Tag: author life

60% Into Seeker’s Reckoning & Planning Ravenglass Origins | Author Diary, October 23, 2026

Jon Cronshaw reaches 60% of Seeker’s Reckoning, continues Clout Maxxing, plans Ravenglass Origins and finishes He Who Fights with Monsters Book 2.

This week, I’ve reached around 60% of the way through my draft of Seeker’s Reckoning, the third Ravenglass Guardians standalone, and I’ve continued working on Clout Maxxing alongside it.

That’s a big jump from 25% a fortnight ago. You can follow where every book stands on my Project Tracker. Clout Maxxing, my British LitRPG, is now running as a weekly serial on Patreon.

Planning Ravenglass Origins

I’ve also been outlining a potential future project called Ravenglass Origins. This would take the story right back to the very beginning of the kingdom of Ostreich and give me a chance to look at a much earlier period in the history of the Ravenglass Universe.

If you’d like the background on how Ostreich grew into an empire, the Ravenglass Universe World Bible covers the wider history, and The Ravenglass Chronicles shows the empire at its height.

What I’m Reading

On the reading side, I’ve just finished book two of He Who Fights with Monsters and I’m having a great time with the series. After bouncing off it earlier in the year, I’m now fully invested and keen to keep going. I talked about giving it a second try in last week’s Author Diary. If you want to try it yourself, Shirtaloon still releases new chapters on Patreon.

Plus, the usual thoughts on writing, reading and life as an indie author.

Listen, Watch and Read

Author Diary goes out every week as a vlog on YouTube and as an author podcast on Spotify. New to my fantasy books? Browse the full library, or grab a free starter library through my newsletter.

Nine Years of Author Diary & What I’m Doing With Clout Maxxing | October 16, 2026

Jon Cronshaw talks Seeker’s Reckoning, Clout Maxxing and Seven of Swords, celebrates nine years of Author Diary and revisits He Who Fights With Monsters.

This week, I’ve been working across a few different projects. I’ve made more progress on Seeker’s Reckoning, continued writing Clout Maxxing, and spent time editing Seven of Swords.

I’ve also finally decided what I’m going to do with Clout Maxxing. Rather than leaving it as a wacky side project, I’m going to run it as a Patreon serial, posting a new chapter every week.

There are a couple of personal milestones this week too. My wife and I have now been together for 25 years, and I’ve reached nine years of recording my Author Diary podcast without missing a single week.

On the reading side, I’ve returned to He Who Fights With Monsters after DNFing it earlier this year. This time around, something has clicked, and I’m really enjoying it.

Plus, the usual thoughts on writing, reading and life as an indie author.

Writing Through a Rough Week & Preparing to Say Goodbye to My Guide Dog | Author Diary, September 18, 2026

Jon Cronshaw shares progress on Seven of Swords and Wyvern Academy, prepares for his guide dog’s retirement, and talks about his assessment for a new dog.

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.

I also had my assessment for a new guide dog on Wednesday. The process is moving forward, but it sounds as though I could be without a dog for a while before the right match comes along.

No Writing This Week: Adventure Week in the Lake District | Author Diary, August 8, 2026

This week I swap writing for an Adventure Week in the Lake District with Galloway’s, trying canoeing, fell climbing and sailing, including a brilliant session on a Dart catamaran.

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 and visually impaired people, hearing how they approach different challenges, and picking up ideas about ways of doing things that I hadn’t considered before.

The highlight for me was definitely the sailing. I especially loved getting out on a Dart catamaran, which was enormous fun. It’s something I’d really like to do more of, so I’m now looking into what sailing opportunities might be available locally.

No word count this week, then, but plenty of new experiences, new people and perhaps the start of a new hobby.

Jon’s Author Diary – November 24, 2023

What a week it’s been! From major progress in my writing to embarking on a legendary literary journey, this episode is packed with exciting updates and insights.

📚 Welcome to Jon Cronshaw’s Author Diary! 📚

✍️ A Productive Writing Spree

I’ve had a tremendously productive week, penning down five new episodes of Punks Versus Zombies.

The story is escalating—higher stakes, intense emotions, and fraying nerves.

📖 Embarking on “The Wheel of Time“

I’ve finally taken the plunge into Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World, the first book in The Wheel of Time series.

It’s a world I’ve been hesitant to step into, given the sheer scale of the series, but I’m finding the journey enjoyable and intriguing so far.

🎉 New Releases and Endings

I released the ninth episode of Punks Versus Zombies on Substack this week.

Additionally, I’ve brought The Long Night, the second prequel to my forthcoming Ravenglass Legends series, to a close.

🎩 Lord Sidebottom’s New Adventure

Get ready for a treat this weekend—a brand new Lord Sidebottom story is on its way!

These tales are always a delight to write, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s in store.

To read the latest episodes and stories, visit joncronshawauthor.substack.com.

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