Why am I here? Why are any of us here?

It's an existential investigation most humans ponder at some point in their lives. Luckily, many incredibly intelligent people have already spent entire lifetimes doing so. I'm not aiming to compete with famous philosophers, so let's try again.

Why am I here, writing this article?

That's more like it. I continually feel there is a great mystery shrouding a lot of non-pro Magic writers and how they came to be where they are now. I know I certainly felt that way prior to writing. So, I'm using this week's article to talk a bit about how I came to be writing this very article, and to fill you in on why we do it. Oh, and there'll be a few polls along the way for you to share what content you prefer seeing. (You know, so I actually write stuff you want to read.)

Endless Enjoyment

I started writing for GatheringMagic over two and a half years ago as the voice behind Issar Roon. Trick Jarrett, the original content manager, had actually started the series, and he put out a call for someone interested in running with it. I was nervous, but I thought it would be a blast telling stories from Magic's past—and my childhood. I ignored the fact that I had never had a single piece of work published—in any domain—and I set about crafting a letter meant to convince Trick I was the person he was looking for. I could not have been happier writing that letter, styled as though it belonged in Issar Roon's universe and was not an e-mail sent using our very mundane Internet. Strangely enough, it worked.

Almost three years later, and I'm still having fun writing even though my column has changed drastically. I continue to break the rules, and more times than not, it succeeds. Not only that, but due to my shift earlier this year, I'm no longer restricted to Magic's storyline. Now I'm free to talk about art, community, and even Standard if I want. (Don't worry, that's not happening without a heavy dose of Vorthosian flavor injected.)

[poll id=203]

Tall Tales

When I went to Japan to teach English, I went with the assumption I would be a true teacher, making lesson plans and forcing students to do their homework. What I quickly discovered was that such a concept was absurd. My tiny town wasn't paying thousands of dollars a year for a teacher to come halfway around the world and teach a subject they already had teachers for; they were paying that money for a cultural ambassador. Oddly enough, I did end up having a huge influence on restructuring their curriculum, but that was due to my own, personal dedication. I spent ninety-five percent of my time with the students, inside of school and out, telling them my story—my life.

When I sit down to write each week, my goal is to entertain you, with the secondary objective of providing some form of content you did not previously have. Occasionally, I miss out on that first goal—such as in my recent Gen Con article—and I often feel these types of articles rank among my worst as a writer, ignoring the positive effects such an article can provide. (I wouldn't publish them if I felt they were completely useless!)

[poll id=204]

Incessant Improvement

I've always been an incredibly competitive person when it comes to any form of contest. As a child, this got me into no end of trouble—from refusing to accept someone's father could beat up my father to letting my anger show after losing a soccer or basketball game. As I grew older, I learned to control my rage, but a competitive fire still burned within me. It wasn't until a few years ago, at the age of almost twenty-four, when I realized I could redirect that edge toward myself in a productive manner.

So, what does this have to do with writing Magic articles? I held an intense hatred for writing until the age of twenty-one. While I haven't met too many people who really enjoyed writing papers in high school, I went above and beyond to avoid it. I took lower courses even though my teachers recommended I take Honors English; I would make up (believable) excuses as to why the paper wasn't done on time solely because I didn't want to sit down and write it (I had done all of the research weeks ahead of time); I once spent an entire weekend on a model worth 5% of my grade and two hours on the five-page report worth the other 95%. There are a number of reasons for my one eighty, but a big part of it is the ability to see how constantly writing each week improves my skills and my character as a human being. Who knows? Maybe I'll surprise my high school teachers and write a book one day.

[poll id=205]

Vorthos Voice

Just over a year ago, there were three Vorthos (Mike, MJ, and I) writers with weekly columns on GM alone. Now, it's a bit quieter. Mike has lent his talents to Fantasy Flight Games, and MJ was swallowed whole by a nefarious baby. (She's recently been released from the shackles of horror, however.) Being left as the sole voice of Vorthos on GM has only fueled my drive to write for all of you. When I took up a column in my own name back in May, I did so with the knowledge that Vorthos once again needed a focal point. I've taken up the mantle, and I hope I've made you proud so far.

[poll id=206]