'The Winds Of Winter' Release Date, News & Update: Is Neil Gaiman Helping George R.R. Martin Finish Sixth ASOIAF Book?

It is becoming clear that "The Winds of Winter" will not be coming out anytime soon, but it looks like George R.R. Martin might be getting help from another fantasy writer. It was recently reported that Neil Gaiman is in George R.R. Martin's hometown, so is the "American Gods" author going to help the writer finish the sixth "A Song of Ice and Fire" novel?

Neil Gaiman has always been a huge supporter for George R.R. Martin, urging fans not to rush the author into finishing "The Winds of Winter" (TWOW). When the "Stardust" writer was reported to be in Santa Fe in New Mexico, "A Song of Fire and Ice" (ASOIAF) fans immediately speculated that Neil Gaiman is in town to co-author TWOW.

Although Neil Gaiman denied the "Winds of Winter" co-authorship rumors, he did speak out about waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish the sixth ASOIAF book. "It's kind of frustrating, because I promised myself I wouldn't watch the show until the last book came out," Gaiman told Time Out. 

Is George RR Martin showing @neilhimself the new #GameofThrones trailer? pic.twitter.com/S3MdR40ZOo

— Neil Gaiman Doc (@GaimanMovie) March 9, 2016

The "American Gods" author explained that he had made his vow before "Game of Thrones" became a major hit and it was least likely to see spoilers about George R.R. Martin's creation everywhere. "It was such an easy promise to make six years ago," Gaiman said. "You can't shield yourself. It's like shielding yourself from political events or from what the Kardashians are doing."

When Will "The Winds Of Winter" Be Published? 

George R.R. Martin has previously confirmed that he is far from completing "The Winds of Winter" manuscript in his LiveJournal. But the ASOIAF author did reveal to Deadspin that he has "pages" for TWOW.

To set the record straight this is not me: https://t.co/Wwsvx0woVI. I would not use the phrase "straight up" to describe a character. — George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) April 11, 2016

There are speculations that the "Winds of Winter" delay might be brought on by George R.R. Martin being distracted onTwitter by things like the NFL Draft, the Hugo Awards and the need to explain what he has been doing so far. Hopefully, he can stay away from the internet for some time and finally focus on finishing "The Winds of Winter."

Neil Gaiman is currently working on the TV series adaptations of his books "American Gods" and "Good Omens." George R.R. Martin's "The Winds of Winter" release date has yet to be announced.