Writers must write.

Author and fantasy mastermind George R.R. Martin has decided to dramatically decrease his involvement in the next season of HBO’s Game of Thrones in order to write the next book of his A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Martin typically serves as executive producer and consultant for the television show. Additionally, the author typically writes one episode every season. However, Martin announced at Comic-Con this past weekend that he needs to concentrate on finishing the next book of the series. “I’m not actually writing an episode for season five,” Martin said. “I have this book I have to finish.”

“This book” would be the sixth book in the series, its title is The Winds of Winter. The book will serve as the second to last in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which of course is the source material for the television show. Fans have recently expressed concern that Martin would not finish the books in time.

The upcoming season five, which is expected to premiere on HBO sometime in 2015, will adapt from Martin’s books A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons (the fourth and fifth novels.) So of course, in order for the show to have a season six, Martin needs to finish The Winds of Winter.

The 65-year-old author is committed. He is not only giving up writing his one episode for next season, but he also plans to cut his travel to the Game of Thrones set, “I might make it over there early next year, but I’ve got to finish the book…. So I’m making the trips I’m already obligated to make, but I’m not adding any new trips at this time. So I don’t think I’m going to do a set visit this year, sadly.”

He’s also drastically cutting down his involvement with the process of making the television series, “I’ve been doing a lot of other stuff. In the earlier seasons I was much more involved with casting. I would review tapes and comment, but that’s a time-consuming process. And at this point, we’re five seasons in, we have the best casting director in the business in Nina Gold. David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] have been running the show, and it’s a well-oiled machine, so it really doesn’t need me down there with the oil can squeaking at the wheels.”

Here’s hoping that Martin doesn’t get writer’s block.

Image via Wikimedia Commons