When Will 'Winds of Winter' Come Out? Here's What George R.R. Martin Says!

"The Winds of Winter" release date has remained unknown for quite some time, but now, fans may have an idea of just how long they have to wait before they see it in shelves.

Since George R.R. Martin has been tight-lipped as to when he plans to finish "Winds of Winter," fans and media outlets have been forced to resort to rumors that the release of the sixth book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series will be next year.

According to The Inquisitr, in a recent visit at his alma mater Northwestern University, GRRM was asked by about the "Winds of Winter" release date. He admitted that he got surprised that the TV series "Game of Thrones" had caught up to the pace of his writing.

"The show, of course, has caught up to me, which I didn't actually think would ever happen. I had such a huge lead, but the truth is, I'm a very slow writer," said GRRM.

However, the brilliant author remained undeterred despite pressures from expectations that that "Winds of Winter" will be out before "GOT" season 6 goes out on TV.

According to Vulture, George R.R. Martin said in a recent interview:

"I've been hearing them come up behind me for years, and the question is, 'How can I make myself write faster?' I think, by now, the answer is, I can't. I write at the pace I write, and what the show is doing is not going to change what the books are."

The author also described his writing routine during a previous interview with BBC Radio:

"I don't do it that rigidly. I go over in the morning and sit down, I usually reread what I've done the day before to try to build up a little momentum. Sometimes if what I wrote the day before is not very good I spend the whole day rewriting what I did the day before," he said.

George R.R. Martin added that a productive day would give him five to six pages, but that those kinds of days aren't often.

However, according to Christian Today, it has been rumored that Martin asked HBO to put on hold the premiere for "Game of Thrones" season 6 so that "Winds of Winter" would not be affected. HBO had originally lined early 2016 for GOT season 6, but it was reportedly taken by Mick Jagger's "Vinyl." Because of this, "Game of Thrones" Season 6 might not be back until May.

If this is true, it might mean an earlier "Winds of Winter" release date. But just like any speculation, only time will tell.