George R. R. Martin is arguably one of the greatest names when it comes to the category of epic fantasy and he has produced some of the finest works in the world for this genre.
He is a master of world-building and has created entire worlds full of complex characters and plots that are given more complex and realistic along with depth that only a few other people can match.
Today we are here to explore this legendary writer’s writing style and find out why it would be very hard to come by a second George R. R. Martin.
He is known for a lot of things including science-fiction but he is most well-known for the epic fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire” which was adapted by HBO into the historically popular TV series “Game of Thrones”.
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The show had a total budget of $1.5 billion which is already unheard of in TV history and earned $3.1 billion in total.
There is only one name that is the source of all this success and it is George R. R. Martin.
He makes an estimated $10 million per year from book sales alone and his readers are in the millions and apart from that he earned approximately $15 million for each season of Game of Thrones.
This kind of success is unheard of in the world of literature and that is why it is very important for us to know how this legend writes his books and creates magic out of his imagination and his wealth of knowledge in history, culture and human psychology.
In order to explore his writing style, let us look at some of his works.
George R. R. Martin Popular Books and Series
A Song of Ice and Fire Series
This is the most famous and most popular George R. R. Martin series ever and it is possibly one of the most famous epic fantasy series in the entire world.
This series is based on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and is a perfect blend of politics and human psychology as well as culture and talks about the clash of noble houses to control the Iron Throne which is the most powerful seat in the entire world of Game of Thrones.
This is also the series of books to be adapted into the very famous HBO’s Game of Thrones and most George R. R. Martin fans know him because of this series.
Here are all the books in this epic series.
– A Game of Thrones (1996) – Book 1
– A Clash of Kings (1998) – Book 2
– A Storm of Swords (2000) – Book 3
– A Feast for Crows (2005) – Book 4
– A Dance with Dragons (2011) – Book 5
– The Winds of Winter (forthcoming) – Book 6
– A Dream of Spring (forthcoming) – Book 7
Dunk and Egg Series (Tales of Dunk and Egg)
Most George R. R. Martin TV series fans do not really know about this series but it is actually a very popular series among his readers and is actually set 90 years before the “A Game of Thrones” books and is about the adventures of a knight and his squire.
If you truly want to explore the world of A Song of Ice and Fire and if you want to understand how things got to where they did in “A Game of Thrones”, you definitely need to read this series as it will help you with the best kind of background of the world of Westeros.
If you want to understand what happened to the Targaryen dynasty and if you also want to read something that is a little bit less intense but yet beautifully written then this is an amazing series that talks about politics and loyalty as well as honour and friendship.
Martin has plans to continue this series and we are sure it will be much more popular in the future.
– The Hedge Knight (1998)
– The Sworn Sword (2003)
– The Mystery Knight (2010)
Fire & Blood Series
This is yet another incredibly popular Epic fantasy novel series that is in the works and it is set 300 years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire.
The reason why this is popular is simply the fact that it helps the readers and fans of Game of Thrones get a background of how things got to the present situation in the books of A Song of Ice and Fire.
This single book is the start of an epic series with other volumes in the works by George and the first book of Fire & Blood has even been adapted into an HBO show House of the Dragon.
If you are a Game of Thrones fan then we highly recommend you to read this.
– Fire & Blood (2018) – Volume 1
– Untitled Fire & Blood Volume 2 (forthcoming)
Wild Cards Series
If you thought George R. R. Martin is just a master of epic fantasy then you are wrong because he is also one of the most prolific and one of the most seminal names when it comes to science-fiction writing and his love for science fiction is even older than his love for epic fantasy.
The Wild Cards series is a series of books created by George R. R. Martin and co-edited with Melinda M. Snodgrass and was started all the way back in 1987.
The current number of books in this very popular science fiction series of novels, novellas, and short stories with multiple contributor authors is now 32.
Since it is a creation of George R. R. Martin, you can expect history but along with that you can also expect some excellent science-fiction writing and we highly recommend this series.
Apart from these, George R. R. Martin also has several short story collections with includes the very famous A Song for Lya and Other Stories (1976), Songs of Stars and Shadows (1977), Sandkings (1981), Nightflyers (1981), Songs the Dead Men Sing (1983), Portraits of His Children (1987) and GRRM: A RRetrospective (Dreamsongs) (2003).
In addition to that he has also authored graphic novels and adaptations as well as novellas & short fiction which are actually not a part of any collection.
We must also mention his other famous works like the Dying of the Light (1977) and the Fevre Dream (1982) as well as The Armageddon Rag (1983) and Nightflyers (1980).
He is already in the process of writing many more works of fantastic literature and you can expect a lot more from this genius if you stay tuned.
George R.R. Martin and The Song of The Writer’s Block
It is really difficult for the average reader or even the average writer to imagine how a single person can write so much.
It is even more difficult to understand the fact that everything this person has written are works of art and incredible precision as well as some of the best examples of immaculate storytelling.
So, did George R.R. Martin write his books?
There are of course people who do not believe that something like this could be achieved even after so much evidence is there out into the world.
Ever since before the time HBO had a series based on the books of A Song of Ice and Fire, people have been discussing if George R.R. Martin is indeed the author.
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There are still genuine readers who find it difficult to imagine that even a genius like George R.R. Martin could accomplish so much in a single lifetime.
This has even led to some funny speculations and memes as well as satire from popular satirical news agencies like The Onion and it’s hilarious.
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However, it is common knowledge that he is currently facing writer’s block which is preventing him from coming up with new ideas to continue his popular series.
That is why it is taking him so much longer to come up with new books.
This has even led to some of his fans thinking about the idea of him hiring a ghostwriter to complete his epic series.
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With some of his fans even asking why isn’t he hiring a ghostwriter to finish The Song of Ice and Fire. Fans stay divided on this idea with some agreeing and some disagreeing.
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So, Did George R.R. Martin Use a Ghostwriter to Write His Books?
There is simply not a shred of evidence to suggest that George R.R. Martin used ghostwriters to write his books.
He has been in the public scene for a long time and has collaborated with and been friends with some of the finest names in the world of literature with many of them witnessing his writing process.
There is abundant evidence that showcases George’s handwritten plotlines and while these handwritten plotlines are very rare to come by but they exist and are very well known.
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George R.R. Martin does not hand write his books so it is not possible to get handwritten rough drafts of his books, but there exist multiple rough drafts from the 36-year-old Word Star 4.0 software he uses on his DOS machine to write all his works.
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According to him “I still do all my writing on an old DOS machine running WordStar 4.0, the Duesenberg of word processing software (very old, but unsurpassed).”
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However, it is simply impossible to know if GRRM used ghostwriters to write his books simply because it is in the nature of professional ghostwriting to keep confidentiality as the topmost priority.
This means that even if he used ghostwriters in the writing or editing process and if he relied on professionals like us with stringent NDAs and a high level of professionalism, then it is simply impossible to find that out.
We know that because we have extensive experience in working with some of the finest names in the industry whom we simply can’t name out of the nature of our agreements and the respect for our clients.
We still believe that George R.R. Martin did not use ghostwriters.
Let us end this blog with some of the most important writing tips by George R.R. Martin.
Incredible Writing Tips by George R.R. Martin
One of the best things about George R.R. Martin is that he does not shy away from sharing his experience and sharing the lessons he has learned along the way of being a writer most of his life.
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He has shared a lot of valuable information and writing tips over the years and some of these can be found in his incredibly popular blog on his website known as “Not a Blog”.
We have compiled a few of his most valuable tips among the many other important tips that you should definitely read and keep in mind.
His First Tip – “Read. And read everything.”
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George R.R. Martin is a voracious reader himself and understands the value of reading and the level of information and experience reading can impart to a writer.
That is why he always stresses the point about being a reader and reading absolutely everything and this helps writers understand different voices and techniques and while this can influence writers but influence is not always a bad thing.
His Second Tip – “Let the Characters Drive the Story.”
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George R.R. Martin understands the importance of characters and has written some of the most complicated and realistic characters in the history of literature.
That is why his advice to writers is to make characters the central theme of the entire story because characters should drive the story and not plot structures.
He is a firm believer in character-driven storytelling.
His Third Tip – “Kill Your Darlings (But with Purpose).”
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In a realistic world, actions have consequences and people die and that is why he tells writers to never shy away from killing their favourite characters.
However, he also stresses the part about always maintaining an important purpose behind the death of characters because without a purpose their death and their role in the story are going to be insignificant.
His Fourth Tip – “Make a habit of writing.”
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Discipline is the key to success when it comes to writing and George R.R. Martin tells writers to develop a writing habit and a routine.
It tells writers to always follow this routine of writing whether it is every day or once or twice a week.
He stresses the fact that consistency is very important in the development of a craft and the completion of long-term projects.
His Fifth Tip – “Be a Gardener, Not an Architect.”
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According to George R.R. Martin, there are two techniques of plot creation and writing, one of them is to be an architect and plan everything beforehand very carefully with extreme detail.
The other is to be a gardener and drop seeds of inspiration naturally on the plotline and see if they germinate into plants.
He believes in being a gardener because he believes this method is organic and allows much more spontaneity and flexibility in storytelling. He also believes that this is the only way to encourage creativity and unpredictable natural progression.
His Sixth Tip – “Write What You Want to Read.”
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And last but not the least, George R.R. Martin emphasizes the point about actually enjoying the process of writing and you can only enjoy something that you might want to read later on.
It is not just about following a routine and continuously churning out stories for the sake of your fans and readers, it is primarily about enjoying your creation and doing something you love and being genuinely excited about telling a story that you yourself would enjoy reading.
We hope this blog helps you understand the writing process of the legendary author George R.R. Martin and we also hope this inspires you to write your own novels and series of novels.
However, if you are someone who simply does not have the time or any experience in writing in novel and if you are also someone with excellent ideas then you do not need to worry.
We will help you write your own fantasy epic novel or any other kind of content of any genre you wish for and you too can aim to be a bestselling author with the help of professional ghostwriters like us.
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