The wheel of the year continues to turn, bringing a new season—and a new Quarterly Quest Update, with a slightly new format (again).
While it’s been pretty quiet outwardly, I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to get some of my more rambunctious ducks in a row. I’ve been learning a lot about the business of being a writer (as well as the craft, always), and most importantly, I’ve been thinking about the ways in which I can connect with you, dear readers. I’ve got a to-do list a mile long, but I’m hoping it will all pay off—for me, but especially for you.
In particular, I’ve been tweaking the newsletter and I hope to do a lot of work on the website later this year. I’d like to get back to blogging, too, but I don’t have a definite date for that yet. As for my schedule, now that I’ve had some breathing room for a few months, things are finally falling into a more sustainable flow.
Previous check-ins of the year:
EDIT 7/17/23: An Appetite for Malediction will be known from here on out by its new (official!) title, Shadow of the Curse-Eater. I’ll be editing all content on the website and as much copy as I can track down elsewhere to reflect this, including this post.
Overall Quest Progress
Looking back, my goals for this past quarter were:
- Finish drafting Chapter 7 of Shadow of the Curse-Eater
- Do some brainstorming—reassess my professional goals and priorities
- Enjoy our honeymoon in Ireland!
So how did I do?
Unfortunately, work on Chapter 7 of Shadow of the Curse-Eater has barely begun, though that’s not to say I haven’t made any progress (more on that in a moment). Brainstorming, on the other hand, has been incredibly fruitful. The path forward is becoming clearer every day, and while I don’t have everything figured out (and don’t expect I ever will), it feels good to feel like I at least kind of know what I’m doing.
As for Ireland… it was everything I’d hoped for and more. We visited Belfast, Ballycastle, Dublin, and Galway, plus a few small adventures in between. I ate too much and drank (only a little) too much and smiled until my face hurt even as I shivered in the cold. We hiked over hills and alongside dizzying cliffs and clambered over stony beaches to the north and west. I stared at the rolling green hills as often as I could, to remember them better in the years to come. I returned home filled with inspiration—and already dreaming of a return trip!
Between my husband and I, we took about a million photos. So while I won’t be sharing all of them, you can see some of the highlights from our trip on my Instagram—along with the usual books and games and writerly brain rot.
As for my various works in progress…
Shadow of the Curse-Eater
As I mentioned above, Chapter 7 (of 10) is only just getting underway. But that’s mainly because I delved into some pretty extensive edits on the previous chapters after coming home from Ireland. Now that those are done, I’m free to move forward again.
It’s not my usual process—I typically write a full first draft before letting myself so much as think about edits—but for this particular project, it’s required. It’s been slowing me down considerably in some ways, but I’m past the halfway mark of the draft and very much looking forward to finalizing those last four chapters… and finally getting to the beta-testing phase.
The Dragon’s Last Flight
Between the wedding, the honeymoon, and the overwhelm I experienced earlier this year, I haven’t had a lot of mental or physical space for The Dragon’s Last Flight. However, I’m planning to get back to alpha testing soon—believe me, I want this baby out of me and in the world as much as you do. Probably more.
As always, keep an eye on the devlog and your email, if you’re subscribed to the newsletter, for more updates.
Odds & Ends
- I was interviewed last month by CanvasRebel! You can read the full interview here.
- I’ve been working on some minor secret stuff in between my main works in progress, but nothing I can announce properly just yet.
Looking Ahead: Quests for Summer 2023
The focus I chose for this year was balance. So far, I think I’ve made pretty good headway in that area overall, even if I’ve slipped behind now and then on a few of the specific goals I’ve set this year.
My top three goals for the upcoming quarter are:
- Draft Chapters 7 & 8 of Shadow of the Curse-Eater
- Set aside time weekly for personal development (learning new things, therapeutic exercises, etc.)
- Create new systems for organizing and growing as a professional writer
I’ve already begun working on all of these (which is why this Quarterly Quest Update is a bit late). So I’m off to a good start, at least!
Wish me luck.
Kim Berkley is a fantasy author and video game writer who keeps running out of shelf space for all her books and video games. To be the first in line for beta testing opportunities, new releases, and other major announcements, be sure to sign up for her free newsletter!
