Actually, marrying a Jewish dude isn't that bad of a plan.
Just don't end up with the "creative" types. That'll do you no good.
You won't get real advice from folks on Stratics.
Here's how you start:
You want a ton of macros. Probably at least 65+. It adds up quick, I assure you. Of course, it depends on your template.
Then you want to memorize them to the point where you no longer even have to think about it.
Then you need to learn timing. Have someone cast large offensive spells on you while you time Greater Heals in between. Get to the point where you can still cast Greater Heals in between Magic Arrows. And then try casting Cure between Weaken. Start from Flamestrike spamming. Then Energy Bolts. Then Fireballs. There's an interesting delay on those. Then Lightnings. Finally, Magic Arrows. Mix it up.
And lastly, when you've got your timing down for a Mage, and you're honed to an edge, there's only one thing left to do: Get out there and get experience. Yes, you'll die a lot. Yes, you'll be abandoned to fight by yourself.
When you've built up enough experience solo, then you work up dueling, and survival tactics will come to you naturally. Pot chugging, suit building, etc.
Take it from an experienced head: Don't skip ahead and build your suit to be uber, or run speedhacks. You may think you gain an advantage from this, but in the end, it'll hurt you. You won't learn to survive on your own, or gain any sort of situational awareness. There are no shortcuts. Timing and experience trump all.
Join a competitive guild. Learn that from the things you've already learned; they are meaningless in a way. They will serve you in your greater understanding of the game, which will benefit you to the last of your days. But the things you need to learn are dismounts, geography of your hunting areas, guard zones, etc. How to chase. When to pull out. Where the guard zones are. What templates are stacked against you.
But those are easy to learn. You start from the basics. Those will never fail you. Learn your timing. Learn from experience when to pull out. Then learn everything else.
Then indulge yourself in the gimmicks. Let the ******** that EA allows into some kinda gimp template inform you, but not direct you. You're a mage. You're versatile. You can hold your own in any environment. Even if you don't participate in the gimmicks, you need to know them. A strong understanding of the basics will insure that you are never unevenly matched against them. Not even speedhacks. You can hold your own. If you skipped ahead and didn't learn your basics, you're as good as screwed. You will die, and you won't understand it, and you will blame everyone but yourself. You are doomed to failure. Start from the basics and don't skip.
About 6 months after you start, you should be killing folks. One year or two, you'll be good enough to teach others.
No one said it was easy.
But it ~is~ rewarding.