After you've a couple of characters with 2 Quickenings, you'll start to be able to make some bigger chains.

Some basic tips to keep in mind are to don't keep shuffling to look for stronger Quickenings, you're better off doing two Fires of War than one Tides of Fate, because your concurrence will be stronger with a bigger chain (you've probably only seen Inferno or maybe Cataclysm at this sage). In other words, if you see an available Quickening after shuffling, use it. If you see two or more, choose the weaker one. If you see "Mist Charge", choose that regardless of whatever else you see. "Mist Charge" refills your characters Mist Charges and almost always ensures he/she will have a Quickening available next turn (you may have to hit shuffle once more to get it to pop up)