The Genius Brandon Sanderson Deadline Hack That Could Finally Make George RR Martin Finish The Winds of Winter

At WorldCon 2025, Brandon Sanderson pulled back the curtain on his breakneck output, crediting on-time epics to deliberate project pivots—a creative palate cleanse between drafts that keeps the words flowing and the deadlines met.

Brandon Sanderson just explained, very plainly, how he cranks out books without melting down. The short version: when he finishes one thing, he jumps to something completely different. It sounds counterintuitive, but it works for him. And yes, it might be exactly the kind of reset George R.R. Martin could use.

Sanderson's switch-up: the mode shift

At WorldCon 2025 (via YouTube), Sanderson laid out his go-to move. He calls it a "mode shift." After wrapping a project, he pivots to a new tone, scale, or genre. That fresh lane keeps his brain engaged and the next big book from feeling like homework. He even said that if he skips the in-between switch, the next installment in a major series shows up more slowly. Not shocking, but a very useful bit of process talk from a guy who actually delivers.

"If I'm able to refresh myself on other projects, I don't get burned out on the big epics."

That line comes from his site FAQ, and it matches what he told the WorldCon crowd.

Productive procrastination, in practice

Sanderson says he doesn't have a magic ritual for writing faster. What he does have is consistency, and a way to keep himself excited every time he sits down to work. The trick is what he calls productive procrastination: instead of forcing progress on the big, heavy lift, he detours to a smaller, different project that still moves the ball downfield. He even used the Alcatraz books as a breather from the grind of the Mistborn novels. Result: the creative engine keeps running, no burnout fumes.

Yes, this is a nudge at GRRM

George R.R. Martin has a lot on his plate and a lot of interests, which is exactly the profile that benefits from this kind of switching. Early in his career, before A Song of Ice and Fire took over his life, Martin wrote a ton of sharp horror and science fiction. Those stories from the 70s and 80s are absolutely worth your time. After Thrones blew up, he largely parked those lanes to stay anchored in epic fantasy and TV-producing duties. Fair enough, but a strategic detour back to horror or sci-fi - even just a short run - could be the mental reset that helps him lock in on The Winds of Winter.

The ASOIAF scoreboard

• A Game of Thrones - 1996
• A Clash of Kings - 1998
• A Storm of Swords - 2000
• A Feast for Crows - 2005
• A Dance with Dragons - 2011
• The Winds of Winter - TBA
• A Dream of Spring - TBA

Bottom line

Sanderson's mode shift is simple: finish a thing, switch modes, come back fresh. It keeps the work original and the brain happy. If Martin took a short walk outside Westeros - maybe a new horror novella, maybe a sci-fi one-off - it might be exactly the creative palate cleanser that gets Winds moving faster. Do you think that switch-up would help, or would it just add another plate to spin? Hit the comments.