153 - August 30, 2020 - The Sun, The Ravenglass Chronicles, the Sci-Fi Roundtable, Zecharia Sitchin, Operation Trojan Horse, Ray Bradbury, Lancaster brewery, back-to-school prepping

Welcome to Jon's author diary for the week ending August 30, 2020. That's right, it’s the end of August. I cannot believe we already here—what a strange year 2020 has been. This week I've continued writing The Sun, episode 19 of The Ravenglass Chronicles. I’ve just finished writing chapter nine, so it’s coming along nicely. I'm still getting used to the new way of writing where instead of racing through my first draft and spending weeks and weeks turning into something palatable, I’m doing that instead on a scene-by-scene basis, making sure each chapter is ready for the editor before moving onto the next one. There are three episodes left to write, including this one, and it feels like everything is starting to come together with the story. The pieces are in place, questions get answered, and there are a few major revelations on the way that have even surprised myself! Next week, my wife and son go back to school for the first time since mid-March (my son’s seven and my wife is an English teacher). Since lockdown, I’ve been doing my writing for three hours a day on weekdays, so it’s going to be quiet in the house, and strange to have all those extra hours at my disposal. I’d like to think I’ll get much more writing done, but there’s Parkinson’s Law to contend with which states that work always expands to fill the time available! Podcasting I hosted this week’s episode of the Sci-Fi Roundtable podcast on the topic of monsters in the mainstream. Shane Thomas, Stephanie Barr, Adam Stump, Jen Ponce, and I discussed demons, dragons, the fae, zombies…and humans. It was a fun episode as ever. Visit: anchor.fm/sci-fi-roundtable to listen now, or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. On this week’s author diary podcast, I talk about some of my ideas for my next fantasy series, my thoughts on the Ray Bradbury Challenge, Zecharia Sitchin, and an update on my co-authored Black Death series. Visit: anchor.fm/joncronshawto listen now, or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. Visit subscribepage.com/ravenglass to join the VIP mailing list. You will receive free stories and be first to know about new releases.