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

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...

This week I’m finally feeling better after a month of illness, which means a welcome return to proper momentum. I’ve been working on Four of Swords and also going back over my progress on Guild of Assassins Book 4, getting a clearer sense of where that story is heading. I also went to see the film adaptation of Project Hail Mary, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s well worth a watch if you liked the...

This week I’ve continued working through edits on Churchill’s Dragons and Four of Swords, keeping the momentum going across both projects. On the reading front, I finished Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which I thought was excellent—a brilliant mix of science, tension, and heart. I also talk about my dark domestic fantasy project, Until the Wyvern Spoke, and share that I’ll be starting to post Si...

I’m still not feeling 100%, so it’s been another editing-focused week. I’ve now finished editing RAF Dragon Corps Book 1 and moved straight on to Book 2, keeping things ticking along despite the illness. Big news this week: Final Flight—the finale of The Ravenglass Throne—is now live on Kindle! A huge milestone bringing the series to its conclusion. On the reading front, I’ve just finished This In...

The illness is still hanging around, so it’s been another editing-focused week. I’ve now finished my edits for The Prince and the Fool and sent it off for a professional edit. I’ve also been revisiting Dragon Squadron (RAF Dragon Corps, Book 1), going through the manuscript and tightening things up. On the creative side, I’ve written a short piece of music to accompany Until the Wyvern Spoke, whic...

I’m still feeling under the weather this week, so instead of drafting I’ve been focusing on editing. I’ve been working through ** The Prince and the Fool (Ravenglass Legends, Book 4)** to prepare the manuscript for a professional edit next month. I’m now around 70,000 words into the edit, so if all goes well I should have the manuscript finished early next week. On the reading front, I’ve moved on...

This week’s been a quieter one as I’ve been under the weather with a spring virus. Even so, I’ve been working through the edits for The Silent Watcher, making progress on polishing the manuscript. I’ve also been doing some reading and picked up Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell, which was a gripping psychological thriller. Not the most energetic week, but still moving things forward behind the scene...

This week I’ve started work on Four of Swords as I continue with The Ravenglass Chronicles. It’s always exciting to begin a new instalment and see where the story leads next. I’ve also begun re-watching The Good Place with my son, which has been a lot of fun revisiting together. On the reading front, I talk about flagging a little with Dungeon Crawler Carl—still enjoyable, but I may take a short b...

This week I completed my final edits of The Silent Watcher and have now sent it off for a professional edit. I’ve also received the cover, and I’m looking forward to starting to post chapters on Patreon from March 2. Outside of writing, I went to see Deftones in Manchester—an excellent gig with a set leaning more into their shoegaze/epic rock side, which was perfect for me. On the reading front, I...

This week, I wrapped up Three of Swords (The Ravenglass Chronicles, Part 24)and moved straight onto writing a few chapters of Guild of Assassins Book 4. It’s been great shifting gears between projects while keeping the momentum going. On the reading front, I’ve jumped into the second Dungeon Crawler Carl book, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the ride so far. Safe to say, the series has me hooked. A pr...

This week I’ve been making strong progress on Three of Swords (The Ravenglass Chronicles, Part 24), reaching around 60% of the draft. It’s always a great feeling when a story starts accelerating towards the final stretch. I’ve also been reading Dungeon Crawler Carl, which I’m enjoying immensely—fast, funny, and brilliantly inventive. On a personal note, I’ve started the Couch to 5K running program...

This week I finished writing Two of Swords and started work on Three of Swords, continuing my return to The Ravenglass Chronicles. I also enjoyed reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. In exciting news, The Ravenglass Throne: Parts 5–8 boxed set is out today on Kindle and paperback. And if you’ve not started the series yet, Parts 1–4 is free on Kindle until February 1.

This week I’ve nearly finished Two of Swords, with just three chapters left to draft. I also share my thoughts on using Meta’s smart glasses and how they’re proving surprisingly useful for someone like me with a visual impairment.