Is it just me, or does the shiny new year ahead look a little shinier each year\u2014and the years behind us, a little more grim? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s probably just me. Humanity\u2019s existence has always been a chaotic one. But this year certainly did bring some real challenges to the table\u2014and a few strokes of luck, too thank goodness. I won\u2019t be doing a full year recap here, but if you\u2019d like to look farther back, here are our previous check-ins for the year:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without further ado, let\u2019s dive into our latest Quarterly Quest Update<\/strong>, shall we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n My main writing focus in the final quarter of 2022 was, of course, making progress on Shadow of the Curse-Eater<\/em><\/strong>. I didn\u2019t quite hit all of the milestones I hoped to, unfortunately\u2014a loss in the family<\/a> and my second bout of serious illness (this time it was the flu from hell) put me considerably behind schedule when I was already<\/em> behind schedule. I lost yet another week (and then some) to just lying in bed and figuring out new ways to breathe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, progress was made:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but not least, some news! <\/strong>I was recently invited to join Lionbridge<\/a> as a linguist, and I\u2019m officially in training to work as an English localization editor on a Korean fantasy MMORPG. I\u2019m not sure yet if I can share the specific game I\u2019ll be working on, but I\u2019m looking forward to learning a lot about game development and<\/em> writing through this experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I mentioned in my recent newsletter<\/a>, this means I\u2019ll be needing to cut back on some things, as I\u2019ll be devoting 20+ hours a week to Lionbridge. (I\u2019ll also be training to become a volunteer human book for the Human Library<\/a> project!) I will not<\/em> be cutting back on Shadow of the Curse-Eater<\/em>, but I will likely need to reduce or even cut time spent on other pursuits. I’ll likely be sharing more info about that in my next newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m trying to see all of this from a gardener\u2019s perspective\u2014I\u2019m pruning back the old to make way for the new so that I can keep growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My 2022 reading goal<\/a> was to read four Outlander<\/em> books as well as 12 other books on my TBR shelf. I didn\u2019t quite hit this goal either; again, being sick (twice) and surviving a hurricane tends to put a damper on progress of any kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, I got pretty close\u2014I read three of four Gabaldons as well as more than 12 other TBR books, including four in series I hadn\u2019t finished yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, I\u2019ve read 21 books<\/strong> this year, the majority of which were fantasy<\/strong>, surprising no one. Runners-up included manga and comics (yes, I realize those are formats, not genres), nonfiction, and romance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Q4, I read the following books:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, that\u2019s right\u2014I\u2019m finally<\/em> reading Sanderson. You can stop yelling at me now. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to my notes (which may not be entirely accurate), I played at least 20 games<\/strong> this year\u2014with RPGs<\/strong> in the lead by a wide margin, followed by action\/adventure and visual novels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The end of 2022 was almost exclusively reserved for Dragon Age<\/em> games. Inquisition<\/em> is turning out to be a far, far bigger game than I anticipated. However, I did manage to play a few other things this quarter\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m also going to get back to Assassin\u2019s Creed: Valhalla<\/em>\u2026 eventually. It doesn\u2019t help that Christmas and my birthday both added more<\/em> games to my to-play list, including Cult of the Lamb, Inscryption<\/em>, and a GamePass subscription for when Starfield<\/em> finally releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a lot to look forward to in the year to come. With any luck (and a lot of hard work), I\u2019ll be wrapping up Shadow of the Curse-Eater<\/em> development, releasing The Dragon\u2019s Last Flight<\/em>, become published as a human book, getting married, going on my first trip abroad, and more\u2014because life, of course, is full of unexpected journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve chosen balance<\/strong> as my theme for this year. Growth can be overwhelming if not balanced with letting go; progress can only be made steadily when balanced with downtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, I\u2019m trying to whittle down my goals for each quarter to be more realistic, with more room for error and life\u2019s inevitable curveballs. I\u2019m not setting any particular reading or gaming goals for this year, though I do hope to make healthy dents in both backlogs. I\u2019m not solely setting professional goals right now, either; as much as I want to do as a writer, it\u2019s not the only<\/em> thing I\u2019m living for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My top three goals for the first quarter of the new year are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s it. Sounds deceptively simple, doesn\u2019t it? Of course, I\u2019d also like to do a million other things\u2014but these come first. Wish me luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And for all of you out there setting your own goals for the new year\u2014I wish you luck as well. May 2023 be kinder to us all\u2026 and much more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim Berkley<\/strong><\/a> is a fantasy author and video game writer who hoards books and games like dragons purportedly hoard gold. To be the first in line for beta testing opportunities, new releases, and other major announcements, be sure to <\/strong>sign up for her free newsletter<\/strong><\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nWriting in Q4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Reading in Q4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Gaming in Q4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Looking Ahead: Quests for Q1 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n