Huzzah—it’s the first Quarterly Quest Update of 2023! It feels strange—but good—to be writing a blog post again after such a prolonged hiatus. Unfortunately, I’m still not in a place yet where I can promise a return to my previous posting schedule, but QQU’s are, at least, going to keep publishing on time.

Looking back, my goals for this past quarter were:

• Finish drafting Chapters 5 and 6 of Shadow of the Curse-Eater
• Make some space in my schedule 
• Get married to the love of my life

So, how did I do? Well… I got married! I’ve also been practicing the art of letting go in service of the second goal. As for that first one… well, I almost made it.

Writing in Q1

The first quarter of 2023 definitely schooled me in terms of learning to say no. I’m still not great at listening to my gut when it tells me I’m taking on too much, and this time I finally found myself in the uncomfortable position of having to say “no” after I had already overeagerly promised “yes.” Luckily, everything still worked out all right in the end—and now I’ll finally have some space to breathe and focus properly.

• Shadow of the Curse-Eater: I am about 80% done drafting Chapters 5 & 6 (which I’ve been writing simultaneously—unusual for me). This one got away from me a bit in the chaos of everything (cough wedding planning cough) but I’m looking forward to getting back on track very soon.
• The Dragon’s Last Flight: Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to put any time into alpha testing lately—something else I am hoping to get back to in the near future.
• HealthyPlace: I walked away from writing for HealthyPlace in February, per my goal to make space in my schedule.
• The Completionist: As of this month, I am no longer writing scripts for TOVG—at least for now.

Saying goodbye to HealthyPlace and The Completionist wasn’t easy. Writing about mental health was draining, but satisfying, because I knew (or at least hoped) it was helping people. As for my work on The Completionist—it was so much fun, and I loved everyone I got to work with on those scripts. But I was drowning, and in the end, I had to walk away for the sake of both my sanity and my fiction—which is, as always, at the heart of everything I do.

Reading in Q1

As I mentioned at the beginning of the year, I chose not to pursue a specific reading goal for 2023. Instead, I’m just chipping away at my TBR shelf as always.

A few recommended reads from this quarter:

• The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
• The City of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
• Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

This year is proving to be the Year of Sanderson for me, between my newfound love of Stormlight Archive and our subscription to an actual Year of Sanderson on Kickstarter—a real leap of faith, considering I hadn’t ready any of his work at the time, but now I’m very glad Jake talked me into it.

Gaming in Q1

Again, I have no specific agenda this year as far as gaming goes, though there are some new releases coming later this year that I am very excited about. I actually slowed down a bit after finishing Dragon Age: Inquisition, which left me breathless and absolutely ravenous for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, but that doesn’t mean my controllers have simply been gathering dust this whole time.

A few recommended games from this quarter:

• Dragon Age: Inquisition by BioWare
• Cult of the Lamb by Massive Monster

My husband has also seduced me back into playing a bit of The Elder Scrolls Online again lately… at least until Diablo IV comes out in June.

Looking Ahead: Quests for Q2 2023

My focus for 2023 is balance. As such, my goals for this coming quarter are nice and simple, as I’ll need to account for the several weeks I’ll be away from my desk and on my honeymoon. 🙂

My top three goals for the second quarter of 2023 are:

• Finish drafting Chapter 7 of Shadow of the Curse-Eater
• Do some brainstorming—reassess my professional goals and priorities
• Enjoy our honeymoon in Ireland!

Sounds doable, right?… Right???

Wish me luck!

Kim Berkley is a fantasy author and narrative designer. To be the first tto know about beta testing opportunities, new releases, and other major announcements, be sure to sign up for her free newsletter!