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.
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.
Jon Cronshaw’s Author Diary podcast turns nine! More than 470 weekly episodes on writing, publishing and indie author life, from the Wasteland days to today.
This week marks nine years of the Jon Cronshaw’s Author Diary podcast!
Nine years. More than 470 episodes. And somehow, I’ve never missed a week.
When I started recording the podcast back in October 2017, I was still working on my debut Wasteland series. I thought it might be interesting to document my journey as a new author, sharing the ups and downs of writing, publishing, and trying to make a living from telling stories.
I had no idea I’d still be doing it nine years later.
In fact, this anniversary has got me thinking about how much has changed over the past decade.
It was my third attempt at writing a novel, and the first one I actually finished and published.
Looking back, I can see plenty of flaws. There are things I’d approach completely differently today. But I’m still proud of that book. It was the beginning of everything that’s followed.
And what a strange journey it’s been.
Since then, I’ve written more books than I ever imagined I would, created entire worlds, built up several series, and somehow managed to make a career out of something I love.
And all the while, every single week, I’ve sat down to record another Author Diary.
There’s something quite satisfying about that.
Turning Up Every Week
I think writing and podcasting have taught me the same lesson. You just keep turning up and doing the work.
One book becomes two. Two becomes ten. One podcast episode becomes fifty. Then a hundred. And before you know it, you’ve got a back catalogue of more than 470 episodes.
Suddenly, people start calling you prolific.
But from where I’m sitting, it’s mostly just been a case of turning up each week and getting on with it.
There’s a quote often attributed to Bill Gates about how we overestimate what we can achieve in one year and underestimate what we can achieve in ten.
As I’m now approaching a decade since I started taking fiction writing seriously, I couldn’t agree more.
If you’d told me back in 2016 where I’d be today, I don’t think I’d have believed you.
And I’m particularly pleased that I’ve kept the Author Diary going throughout it all. It’s become a record of my writing life, from those early days of figuring out how to write and publish a novel to everything I’m working on now.
The successes, the mistakes, the abandoned ideas, the unexpected detours. It’s all there.
Listen to the Author Diary
If you’ve never listened to the Author Diary, you’re very welcome to join me!
I record a new episode every week, chatting about what I’m writing, what I’m reading, and whatever else is going on in my life as an indie author.
You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you normally listen to podcasts. Just search for Jon Cronshaw’s Author Diary.
I also upload the video version to my Patreon every Friday as a public post, so you don’t need to be a paid member to watch.
Whether you’ve been following along since those early Wasteland days or you’ve only recently discovered my books, thank you.
Your support has allowed me to keep doing this, and I never take that for granted.
Here’s to another nine years, many more books, and hundreds more Author Diaries!
Jon Cronshaw finishes Seven of Swords, starts new Ravenglass novella The Waywarden, and goes gliding with local sight-loss charity Galloway’s.
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 in an unpowered aircraft with Galloway’s, a local charity supporting blind and visually impaired people. It was a fantastic experience, and I talk about what it was like getting up into the air without an engine.
Plus, the usual thoughts on writing, storytelling and life as an indie author.
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.
Jon Cronshaw reaches 40% of Seven of Swords, adds new chapters to Wyvern Academy, and shares his final thoughts on Will Wight’s Cradle series.
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.
Jon Cronshaw reaches 40% of The Hammer and the Crown, returns to Wyvern Academy, and shares his thoughts on finishing 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 nearing the end of Will Wight’s Cradle series. I’m now on the final book and have been hugely impressed by how the series has developed.
Wight has done a fantastic job of building the characters, escalating the stakes and improving his craft across twelve books while keeping the story compulsively readable.
Jon Cronshaw finishes Six of Swords, reaches 25,000 words on Ravenglass Legends book five, and discusses Will Wight’s Cradle series.
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 series. I’m currently on book eight, Bloodline, and thoroughly enjoying it.
One of the things that has stood out is how much Wight’s craft develops as the series progresses, particularly in terms of pacing, character work and handling an increasingly large story without losing momentum.
This week: I finished the draft of Five of Swords, outlined Six of Swords, and planned a new Black Death apocalyptic thriller set in the UK.
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 unexpected development came from looking through some of my old, unused book covers. That sparked an idea to return to the world of Black Death.
I’ve now outlined a second novel—an apocalyptic thriller set in the UK—and I’m excited by the possibilities.
It’s still early days, but it reminded me how ideas can come from the most unexpected places.
The Ravenglass Chronicles is back! This week I reveal my secret project, post Ace of Swords to Patreon, try Meta’s Smart Glasses for vision aid, and talk about finishing Stranger Things.
This week I reveal my long-hinted secret project—I’m back writing The Ravenglass Chronicles!
The first two chapters of Ace of Swords is now live on Patreon, and I’m deep into Two of Swords.
I also tried out Meta’s Smart Glasses, a game-changer for accessibility, and share my thoughts on the Stranger Things finale.
One of the questions I get asked most often is: how do you manage to write so much?
I’ve been a full-time indie author since 2017, and this is my only source of income. That means I have to keep producing new work—but I also have to do it in a way that works for my circumstances.
I’m legally blind, with only about 5% vision in my good eye. Some days my sight holds up well. Other days it’s not so cooperative. I have to work with what my eyes will allow me to do. If my vision is giving me trouble, I rely entirely on dictation.
My mornings are sacred. I spend the first three hours writing—no email, no news, no notifications. I dictate my first drafts during this time, and that usually means 3,000 to 5,000 new words before lunch. Afternoons are for editing, marketing, and business tasks.
One reason I stay productive is that I don’t force myself to work on a single project from start to finish. I follow whatever excites me most at the time. Sometimes that means a project comes together in a few weeks, sometimes it takes years. By moving between projects, I never get stuck or blocked—and over time, I produce more than if I just powered through one manuscript.
I think of it like Brandon Sanderson’s “crop rotation” method. I might spend a spell drafting new fiction, then move on to editing, then tackle marketing or admin. If my energy dips, I’ll switch to something smaller—a short story, a blog post, or some worldbuilding.
Right now, that means I’m:
Editing book 4 of Ravenglass Legends (and posting chapters on Patreon).
Editing book 7 of The Ravenglass Throne (also posting on Patreon).
Rewriting Hunters from a space Western into a nautical fantasy (yep—also on Patreon).
Going through alpha reader feedback for The Silent Watcher standalone.
Getting ready for the August 31 launch of Punks Versus Zombies.
I’m also lucky to have a big advantage with editing—my wife is a professional editor. She fits me in between her clients, which means I don’t have to wrestle with Word’s track changes or navigate endless comments. She can literally turn to me and say, “Hey, Jon, what did you mean by this?” and I can answer straight away. It’s faster, smoother, and far more efficient than any editing process I’ve had before.
Because I work this way, my projects finish at different times and in different stages of readiness. Some are with my editor while I’m still drafting others. That’s why there’s often a gap between when I finish a book and when it reaches shops.
For readers who don’t want to wait, I post my pre-edited final drafts on Patreon as soon as they’re done—sometimes months, or even years, before they’re available anywhere else. You’ll also find short stories, lore documents, and other bonus content there, so you can follow along with my process in real time.
If you’d like to read my work early and see how it all comes together, you can join me here: patreon.com/joncronshawauthor.
