted ACoK to the editors? Well. Probably just my wishful thinking. The nice thing about his message, is that we can crank up some ideas about who is who and what is what. <g> Tom
Zer0hour User ID: 1432154	Apr 23rd 2:26 PM ...and where is where and why is why and when is when and how is how and huh is huh.