Jon Cronshaw's Author Diary - The Real Life of an Indie Author | Writing | Publishing | Disability

This week, I finished the first drafts of both Wyvern Academy and The Waywarden, which means two more projects are now moving on to their next stages. I’ve also started playing around with a completely different side project, a slightly wacky LitRPG set in Britain. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but it’s been a fun palate cleanser between other projects and a chance to write...

This week, I finished Seven of Swords and sent the completed draft off to my editor. With that one done, I’ve started work on a new novella set in the Ravenglass Universe called The Waywarden. It’s a nobledark ranger story set on the border between Ostreich and Molotok, and I talk about the story and its place in the wider world. I also did something completely different this week. I went gliding...

I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather this week, so writing has been slower than usual, but I’ve still made progress on both Seven of Swords and Wyvern Academy. Away from the writing, there’s a much bigger change coming. My guide dog’s retirement is now imminent, and he’ll be rehomed early next month. I talk about preparing for that goodbye and what the next few weeks are likely to look like....

This week, I’m around 30% of the way through the first draft of Seven of Swords and talk about how the story is progressing as I get deeper into the book. I’ve also spent some more time on Wyvern Academy, adding three new chapters to the first act and continuing to develop the story beyond the original Wyvern Rider novella. On the reading side, I’ve finally finished Will Wight’s Cradle series.

This week, I’m around 40% of the way through my draft of The Hammer and the Crown, book five in my Ravenglass Legends series. The story is gathering momentum, and I talk about how the draft is progressing as I move deeper into Ragnar and Maja’s next adventure. I’ve also returned to an older project, Wyvern Academy, a follow-up to my Wyvern Rider novella for Patreon. On the reading side, I’m nearin...

This week, I’ve finished Six of Swords and sent it off for editing, bringing another Ravenglass Chronicles novella to the next stage of production. I’ve also made good progress on The Hammer and the Crown, book five in the Ravenglass Legends series. I’m now around 25,000 words into the draft as Ragnar and Maja’s story continues. I also talk about my ongoing readthrough of Will Wight’s Cradle serie...

This week I’ve continued making progress on Six of Swords and now have 17 chapters drafted. The book is moving along well, and I’m getting close to the final stretch. I’ve also been working on The Last Eagle, a prequel novella for a potential new Arthurian Britain series. The idea is to take the legends of Arthur and place them in a grittier, more grounded post-Roman Britain, while still keeping t...

This week I’ve been making good progress on Six of Swords. I’m 12 chapters into the draft, which probably puts me somewhere around the halfway point. I’ve also been going back over what I’ve written so far for The Hammer and the Crown, continuing work on the next Ravenglass Legends novel. One of the more satisfying things this week has been returning to older projects. I revisited Blind Sight, a p...

This week’s Author Diary is a little different because I did absolutely no writing. Instead, I spent the week at Coniston in the Lake District on an Adventure Week organised by Galloway’s, a charity supporting blind and visually impaired people. It was a brilliant week packed with canoeing, sailing, fell climbing and plenty of other activities. One of the best parts was getting to meet other blind...

This week I’ve been getting RAF Dragon Corps Book 3 ready to send to my editor. After finishing the draft, I’ve been working through the manuscript one last time, checking that everything is in place before handing it over. I’ve also started drafting The Hammer and the Crown, the fourth book in my Ravenglass Legends series. It feels good to be back with Ragnar and Maja and moving forward with the...

This week I wrapped up my draft of RAF Dragon Corps Book 3. I'll be letting it rest for a while before coming back with fresh eyes, but it's always a great feeling to reach the end of another novel. With that finished, I've started outlining—and even written the first chapter of—The Hammer and the Crown, the fifth book in my Ravenglass Legends series. It feels good to be returning to R...

This week I finished Five of Swords and sent the manuscript off to my editor, marking another milestone in The Ravenglass Chronicles. I also completed a proof-listen of The Ravenglass Throne: Parts 5–8 audiobook, and once again Emmy Coates has done an outstanding job bringing the story to life. I can’t wait for listeners to hear it. One of the more interesting things I did this week was a full aud...

This week I've been focused on bringing Five of Swords to the finish line. The third draft is now complete! Before it heads off to my editor, I'll do one final read-through to catch any lingering issues and make sure everything hangs together. Looking ahead, I've also finished outlining Six of Swords, so I'm ready to keep the momentum going with The Ravenglass Chronicles. One unexp...

This week I reached the midpoint of Five of Swords as I continue writing the next instalment of The Ravenglass Chronicles. I've also carried on writing RAF Dragon Corps Book 3, returning to the skies over Britain during the Battle of Britain. Outside of writing, I've restarted the Ray Bradbury Reading Challenge. The idea is simple: read one short story, one poem, and one piece of non-fiction every...

This week’s been a challenge thanks to the UK heatwave, but I’ve still managed to make progress on my latest fantasy project. I’ve been working through what I have so far on Mark, The Chosen One, a follow-up to my Patreon novella Orphan Farm Boy of Destiny. The story picks up 20 years later. Mark is now in his forties, has a teenage son, and hasn’t picked up a sword in over two decades. The Dark L...

This week I’ve continued working on RAF Dragon Corps Book 3 and have now reached the 60% mark in the draft. It’s been great returning to the skies over wartime Britain and continuing the series. I’ve also been working through The Sentinel’s Mercy, getting the manuscript ready to send off for a professional edit. It’s always satisfying to move a project closer to publication. And this week marks a...

This week, I’ve been making strong progress on RAF Dragon Corps Book 3, completing the first draft of the opening seven chapters. The Battle of Britain is beginning to take shape, and I’m enjoying getting back into the world of dragon riders, aerial combat, and wartime Britain. I’ve also started work on Five of Swords, continuing my return to The Ravenglass Chronicles. On the reading front, I fini...

This week, I finished outlining RAF Dragon Corps Book 3 and wrote the first chapter, officially kicking off the next stage of the series. This instalment takes the story into the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, so there’s plenty of research and planning involved before the dragons take to the skies once more. I’ve also been planning the next Ravenglass Guardians novel, this time focusing on the K...

This week’s Author Diary is a little different as I look back on a fantastic trip to Rome. From ancient ruins and historic landmarks to wandering streets packed with history, it was a great chance to recharge and gather plenty of story inspiration. Before heading off to Italy, I also enjoyed a fun day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, proving that rollercoasters and holidays make a pretty good combinat...

This week I’ve been doing an audio pass of Reign of Daggers (Dawn of Assassins, Book 4), listening through the full manuscript to make sure the story flows properly before putting it aside for a while. I find hearing a story aloud is one of the best ways to catch pacing issues and awkward moments. I’ve also started work on RAF Dragon Corps Book 3, mapping out the timeline before begininng the draf...

This week I took a few days off for my birthday and ended up listening to the new Dungeon Crawler Carl book, A Parade of Horribles, over the space of just two days. Safe to say, I absolutely loved it. The series continues to balance chaos, humour, and surprisingly emotional storytelling brilliantly. I also continued working on Reign of Daggers (Dawn of Assassins, Book 4). I initially thought I’d f...

This week I hit the 60,000-word mark on Reign of Daggers (Dawn of Assassins, Book 4), and the story’s continuing to build momentum as I head toward the final stretch. I also talk about the end of the Knowledge Fight podcast and my love of conspiracy debunking/deconstruction shows, including Some Dare Call it Conspiracy, Conspirituality, and QAA. There’s something fascinating about pulling apart mo...

This week I passed the midpoint of Dawn of Assassins Book 4 and officially reveal the working title for the project. It’s been great getting back into this world after such a long break away from the series. I also received The Prince and the Fool back from my editor, so that’s now moving into the next stage of the publishing process. Outside of writing, I’ve continued with my running and managed...

This week I’ve returned to Dawn of Assassins after a few years away and made solid progress on the draft. It’s been great getting back into that world and finding the story again. I also share my thoughts on a disappointing WrestleMania, particularly from a storytelling perspective. On the publishing side, Ravenglass Legends Books 1–3 are launching this Monday, and The Prince and the Fool is curre...

This week I’ve finished the draft of Four of Swords, which feels like a great milestone as I continue The Ravenglass Chronicles. I’ve also started reading The Wandering Inn and I’m really enjoying it so far—huge world, compelling characters, and a very different pacing to what I usually read. I also share some thoughts on the build-up to WrestleMania, which, from a storytelling perspective, has fe...