Things You'll Need:
- commitment
- a library card
- an open mind and open eyes
- a sketch pad
- a notebook
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Step 1
Read. Read anything and everything you can get your hands on. Read about weather forecasting, bridge building, ancient myths and lore, space travel, exotic lands and customs, psychology, phrenology, chemistry, math, literature, art, farmer's almanacs, pirate legends, war and tactics, ancient grimoires, the most recent scientific papers, and anything else you can get your eyes on. There is a reason wizards have shelves and piles of ancient, dusty tomes.
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Step 2
Observe. Watch the clouds, the stars, the patterns of traffic. Observe the people around you, what they do and why they do it. Sketch flowers and animals, learn to see the world as an artist does - shape and light and shadow. Take notes, learn to view the world as a scientist, always asking "why?" Watch what happens before a storm - how do the animals act? What does nature do before a harsh winter? What does someone you know do just before he or she tells a lie? You can learn to make predictions based on what you observe, and people will think it's magic.
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Step 3
Question. Don't just absorb all of this knowledge, but use it. Think about what you learn. Find patterns, ask questions, form hypotheses and test them. Wizards have a lot in common with scientists. Knowing about the world and how it works gives you the power to change it.
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Step 4
Learn some slight of hand and some psychology. A wizard I know once told me "A trick is as good as a spell." Read about great magicians and how they mystified their audiences. Learn to pick locks and make coins disappear. People want to believe what they see, and being able to make people see what you want them to can be a very powerful tool.
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Step 5
Be mysterious. Don't brag about everything you've learned, or constantly show off your knowledge - this only annoys people. Real wizards keep their hard won knowledge close. Think carefully before you speak. Wizards also know the value of learning things for oneself, so when someone comes seeking wisdom (like a hero on a quest), point them in the right direction, be cryptic, be helpful, but make sure they work a little for the knowledge - people always value more what they've had to work for.
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Step 6
Persist. Be diligent in your studies. There is a reason most wizards have long beards. It takes a lifetime of study and experience to become truly wise. Wizards are known for self-discipline and strong wills (in addition to being grumpy and tending to brood.) It takes a lifetime commitment to always keep learning.
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Step 7
Be certain. The path of the wizard is not an easy one. Once you learn something, you cannot unlearn it. Knowledge is power, and with power comes responsibility. And always remember - "Do not mettle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
