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Ianara Natividad

SCHC 454

November 27, 2016

My Best Life

At twenty-two, I graduated from the University of South Carolinas Honors College with

a Bachelors degree in History. Though, I still remained unsure as to what career path I truly

wanted to pursue, so instead, I opted for a gap year. During that time, I found employment in a

clerical jobthough it felt like a glorified internshipin the state government. While the job

helped pay for the loans, the most important part of that year was what I did outside of work.

Though I practically lived from paycheck to paycheck for a while, getting help from my family

here and there, I maintained at least my favorite hobby: playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).

I kept up with the game; I honed in on it when I found difficulty in getting into other hobbies.

One could I say I fell deeper into the rabbit hole, with developing my own world, my characters,

and my stories. I remembered my senior thesis project for the Honors College, and mulled over

something of a continuation of that topic. Dungeons and Dragons had piqued my interest ever

since I discovered the game as a teenager, so deep in my heart, I knew that if I wanted to do

something repeatedly in my life, I would not mind it having to do with the game.

By the end of the year, I had decided on graduate school to get my masters in History,

ending up in Columbia University after some hardcore GRE prep and resum buildup; my thesis,

on may ask: a study of the comparative impact of Dungeons and Dragons and other similar

tabletop roleplaying games to historical cultural thought. I had committed to getting my masters,

yet I continued with a sense of uncertainty as to how far I wanted to go with academia. Still,

knowing that step, that I wanted to try for a doctorate, at least gave me some direction with my

research. In a certain sense, the amount of official academic work I put into studying the
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historical significance of D&D helped push me more into the hobby than I ever could have

hoped.

Even with the differing workload, I kept up with my hobby of playing D&DI had to

technically, for my researchthough I certainly kept cutting close to the deadlines for my thesis. I

was lucky enough to have found a consistent D&D group early on in my trek into the hobby. At

that point in my life (about twenty-four/twenty-five years old), I had been playing with my group

for about six years. The comfort of having a reliable bunch meant that I delved even deeper into

my creations. I had the privilege of having them as guinea pigs. With their input, I polished up

my work enough to begin publishing them over the Internet, as free resources to other players of

the game. It was a tactic to get publicity early on, and I didnt mind it at the time, seeing as I had

fun making content. By the time I finished and published my own written adventure for D&D, I

was just about done with my masters degree.

At twenty-five, I decided to put a hold on getting my doctorate to focus more on my

writing, for both D&D and other projects I had taken on to the side. Again, I picked up another

clerical job to pay for my living expenses and loans. However, I essentially devoted just as much

of my time to D&D, if not more, compared to my job. I continued writing, garnering mild

recognitions, until I looked to getting involved directly with Wizards of the Coast (WotC). By

that time, WotC had continued to publish content for the fifth edition of D&D, from rules

addendums to pre-written adventures; it also happened to be the same edition which I had the

most familiarized myself with and that I had created content for. Applying as a creative

associate very much resembled any other job application process. With my long list of

published resources, I very much had the qualifications and began working for them as a

contributor to a pre-written module. I also intrigued them with my various theses on D&D,

which probably helped me land that initial position. For the next few years, I continued working
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for WotC on commission, putting off any further graduate school indefinitely. It was slightly

awkward explaining to my parents that, even with my degree in History, I ended up working on a

game. However, as I gained more experience, I eventually started working full-time for WotC as

a creative director and content creator.

I spent about the next decade and a half working for WotC, moving to Renton,

Washington by necessity. I traveled occasionally, though my work took me mainly around the

United States than out. I was even on the team that first drafted the sixth edition ruleset, which

felt like the spiritual successor to the fifth edition rules. As I gained some seniority, I also got

more say in what content to publish. Eventually, I did manage to push forward a new setting, for

which I provided a bulk of the lore and details. My knowledge of history and the skills of writing

with a historical mindset very much helped in that whole world-building endeavor. Still, it felt

wonderful, having that freedom to stretch my creativity. By that point, D&D wasnt just a game

for me anymore, but my livelihood. At times, I had mixed feelings about ever turning the hobby,

my form of release from the stresses of life, into a jobinto something I had to do. However,

ultimately, I loved it. I loved the I cared so much for my work and that I enjoyed it so much, even

if it wore on me at times, as most jobs do.

Some unfortunate occurrences did occur during that decade or so. For one, I grew more

and more married to my work. I grew more distant from my family, except for my sister,

though I felt that to have been a long time coming. Even in my twenties, I always felt like I got

along with my parents better when they remained at an arms reach. I dont know what it was,

maybe my entitled sense of writers isolation. My first reliable D&D group also grew apart

during those years. All of us were about the same age, and by then, most had garnered

obligations more pressing than playing the game once or twice a week for three to four hours a

session. Granted, while my obligations centered on the game, the others did not completely wash
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their hands of the hobby, though more on that later.

By forty, I essentially had my dream job, as far as my love for D&D went. I had created a

setting that was being used all around the world, wherever people felt the need to play the sixth

edition of the game. WotC had drafts for a seventh edition of the game in the works, and I was in

a prime position to be a leading designer, which I did when the time came. On the side, I

continued writing stories and adding on to my personal novels. Even back then, I had begun

setting myself up for shift to an even more freeform type of job. I had begun reconnecting with

my family thanks to my sister acting as a mediator. I had made a number of friends, both

professionally and personally, and started contacting my old D&D group to see if they were still

interested in the game. However, I refrained from marrying or even having many longstanding

relationships; my friendships and my work more than felt enough. Maybe something about

creating multitudes of worlds and characters gave me enough a sense of fulfilment.

Eventually, I did transition away from my more rigorous capacity in WotC, back to where

I started essentially. Well into my fifties, and until now, I continued creating content for D&D. I

published a few series of novelsfiction, fantasy, and the likeon the side, but it all boiled down

to freedom. Sitting on quite a bit of royalty money, I started traveling again, for pleasure than

business. Still, I continued playing D&D with a few new groups I gathered: the remnants of my

first reliable group who never quite got rid of the D&D itch; friends from work and elsewhere;

and even my nieces and nephews. I made a living doing what I loved, for the most part by my

terms, and Ill probably continue to do so until my creative juices give out. However, until then,

through all the moments of uncertainty and frustration so far, I think that I pretty much got the

best life I could have imagined.

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Assessment

Admittedly, I may just be at a certain phase of my life where I hang very dearly onto

something I enjoy which, in this case, is Dungeons and Dragons. I have been playing the game

since high school, starting with the third edition of the game before switching over mainly to the

most recent fifth edition. I have certainly spent hours upon hours of my time playing this game,

and even with the repercussions of my time investment, I have yet to feel any sort of regret in

doing so. I genuinely enjoy D&D, the experience of playing as well as creating. Furthermore, I

genuinely believe that the best sort of profession I can have is one where I do something with

what I love. I think the life I mentioned above is possible for me, or at least similar iterations of

it. I have the passion for this game, and for a career centered on this game. Going solely by time

investment, I am already on the right track. I play D&D heavily (multiple times a week). I

possess intensive game knowledge and have the capacity for creating my own stories, settings,

and characters. I also constantly keep up with WotCs new releases for the game as well as

consistently read or observe other non-official content creators, for both reference and

inspiration. Even now, I am focusing my senior thesis for the Honors College on D&D, so I

really do want to see how far I can take this, I admit, obsession of mine.

However, I know that I am relatively lacking in the interpersonal department. To get my

content published, to meet and befriend the right people, I must put myself out there. I have had

this socializing problem for years, and at this point, I think it better to make a very good

connection with a single person instead, by whose word my capabilities may reach others. I will

also need to refocus my time, more on content creation than simply playing. For the time being, I

should look into upping the quantity of my creations, of completed creations and not just half-

finished messes of brainstorming. I need to practice and ensure myself than I can at least keep up

with the demand of having this sort of work on the professional level.