Earlier this month it was revealed that four different Game of Thrones spinoffs were being developed, with four writers being brought in to work on the potential new series with author George R.R. Martin.

Martin recently wrote a lengthy blog post about the announcement, in which he shared that since the news surfaced, a fifth potential spinoff with a not yet announced mystery writer has also come into play. Martin also revealed two popular inspirations for spinoffs that, as it turns out, are not being developed. And he shared that he’s not a big fan of the “spinoff” description, preferring to call them “successors,” and why he feels that way.

See what he had to say below.

Some type of spinoff to HBO’s Game of Thrones has been expected since we the fans, and especially HBO, realized how big of a hit it was. The world that the “Song of Ice and Fire” series is set in runs so very deep with history, it can be overwhelming to try to take it all in. It would be crazy not to bring some of those other stories to life. There’s a wealth of great tales to be told—especially ones that happened before the events of the show—such as Robert’s Rebellion, the Children of the Forest (seen above), the fall of the city of Valyria, and so many more. That’s why it was no great shock to find out that, after the main series wraps up, a prequel was more likely than a spinoff.

Now comes news even more exciting than just a potential prequel. It’s being reported that not one, but FOUR different potential Game of Thrones spinoffs are now being developed, and four writers have signed on to work on them along with George R.R. Martin.

We’re speeding toward the end of Game of Thrones (*sniffle*), and that’s something we just have to accept (knock it off, you promised yourself you wouldn’t cry). But while the end of the main series begins to come into view, anyone who has been paying attention knows that this is more than likely not the end of our time in Westeros and the surrounding areas.

For a while now we’ve been hearing about the potential for a spinoff series, which would focus on other stories set in other times. Those familiar with author George R.R. Martin‘s “A Song of Ice and Fire” world know there’s an incredible amount of history there, much of which would make for some great TV. HBO’s president of programming Casey Bloys talked about this recently, saying it would more likely be a prequel series than a spinoff. He also revealed that season eight of the current show, the final season, could end up being a little longer than previously believed.

See what he had to say below.

A recent event was held for the world premiere of season three of HBO’s Game of Thrones, which the rest of us will get our eyes on when new episodes start airing on March 31st.

Speaking at the event, George R.R. Martin, the creator and author of the books on which the series is based, was asked about the other titles he may be working on for HBO after that recent two-year deal he signed.

He understandably could not speak much about what he was working on, but Martin did talk about the possibility of a Game of Thrones prequel series. Find out more about it below.