Here's maybe some non-spoiler clues that could make life easier.
-It seems like you have a small amount of time, but if you save worst husbando Gerald in time, you'll be more free to do other things. And after saving him in more than one playthrough things will get easier
-When you make the morbid discovery in early game, don't just run back to Lozran to report (like I did!) It wastes daylight. Instead, continue to look for clues on Gerald's whereabouts. And after you check the northern forests for clues, check the southern forests (the area around the mines) for clues
-There's a useful tool in the mine. Don't ignore it during the mine quest by only focusing on the ring
-Explore the southern forest. Never know what kind of tangled mess you can find there.
-Clerics and Alchemist are great sources for items that can make people feel better
-It's always good to have more than one healing item on ya
-If you ever cross a bridge and it feels like a dead end- it's not! Click around, there's another path that's not too noticeable.
-If you're ever taking a swim with some cool people, see if you can examine stuff around them. Also, talk to those cool people a lot.
-If you're lost in a forest, I think, one red mark means go right, two red marks mean go up.
-If you finished a quest for an alchemist, you get a rock. If you get a rock, you should do some training. If you do some training it should be at night. If you don't know a good training spot, have a drink with a fella at the inn when you stay there one night.
-Lozran, best husbando, is a guy that could use some attention. So chat with him a lot and lay the compliments on. After completing some quests rest at the inn since you could use it. When you're done all his quests, and Gerald's safe and out of your hair, visit him again to share your accomplishments.