44 thoughts on “George RR Martin on How to be a Great Writer”
Use history to influence your writing. Change the names of locations and characters add in the odd dragon and some fantasy elements and voila you have your own original story. No need to watch this video now
5:30 this is so funny, because Dan and Dave have both Cersei saying “I choose violence” and Dany saying “So let it be fear then.” So apparently they must not have spent too long at GRRMs house talking about the story, maybe instead they were playing with his action figures while he was trying to talk them off the cliff of destroying his story.
Exactly. Stories are all about human psychology. Those who aren't sophisticated enough to understand that are the ones who do not understand anything about other people's behavior, and the ones who think Season 8 has been the shit.
It's a bit early to claim GRRM is a great writer. He needs to finish the series he is known for in order to achieve that. A great writer can begin, follow through on, and finish a story. The last two he is struggling with. He may have bit off more than he could chew (he originally planned ASOIAF to be a trilogy). While the first three books were enjoyable, the last 2 were world building books with little narrative and character growth. And he has to finish the series which he seems to be struggling with.
There is a difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy. Sciencie fiction uses current technologies and current scientific theories to project a future society. It's an attempt to predict an interesting future, obviously a writer can only do this so well so there are fictional leaps that have to be taken to accept the universe.
Fantasy changes fundmental laws of physics of the universe. Thus you have magic or winters that last decades, etc. It is not constrained on what could be possible in our world. GRRM might enjoy them equally (as I do), but it's a bit simplistic to claim they are the same. Star Wars was not science fiction. It was a fantasy in a space setting. Star Trek the next generation was a mix of Science Fiction and Fantasy (as there are many things that are very fanciful within their universe, such as Q).
A pure science fiction would be a writer attempting to follow what the science claims is possible and extrapolating it into the future. And they are often very, very wrong. But it is still a fun thought experiment. Fantasy approaches it with a fundmental change to the universe and how that effects people like us.
He is not a great writer, he is just a popular writer that wrote for the masses who just want a quick, entertainment. Although a fan, Game of Thrones is just a pastiche or mélange of medieval and fantasy with controversial sex, open homosexuality and sexual perversions, and a female main character, all of these three things today make you a great writer.
Reading ASOIAF where he uses POV to move the stories on, I am not entirely convinced by his character voices. They all sound the same, not in the dialogues, but in the way each one expresses their inner mind and relationship with the world. I appreciate that deep POV has its problems, but George maintains a neutral narrative voice which is noticably remote and not really authentic – you can see the joins.
5:46 why did they laugh at that? Doctor Doom has proven that his methods work for the better. His citizens love him and they prosper. He really does think what he is doing is just and half of the time it is.
What separates GRRM from Dumb and Dumber (D&D) is Martin gives us the benefit of the doubt and he assumes we're intelligent and he writes his stories according to that assumption. Dumb and Dumber on the other hand assume we the viewers are idiot's and that we won't appreciate or be enamored with a complex sprawling plot that involves many different possible outcomes, emotions and plot arcs.
As a writer I agree completely. Getting too wrapped up into compartmentalizing genres really shortchanges the ability to broaden the scope of storytelling.
He not that great of a writer. His ideas are good, characters and dialog but as far as writing and putting it altogether, it's not that good, I couldn't get past the 3rd? book. I was so bored with the long winded landscape details and achy feet and reminiscing. Ack. HBO made it all awesome. Same thing w The Sookie Stackhouse novels. All made better by HBO.
Use history to influence your writing. Change the names of locations and characters add in the odd dragon and some fantasy elements and voila you have your own original story. No need to watch this video now
I get the vibe Coca-Cola is contributing to his obesity. No more coke please…we need you alive and well
One of the greatest tips to be a writer is to actually finish a story you were writing.
Throws a fart, APPLAUSE
A great writer finishes what he started over twenty years ago.
"This is the prostitute speaking"
What's the most important part of ANY book?
Well… being able to fucking read it!
Must be annoying when half the things you say generate laughter. Nerds are too excitable
Martin çıkar artık şu kitabı bittsin bu çile
Great tip. This also goes for music writing!
Ummm… Excuse me sir, but to be a great writer, you need to finish your damn book! It's been EIGHT YEARS!!!
How to be a great writer? FINISH YOUR BOOKS
I love this man and this channel so much
That button is holding on for dear life
He's drinking fucking Cola during this interview???
Jesus we're never gonna see these books finished
Step 1: actually write
5:30 this is so funny, because Dan and Dave have both Cersei saying “I choose violence” and Dany saying “So let it be fear then.” So apparently they must not have spent too long at GRRMs house talking about the story, maybe instead they were playing with his action figures while he was trying to talk them off the cliff of destroying his story.
I keep having this dream where he shows up in my house wearing santa🎅🎅 costume…. It's weird 🤔🤔
Exactly. Stories are all about human psychology. Those who aren't sophisticated enough to understand that are the ones who do not understand anything about other people's behavior, and the ones who think Season 8 has been the shit.
I want to see J K Rowling and George Martin having a conversation ❤
I like that he waited to bring up empathy. For some reason it was more meaningful to say this near the end, instead of right out the gate.
how to be a great writer avoid everything season 7& 8 has done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1.take 8 years to finish a book.
To think that D&D spoke with this man
It's a bit early to claim GRRM is a great writer. He needs to finish the series he is known for in order to achieve that. A great writer can begin, follow through on, and finish a story. The last two he is struggling with. He may have bit off more than he could chew (he originally planned ASOIAF to be a trilogy). While the first three books were enjoyable, the last 2 were world building books with little narrative and character growth. And he has to finish the series which he seems to be struggling with.
There is a difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy. Sciencie fiction uses current technologies and current scientific theories to project a future society. It's an attempt to predict an interesting future, obviously a writer can only do this so well so there are fictional leaps that have to be taken to accept the universe.
Fantasy changes fundmental laws of physics of the universe. Thus you have magic or winters that last decades, etc. It is not constrained on what could be possible in our world. GRRM might enjoy them equally (as I do), but it's a bit simplistic to claim they are the same. Star Wars was not science fiction. It was a fantasy in a space setting. Star Trek the next generation was a mix of Science Fiction and Fantasy (as there are many things that are very fanciful within their universe, such as Q).
A pure science fiction would be a writer attempting to follow what the science claims is possible and extrapolating it into the future. And they are often very, very wrong. But it is still a fun thought experiment. Fantasy approaches it with a fundmental change to the universe and how that effects people like us.
How to be a greater writer today: have a strong female main character and discuss homosexual, perverted, and incestuous sex
He is not a great writer, he is just a popular writer that wrote for the masses who just want a quick, entertainment. Although a fan, Game of Thrones is just a pastiche or mélange of medieval and fantasy with controversial sex, open homosexuality and sexual perversions, and a female main character, all of these three things today make you a great writer.
David Benioff here ,How do you become a Great Writer? it's too late isn't it?
Reading ASOIAF where he uses POV to move the stories on, I am not entirely convinced by his character voices. They all sound the same, not in the dialogues, but in the way each one expresses their inner mind and relationship with the world. I appreciate that deep POV has its problems, but George maintains a neutral narrative voice which is noticably remote and not really authentic – you can see the joins.
Finish your book and stop ruining the TV version by not being involved in it. That's how to be a great writer.
5:20 Looks like something D&D should take note of.
5:46 why did they laugh at that? Doctor Doom has proven that his methods work for the better. His citizens love him and they prosper. He really does think what he is doing is just and half of the time it is.
As a very casual amateur writer, I find dialog with casual speech the hardest thing.
What separates GRRM from Dumb and Dumber (D&D) is Martin gives us the benefit of the doubt and he assumes we're intelligent and he writes his stories according to that assumption. Dumb and Dumber on the other hand assume we the viewers are idiot's and that we won't appreciate or be enamored with a complex sprawling plot that involves many different possible outcomes, emotions and plot arcs.
This is why George is the 🐐
And yet D&D wrote a Night King who was just evil for evils sake. SMH
How? To finish a story for example😬
"By never finishing your work." Would have been a appropriate answer as well.
Sabias palavras, mestre Martin.
As a writer I agree completely. Getting too wrapped up into compartmentalizing genres really shortchanges the ability to broaden the scope of storytelling.
George RR Martin: "Nobody gets up in the morning and says 'I'm the villain"
Tv Show: Hold my Night King…
How to be a Great Writer:
Step 1: Write something.
Weird why anyone would ask him this
George RR Martin on How to be a Great Writer:
"Easy: don't fuck up like D&D did with The Long Night!"
He not that great of a writer. His ideas are good, characters and dialog but as far as writing and putting it altogether, it's not that good, I couldn't get past the 3rd? book. I was so bored with the long winded landscape details and achy feet and reminiscing. Ack. HBO made it all awesome.
Same thing w The Sookie Stackhouse novels. All made better by HBO.