George R.R. Martin opens up about his mental health and how the disrespect over not publishing *The Winds of Winter* affects him

George R.R. Martin has acknowledged that he’s battling depression. In the latest post on his blog, published last Monday, he opened up about how he has recently lost some close friends and said, “I turned 77 last September, and I’ll tell you, getting old is no fun”. Reflecting on how, with age, you lose many important things, things that are hard to live without.

A man who doesn’t like being rushed

He has also spoken about The Winds of Winter and how that has been a significant burden for him. Many people have questioned his ability to finish the book, joking that he’ll die before he does and even threatening to kill him for not finishing it, something Martin himself finds very offensive.

He has also spoken very briefly about the seven nominations for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and how happy he is about it. He also expressed his enthusiasm for the series.

All this, while it isn’t the news his fans are hoping for, shows how important it is to take mental health seriously and truly respect authors. It means not making jokes about their ability to finish their work, no matter how much we want to see it finished, especially since it can affect their day-to-day lives.