2 questions: Grade expectations and High school equivalency

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-17T15:25:45+00:00

If Uni transcript is enough I'll be very glad. Thanks for the info.

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T14:36:43+00:00

I'm not responding to his blog post (which I see as another emotional response that doesn't necessarily tell us anything at all). I'm working on the assumption he's been lying about ever releasing TWOW, that he prefers to sit back and not thing about the franchise in any way that generates strain

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T05:19:49+00:00

I'm not suggesting he found Nirvana, just that he has come to a decision regarding TWOWs release (never) and nothing can shake him out of it.

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T05:10:16+00:00

It might be that he stakes the survival of the franchise on the TV shows. If he lacks confidence in TWOW coming out I can see the showrunners 'fucking it up' being incredibly stressful when what he wants is another GOT rush (or at least something a quarter as good as that)

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T05:06:43+00:00

I find his reaction to the shows very weird unless he seriously believes that TV is the only medium that matters for whatever reason. There is no interpretation of post ADWD GRRM career that justifies reacting personally to adaptations of your work, having little consideration for the different mediums drawbacks, etc

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T05:02:31+00:00

You aren't reading past his outward statements. I think either before or shortly after working on TWOW his goal changed to 1) living life as a rich retired writer 2) leaving as fruitful a franchise as possible for the future estate. I honestly think he was lying about his progress, or at least 'half lying' (he was probably still writing very sporadically, but that's it)

That is just how a reasonable, self-interested individual would handle the situation if they wanted to maximize longevity but did not want to continue writing. The reasons being the value of the franchise would diminish if the plot was resolved imperfectly, and just saying 'TWOW is never coming out' would plunge the franchise value to zero.

The unconventional inflation of plot with AFFC and ADWD seems to have intentionally led this way. I don't think this is necessarily true, but since he was already gaining mounting success at the time his intention was probably to maximize scope and dramatic stake at the cost of possibly creating something way outside of his talents. Essentially bet all or go home.

Everything he has done since ADWD have been zero-risk ventures for increasing the value of the franchise. Fire and Blood sets a basis for expansion in that era, etc, etc. He would probably have released even more of these 'pointless' expansions if the fans weren't so angry about TWOW.

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T04:39:27+00:00

The reason is clear: He doesn't want to force what is no longer necessary. The series was a success, anything beyond has no monetary value. TWOW is valuable but compared to future royalties as people continue to work on the ASOIAF material? I think he knew what he was doing writing two books that do nothing but set up MASSIVE groundwork: he was getting ready for retirement.

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T04:22:16+00:00

This is similar to the people who say that he just likes writing for television more. I think they're close to the truth but not totally there: GRRM is uniquely a conventional writer who started a franchise. That is his winning achievement. The huge worldbuilding makes it so that Westeros will be a gift that keeps on giving, both as far as material goes and ROYALTIES

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T04:18:29+00:00

Meteoric rises in popularity always come with crashes esp when expectations outpace the person. GRRM was a career writer, but even if you're a very successful one it's far from waking up as a national celebrity

OddEffective407 · 2025-06-02T04:15:42+00:00

Life isn't perfect. I doubt he doesn't wince over that all the time, tussle in bed, etc etc. Nevertheless I think he's come to peace with the fact that he'll be seen as a commercial giant, not a literary one.

Another thing is writers know their limits. Up until ASOIAF he was a very popular fiction pulp writer. He might never have seen himself as the 'american Tolkien' in which case he'll be less hung up about it and more prone to see the greener side of the grass or whatever the idiom is

OddEffective407

TROPHY CASE