SPOILERS
SPOILERS
....
So when Martin was explaining why he abandoned the initial plan for the five-year gap he referenced multiple characters and their specific plots he spoiled that Jon is in fact still alive. Martin stated, "Other characters, it didn't work at all. I'm writing the Cersei chapters in King's Landing, and saying, "Well yeah, in five years, six different guys have served as Hand and there was this conspiracy four years ago, and this thing happened three years ago." And I'm presenting all of this in flashbacks, and that wasn't working. The other alternative was [that] nothing happened in those six years, which seemed anticlimactic. The Jon Snow stuff was even worse, because at the end of Storm he gets elected Lord Commander. I'm picking up there, and writing 'Well five years ago, I was elected Lord Commander. Nothing much has happened since then, but now things are starting to happen again." I finally, after a year, said, "I can't make this work." Now if you haven't read up to the current book you now a lot about Jon Snow that you just shouldn't.
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
http://www.latintimes.com/game-thron...d-winds-winter
So he let it slip in an interview a couple years ago, the bastard lives.