George R. R. Martin not uandishi a script for Season 6; Dornish cast interviewed 

recently announced his cancellation of appearances at a number of conventions around the world, citing his dedication to finishing 

as the reason. BryndenBFish used this opportunity to take an in-depth scientific look at the prospects of the book’s completion, timely or otherwise.

Coming hard on the heels of that announcement, George has now released a follow-up entry on his 

. In it, he hits back at reporting outlets and fans who misinterpreted his message to mean that he had cancelled

Listen, please. I am skipping San Diego Comicon and World Fantasy Con… but as of this writing, I am still planning on making all of my other scheduled appearances. Okay? Clear?

I would prefer not to have to cancel anything, but that depends on how the work is going… And by “work,” I mean WINDS OF WINTER, of course… but not exclusively WINDS OF WINTER. When I say, “my plate is full,” I don’t just mean with WINDS.

Following on from this in the same blog entry, George also announces that he will not be writing a script for Season 6 of 

, of his own volition. This time, however, he does seem to cite working exclusively on 

… [A]fter wrestling with it for a month or so, I’ve decided not to script an episode for season six of GAME OF THRONES. Writing a script takes me three weeks, minimum, and longer when it is not a straight adaptation from the novels. And really, it would cost me more time than that, since I have never been good at changing gears from one medium to another and back again. Writing a season six script would cost me a month’s work on WINDS, and maybe as much as six weeks, and I cannot afford that. With David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Bryan Cogman on board, the scriptwriting chores for season six should be well covered. My energies are best devoted to WINDS.

This does not validate the potential knee-jerk reaction that this is confirmation on the delay of his apparent 

progress, however. Despite airing in a year, Season 6 will begin shooting in just a few months, so the scriptwriters will surely be taking up their duties soon (if they haven’t already).

On the Season 5 side of things, a new interview has surfaced courtesy of the 

, in which some of the Dornish newcomers offer their thoughts on the show.

Speaking of where Doran Martell’s mind is set when we meet him for the first time this season, Alexander Siddig said:

Half of my nation would like to go to war now. Should we be going to war? Should I put at risk all the people in my nation? How many people are going to die? These are the things I grapple with.

DeObia Oparei spoke of where he came from and where he is now, reminiscing on his “incredibly maverick lifestyle”. On the oft-talked about topic of nudity in 

Referring to his own character, Areo Hotah, and the greater Dorne psyche, he mentioned that:

There is a sense that we are all on the precipice of the next danger, and there’s something about the humanity and the fragility of life that Game of Thrones really puts in our faces… At the same time it’s mixed with that escapism of wealth and royalty and heads rolling.

Staying with Dornish characters, Jessica Henwick was the next to offer some insight into Nymeria’s and the other Sand Snakes’ situations in Season 5:

Someone very close to us has been taken away, and so we go, ‘How can we get them back in the same way? Well, let’s take something away from the Lannisters that they love.’ So that’s where we’re coming from this season.

She also joked on the difficulties of learning how to wield an eight-foot long kangaroo-hide bullwhip as a weapon:

I hit myself in the face, I hit myself in the bum, I hit myself in the ankle. You don’t feel it, and then afterwards it starts throbbing.

With specific reference to the scene glimpsed in the Season 5 trailer (pictured above), she said:

They were like, ‘Right, Jess, you have 10 minutes to do your whip movement. Don’t hit the camera, don’t hit the camera crew, don’t blind the actor and please don’t kill these scorpions.’

And finally, HBO’s newest edition of The Buzz features the

premiere, grabbing quotes from the stars as they hit the black carpet:

A Scientific Guess at George R.R. Martin’s Progress on The Winds of Winter ( 237 )

HBO Asia version of Game of Thrones trailer offers new footage ( 223 )

WotW and Fun.com’s Game of Thrones Giveaway, Day 3 - Twin pack! ( 220 )

George R. R. Martin not writing a script for Season 6; Dornish cast interviewed

Kit Harington on Castle Black\'s generational gap, and a new glimpse of Dorne

Why Queen Elizabeth didn\'t take the Iron Throne, and more Game of Thrones interview and casting details

More stuff. Some wonderful, some weird.

Telltale’s Game of Thrones Episode 3: The Sword in the Darkness – A Review

Kit Harington on Castle Black’s generational gap, and a new glimpse of Dorne

Jumybabe. on Theories of Ice and Fire: Cersei’s prophecy and the Valonqar

KG on Why Queen Elizabeth didn’t take the Iron Throne, and more Game of Thrones interview and casting details

Lollius Palicanus on Kit Harington on Castle Black’s generational gap, and a new glimpse of Dorne

Pete. on Kit Harington on Castle Black’s generational gap, and a new glimpse of Dorne