Hey! Of the different settings you're allowed to write for on the DM's Guild, I think that Forgotten Realms is the one I dislike the least, I think. (My preference would be writing for Greyhawk or Dragonlance but what're ya gonna do--I have a Greyhawk project I'm doing completely on spec for direct publication by WotC (guy can dream!) that might or might not have something to do with something that rhymes with Harrier Beaks--it is what it is.)
Please tell me like, the most important things about the FR setting. Here's what I already know (pathetically limited and mostly from memes, but FR is one setting I only ever PC'd in and never DM'd which explains why I knew so little about it):
I'll try.
There's an omnipotent wizard named Elminster who is so powerful he could solve all of the problems in Faerun with a snap of his fingers, but doesn't, because reasons.
Elminster is a powerful wizard sure (he's nominally the oldest of Mystra's chosen mortals), he's also by nature a loner. In comparison the leaders of several organizations are also powerful wizards, Szass Tam (more on him below) is the leader of the Red Wizards, and a lich too boot.
Elminster gets a bad rap because he's the hero of Ed Greenwood's books about Elminster (duh) and he's a powerful wizard, as well as being one of a dozen of Mystra's Chosen (empowered champions); so there is the impression that there isn't much he can't do. The novels are vary in quality quite a bit, but general thrust of being a Chosen of a god was that the character gets an enhanced life span (Elminster is well over one thousand years old), enhanced knowledge/ability in their deity's portfolio, and they are charged with protecting the deity's interests in the mortal realm.
As a point of comparison Halaster Blackcloak (the owner/operater of Undermountain and titular Mad Mage of
Dungeon of the Mad Mage) is stirge-poop crazy and also a Chosen of Mystra.
There's a very powerful secret society dedicated to Good called the Harpers, who could probably acting on their own defeat most or all of the forces of evil in Faerun, but don't, so the PCs still have something to do.
Definitely more on the secret, less on the powerful. They were at one point fronted by Khelben Blackstaff, but that was to counter evil secret organizations like The Zhentarim (who were fronted by Bane's high priest Fzoul Chembryl, until he died and became a demigod).
The Harpers are more designed as information gatherers and spies who pass on the information about the bad guys to people that can do something about it. Like the PCs.
Drizz't (dro Urden? did I make that up?) is a dual-wielding Drow hero that launched a zillion copycat PCs.
Drizzt, no apostophe in the first name. Family name Do'Urden. Basically yes. Books he's in are moderate to good quality.
There's a place called Thay, they have Red Wizards there, they look really cool, but are bad guys.
Pretty much. 3E had them less outwardly evil, or maybe affably evil. At the high levels they're into chattel slavery, human sacrifice, and crushing oppression. This was before their grand high poobah became a lich.
They also hate the country that is more or less (is it still?) run by Elminster's girlfriend/lover/Rose to 10/whatever.
Of interest as a magocracy Thay is run by wizards of the necromancy specialty. Not that its a huge issue in 5E rules, but back in AD&D/AD&D 2E that was a big deal since Red Wizards could double specialize at the cost of even more prohibited schools.
There's a place called Cormyr, they have Purple Dragon Knights, and they are good guys (more or less).
Pretty much. As with all good guy countries some nobles hate the king and are trying to overthrow him. Its been the same dynasty for over 1000 years, those nobles have a really bad track record.
There's a nasty secret society called the Cult of the Dragon that worship dracoliches or worship a specific dracolich or something. They're bad news.
Dracoliches, and its actually a translation error that caused it. I don't recall the deatils, but the canon version is that they worship dracoliches due to a typo.
Magic is all wrapped up in something complicated called "The Weave".
Timey-wimey-wibbly-wobbly... stuff if you prefer. Its the same fundamental idea most settings uses, magic is interacts with something, FRs version is called The Weave and is controlled by Mystra (the goddess of magic) to the point if anything affects Mystra The Weave goes
crazy. 
Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter, Waterdeep, Icewind Dale, and everywhere else in D&D famous enough to have a videogame named after it comes from FR. IIRC, Waterdeep is roughly equivalent to the Free City of Greyhawk in the Greyhawk setting.
I'd actually liken Baldur's Gate to the Free City more than Waterdeep. But yes, if its a named D&D game its in FR, EXCEPT Planescape: Torment which is set largely in Sigil. I'm assuming you're familiar with Sigil.
And that's all I know, like I said, basically nothing. Please tell me what you think are the most important things to know about the FR setting. If you want a little more structure, what year it currently is, the really major points on the timeline, and a breakdown of the most pivotal factions & nations
Thanks!
To get a clear update I believe the current year is DR 1489. DR is short for Dale Reckoning, basically FR's standard calendar based on some stuff in the setting about elves, and big rocks, and elves not blowing up humans who stood a big rock on its end.
Major Recent Events:
DR 1358 Time of the Troubles - the gods are made mortal and walk the land (transition from AD&D to AD&D 2E)
1368 - AD&D 2E campaign setting
DR 1372 to 1376 - any 3E stuff happens
DR 1385 - Spellplague (rules change to 4E)
DR 1479 - 4E campaign setting - also the year the newer of two Neverwinter MMO is set in.
DR 1485 - The Sundering starts - D&D Next playtest material
DR 1489 - The Sundering is over - 5E rules (basically everything goes back to the way it was, more or less)
