How about things that never were but have always existed? Been waiting my entire adult life (I’m 42) for GRRM to finish Game of Thrones. My kid was 2 when the last book came out and now he’s driving lol
I was gonna say Patrick Rothfuss' King Killer Chronicles series. We're never getting Doors of Stone. I loved his writing, but dammit, I've just given up on it at this point.
Oh wow I forgot about that series. It’s been like a decade lol. I didn’t even realize the third never released. What’s with these good writers not finishing their projects
The stress of success, many eyes watching, and not publishing is less crushing than publishing a shit ending that ruins the trilogy and wipes out all interest in the first two books.
I think he painted himself into a corner with just how much he needs to resolve in the last book. Hell, we don't even know what king is killed.
I think he could do quite a few things to make it more than just a third book. He could hand wave away some parts as "well that's already well known, go talk to X for that story." And then put that as a separate book.
Or just say to properly tell the story he needs more time than expected and give himself more than 3 of the in story days.