And sometimes people are REALLY old and sometimes they have a few hundred chars they have to keep straight and in the right locations. Let's say he's writing about the capital. First question: who is in the capital at that moment? And what are those people doing there? Who gets along with whom, or not, or maybe they were ex lovers or whatever? From which point of view should he write and how should he taint the story to accomodate that char's view of things (which might not be completely what's going on). And what do those chars that char interacts with have planned (since even the kids have their own plans)?!? Oh and who has died in the meantime in some battle or other, possibly somewhere the reader didn't see and how to hint at stuff that's happening elsewhere but never explained completely - like the thing with the huge pack led by Arya's darling pet?
Those books are hugely complicated - possibly the most complicated series out there ever - so writing the story AND keeping every detail right must be incredibly difficult. Dale's books are child's play in some aspects. For example he has a few locations and maybe three dozen chars that play some kind of role in the big picture. Those chars usually form four or five groups with different interests.
Martin on the other hand has more than 1000 chars by now, dozens of different places and more than a dozen cultures with different standards and so on, every single character has their own agenda that might just break another one's plan by accident and in passing like dominoes and he doesn't have one big picture but about eight of them? The situation beyond the wall, the kingdom falling apart in the worst of times, the southern slave revolution (Danny) and their search for freedom and its problems and all that, The free cities that are probably running towards their own downfall by not noticing anything but their own needs, The infighting and intrigue at court ant the trouble that brings, showing noble actions - and failures - as well as despicable ones, to prove that good and brave doesn't necessarily win and fair is a childish concept, the total disregard of commoners beyond a few noble motives here and there and...lots of other stuff too.
Martin must be cursing himself for making stuff so complicated.
Those books are hugely complicated - possibly the most complicated series out there ever - so writing the story AND keeping every detail right must be incredibly difficult. Dale's books are child's play in some aspects. For example he has a few locations and maybe three dozen chars that play some kind of role in the big picture. Those chars usually form four or five groups with different interests.
Martin on the other hand has more than 1000 chars by now, dozens of different places and more than a dozen cultures with different standards and so on, every single character has their own agenda that might just break another one's plan by accident and in passing like dominoes and he doesn't have one big picture but about eight of them? The situation beyond the wall, the kingdom falling apart in the worst of times, the southern slave revolution (Danny) and their search for freedom and its problems and all that, The free cities that are probably running towards their own downfall by not noticing anything but their own needs, The infighting and intrigue at court ant the trouble that brings, showing noble actions - and failures - as well as despicable ones, to prove that good and brave doesn't necessarily win and fair is a childish concept, the total disregard of commoners beyond a few noble motives here and there and...lots of other stuff too.
Martin must be cursing himself for making stuff so complicated.