George RR Martin is "spending more time" writing The Winds of Winter now he's self-isolating

It's been nine years since A Dance With Dragons, the last book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, was released, and Martin's lack of productivity when it comes to writing the next book has long been a running joke among fans.

But perhaps Winds of Winter might finally be released at some point in the near future, with Martin taking to his blog to say he has been doing a lot more writing.

"Truth be told, I am spending more time in Westeros than in the real world, writing every day," he wrote. "Things are pretty grim in the Seven Kingdoms… but maybe not as grim as they may become here."

And Martin also reassured fans of his own personal condition amongst the pandemic—claiming that he is "fine."

"For those of you who may be concerned for me personally… yes, I am aware that I am very much in the most vulnerable population, given my age and physical condition," he wrote.

"But I feel fine at the moment, and we are taking all sensible precautions. I am off by myself in a remote isolated location, attended by one of my staff, and I’m not going into town or seeing anyone."

Game of Thrones famously diverged from the books' narrative in its latter series, and so fans are extremely eager to see how the series will end—especially after the lukewarm reaction to the show's final series.