Why I joined Magic: Expanded Multiverse
The Magic: Expanded Multiverse project is a fan project that takes the wonderful world Wizard of the Coast has created and creates new content, expanding the massive multiverse. The people involved have created characters, stories, planeswalkers and even planes. It’s a place where people can come and create, within the boundaries of the Magic: The Gathering universe or can enjoy stories.
Some people have joined because they are writers by inclination, others because they didn’t like the direction Wizards was taking, and thought they could do a better job. I am not a very accomplished writer and I am too new to Magic to actively dislike any part of it and I didn’t join because I just wanted to read stuff. Then why did I join?
To answer this question I’m afraid I’ll have to tell something about my personal life. You see, I have two younger brothers. Both are culturally very active. The eldest, only one year younger than me, is a semi-professional performer, having created performance that blends street-theater with magnificent juggling(He claims to be one of the best jugglers in our country). The other, three-and-a-half years younger, is a burgeoning writer and poet. He won a competition where he was considered part of the best contenders in our language area. I am generally considered as the not-creative brother. The one in heavy contrast to my talented younger brothers. Someone who enjoys culture, instead of creating it. Now, I am not jealous at my brothers, not at all. I’m extremely proud.
But despite being less talented in certain areas, I have talents of my own. I have the imagination needed to be a writer, but not the writing skills. But my imagination goes further than stories, when I start, I hardly stop. One of my other skills is communication. Not day to day communication, I’m terrible at that, unless I really try, but I can bring across my ideas, and coordinate them with others, and I can do that well.
Another thing I need to talk about first, before I get to why I joined the Expanded Multiverse, is something completely different. It is something that I believe a lot of people have. When people reach a certain age, have a certain level of intelligence and a certain level of free time they want to do something. Something that matters. They want to shape the world, change people’s life, give something back to the rest of the world. This is where some young people start becoming engaged in politics or art, if they have both the inclination and the skill. Others just go on with their lives.
Now I don’t want to just go on with my life, but I don’t really have the skills to do something extraordinary. I can imagine things, but this isn’t generally something you can share with other people, especially not if you can’t write very well. (A good writer can share what he imagines through his writing.) I have always wanted to share the worlds that form in my mind, the immense cities and communities, the mountains and seas, but there is little opportunity for people who just imagine things. There are not many job opportunities for worldbuilders, especially not in a small country like mine. And this is where the Magic: Expanded Multiverse comes in. This gives me a way to do what I (believe I) do well. This gives me a place to talk about it, to find people who do this as well. Where I can assemble a team to help me.
For this I am thankful.
