"how long does it really take to write a literary masterpiece?" It seems that there is no definitive answer to this question - from periods of persistent procrastination to flashes of creative enlightenment - there are an endless number of factors which can influence how long it takes to write.
In the case of Mr Martin, who has been working on 'The Winds of Winter' since 2011, his busy schedule writing for other projects, enjoying his fame, and the predicted length of the manuscript have all contributed to delays.
When inspiration does strike, some famous novelists have proven that a work of fictional brilliance can be produced in a matter of days. From 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' which the author, John Boyne, claims to have written in 2 ½ days, to 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien which took a staggering 16 years to complete, we have collated 30 of the world's most famous books to divulge and compare how long they took to create.
