George R.R. Martin just broke a long silence on his Not A Blog, and what he had to say wasn’t the kind of update fans are used to getting from him. There was no Winds of Winter tease, no casting reveal. Just a rare, unfiltered look at the year he’s had.
Martin’s readers have gotten used to a certain rhythm from the author over the decades. He’s blogged steadily since long before Game of Thrones turned him into a household name, checking in on writing progress, adaptations, and the odd bit of publishing news along the way. So when the posts stopped coming, fans noticed.
His last entry had gone up back in February. Everything since then had come from what Martin calls his mighty minions, his team of assistants who kept the blog running while he stepped back. That gap alone had people wondering what was going on behind the scenes.
George R.R. Martin Opens Up About Depression And Loss In New Blog Post
Martin didn’t dance around it.
“This year has been… stressful, to say the least,” he wrote. “So much has been happening, it’s been overwhelming. Some great things, exciting things. Dreams coming true. But there have been nightmares too.”
He went further, revealing just how heavy the year had gotten. “I have lost friends. Battled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come. I turned 77 last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun. But there have been amazing times as well.”
It’s a striking amount of honesty from an author not exactly known for oversharing his personal struggles in public. Martin seemed to acknowledge as much himself, framing the ups and downs as simply part of the deal. “I suppose that’s just life,” he wrote. “Of course, I knew that. If you’ve read my stories, you know that.”
As for what comes next, Martin was upfront that things won’t go back to normal overnight.
“So much to post about,” he added, “I will try and catch up some… and my minions will help… but my posts are likely to be short and rushed.”
One bright spot he flagged in the same post was A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms landing nine Emmy nominations, including Best Drama Series, with the ceremony set for September 14.
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