@Aeonumbra To be fair, it's really nice up here and I should really get off my fucking phone. I'm only halfway through A Dance With Dragons, and there's a lake outside.

Also I realised my data is running out for the month :|

@Lightning Fast The drought has begun.

But honestly, I love lakes. And Oceans. And sand castles.

@Lightning Fast
I suffer from the curse of am actually unlimited data plan. Mind you, it's a godsend for the hour bus journeys to and from work.

Also those books are great but quite a commitment!

Try writing one... unless that's what you're talking about.

@TheMadAsshatter
I think I'm in the minority of people who aren't asking why he's not finished the next book - I can only imagine how hard it is to construct such a complex narrative.

Oh, you're talking about a series. I missed that part.

But yeah, writing is a pain in the ass. I've had writer's block since chapter 4 of my book, which I plan on being novel-length. Shit sucks.

Hey you tumbleweeds, I updated that reserved post. Reading the radio posts are completely optional, but it'll make me happy if you do. (But if your character isn't one who regularly listens to the radio you really wouldn't have any access to this information, would you?)

I think GRRM's problem is that he's so focused on expanding the world that he doesn't realize he's completely forgetting about characters who have relevance to the story in the process, and dropping certain plotlines for similar reasons.

@Darcs Who is GRRM again?

Also, I'm severely disappointed that I didn't get to hear about the weather. Also, instead of traffic he could totally report the movements of large hollow hordes. That would be cool.

@Darcs I can't remember any he dropped - some are dormant though for sure or their conclusion is alluded to.

The series, though, have dropped so many of my favourite plotlines or just flat out changed then into simpler, less interesting scenarios. (Sansa, for example).

@AeonumbraGeorge R R Martin.

@TheMadAsshatter My wife has a similar issue, she did a Creative Writing degree and is published in a few poetry collections but a novel is her real aim, she just finds it hard to keep it going without wanting to go back and edit or drastically change something.

You didn't like Salsa's show plotline? I thought that was one of the few things DnD did right, since she's actually getting to have some autonomy now.

@Darcs

The show plotline just put her into Jeyne Poole's (incidentally, that's just shoddy script writing - 'Hmm, key character's plot becomes complex and subtle. That's not really in keeping with the rest of it - what shall we do?' 'Well, there's another female character who has a FAR more active plot line and she's not important so why don't we just put her there instead?').

In the books her plot line is very, very subtle and, I think, going to be oh so important. The series basically built her up and then just took her back to square one for... well, nothing really. They just couldn't be bothered to make what seemed to them a few dull scenes when in fact they're very fascinating, just a little more complex than the usual gore they've started to rely on (I've stopped watching now, it's just not as well developed).

/endrant.

Pffft. "Salsa."

I haven't seen the show yet, but so far I hear it starts to fall off and diverge from the books later on, so I'm less motivated to watch it.

@Lightning Fast
Basically, yes. The first three seasons are good and are well done but start going iffy in season three.

Mind you, they screwed up the dynamic between Khal Drogo and Daenerys right off the bat so...

Well I will say this, Motum Diversum's bad luck, is about to get even worse. lol

@Jinxer

But parading JP around as Arya was an even worse plotline, especially since the whole thing that makes the North regionally special is that they're super loyal subjects. The Manderlys literally send a smuggler to an island of cannibals and unicorns o recover a kid they THINK might be there because Northerners are loyal as fuck to the Starks. Roose would have know this and never done the dumb "Th-this is Arya! She's going to marry my bastard son, so all you northerners mad that I betrayed the Starks should be happy now!"

The show developed Salsa into someone who could make decisions, she went from someone passively having bad things happen to her, to throwing herself into the face of danger in order to play the game-- as opposed to the books where literally all she does is sit around in the Vale because GRRM has too many characters doing too many things and some end up getting 'subtle plotlines' where their characters suffer.

@Lightning Fast It degrades post-season 3, but you may as well watch it because I do kinda doubt GRRM plans on finishing the series, especially since he is advising on the show. The show ending might be the only ending we get.

@Raptorman It's funny, it's always those based on trade that are prone to bad luck and slaughter. God forbid somebody try to rid the world of the Forsaken or something XD

I just read your post ._. . . . GG Parkland. *salutes*. The Empire of Mark has surely fallen.

But no really, I'll be making a move at Harlem probably, sooner or later. @Darcs TO THE PM DARCS.

@Darcs
Each to their own. I was under the impression from the book that the most loyal Northerners were... absent. A few were still plotting against Bolton though but when we had Lannister backing they couldn't really do much.

Yeah, Santa's plotline in the books would be very boring TV but I think it's a more slow and subtle development than the show but that's how the different mediums work.

Also, I was under the impression that GRRM was less involved with the show after season 3. I know he's still advising but he has distanced himself a bit.

In any case, it's worth watching because Dinklage.

Everybody here needed to see this. I've learned how to defeat sharks... somebody try it on the hollows.

@Aeonumbra
I heard if you punch them on the nose that helps! Anyone want to try it?

@Aeonumbra You have fun with that.