[Z]

Looking at the dates of publishing for all the books, it would appear he's always been a serial procrastinator. I'm sure we can all relate to that in some way, he just happens to be the author of a popular series of novels so his procrastination seems more frustrating. Not every author has the work ethic of JK Rowling firing out a huge novel per year, especially when you look at the length of the more recent books in the ASOIAF series, he's had to split them into two parts etc.

That being said, I do think he's taking the piss with this - how can it possibly take five years to write the next novel if you have an established universe in which your story takes place? It's not like he's starting a new book series, this is book six of a planned seven and I refuse to believe he doesn't have all the minute details of the Game of Thrones world written down, laid out and stored away. He must have known which storylines he would be continuing in this book long before he started writing it?! How can it take so long!!