[that old guy]

Originally Posted by Valko

Maybe, if GRRM stopped spending so much time trying to set up all these mechandising deals, he would be able to finish ADWD.

I agree with this up to a point. When I heard he was going to be involved in writing at least some of the episodes of the HBO series I kind of went "uh-oh." So, yes, I do think he's spreading himself a bit thin.

No point in trying to make more money grabbing deals from a franchise that ultimately will lose the average reader because they're tired of waiting for the next book.

However, I don't see this happening as long as what is finally produced is of the same quality as what has gone before. Personally, I've been generally pleased with the series to this point, even as I've bitched with everyone else about how long it is taking from book to book.

Personaly, I've already given up on him because of this.

I gave up on Robert Jordan not because he was taking too long between books but because he was saying very little in them when they were finally produced. Though there're some things Martin is doing I'd rather he didn't, that's the one thing he could do to me at this point to get me to drop the series. And given second rate writing received more quickly vs. decent quality writing received more slowly I'll always opt for the latter.

He just comes over as greedy, self centred and egotistic in his 'not a blog'

How does anyone not come across as egotistic or self-centered on their own blog? (Or 'not a blog' in his case.) By definition they're all about one person, aren't they?

And if he were really greedy he'd pull a Weis & Hickman and employ a legion of hacks to churn out second rate fiction set in his 'universe' or like that embarassing bilge marketed by Isaac Asimov's estate. I agree that a lot of the art work or whatever Martin's pushing is downright awful, but nobody's forcing me (or you) to buy it, anyway.