Brandon Sanderson urged readers to show empathy for The Winds of Winter's delay during an interview at FanX Salt Lake in September 2026, as George R.R. Martin's long-awaited novel still lacks a confirmed release date.
Collider's Maggie Lovitt asked Sanderson about writers facing pressure from fans waiting years for new books. He named Martin and fellow fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss as friends, while stressing that different writers work in very different ways.