George R.R. Martin hates deadlines, but with Game of Thrones heading into the fifth season next week, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire wants to have his sixth novel - Winds of Winter - complete before the next season comes.

The next season of Game of Thrones is set to start around the same time in 2016. George has just over a year to complete the novel, which will be the second last in the series.

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The TV producers of Game of Thrones have already hinted that events not revealed in the books will be shown in season five. Some characters already revealed in the books will not be shown this season however, as TV producers look to consolidate the TV programs massive character list.

George has dropped several events and planned arrangements to work on Winds of Winter, including San Diego Comic Con and writing an episode of season six for Game of Thrones.

"This is going to drive your readers crazy, but I love it." George said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I'm still weighing whether to go that direction or not. It's a great twist. It's easy to do things that are shocking or unexpected, but they have to grow out of characters. They have to grow out of situations. Otherwise, it's just being shocking for being shocking. But this is something that seems very organic and natural, and I could see how it would happen. And with the various three, four characters involved... it all makes sense. But it's nothing I've ever thought of before. And it's nothing they can do in the show, because the show has already - on this particular character - made a couple decisions that will preclude it, where in my case I have not made those decisions."

The teaser seems to hint that the story will continue to drift away from the TV series. Telltale Games has another story it is building on a northern House Forrester, which has not been added into the TV show or the books.

After Winds of Winter, George has one last book - A Dream of Spring - that will reportedly be his last of the series. That does not mean spin offs and continuation will not come from other authors - George has been keen to work with other authors on branching stories in the past.

Season five of Game of Thrones will air on April 12 on HBO. It will be the first time Game of Thrones is available in dozens of countries at the same time - it will also be available on HBO's new streaming service, HBO Now. 

TagsGeorge R.R. Martin, Winds of Winter, Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire