On May 30, 2018, David Thiel wrote:
This is a great thread. It was also fun to read what I'd written here six years ago...because that's how I still do it.

Step One: REALLY think about the prop/effect/routine. Is it a good match for me? Does it have the potential to make it into my stage show by being better/stronger/more tightly aligned to the journey I want to take my audiences on?

Step Two: If it fits me, I'll buy it.

Step Three: When it comes, I won't read the 'patter' because that's how I wind up doing the effect the same way everyone else does. I examine it from every angle first to see how easily I can uncover the 'gimmick' and second to think what else it could possibly be or accomplish.

Step Four: I sit down with my notebook and write everything I can think of about the prop. Words, ideas and rough concepts. The page is a mess when I am done because I don't judge a single concept as I write. They flow through my brain and into the page. The wilder the better.

Step Five: Eliminate 98% of the crap I've just written because it's stupid. Start to get excited about the remaining two percent...and start developing a routine.

Step Six: I present my rough idea to no one. I sit in my den and work with the prop as though I were presenting it on-stage.

Step Seven: I re-work the idea because as I rehearse with the prop, I get to know it. I understand it's idiosyncrasies and -- hopefully -- I've begun to see where it might fail.

Step Seven and a Half: Rework the idea and represent the effect to no one. THIS time I work through it trying to anticipate every possible way a spectator could screw me up.

Step Eight: Finalize the starting script and write it down. I put all these scripts into binders so that, if I retire the prop for a while because I'm not happy with it (which happens in most cases) I can come back to it later and not have to start all over.

Step Nine: IF the prop/idea/effect still excites and interests me, I'll take it out and use it for close up. I sandwich it between two strong effects so that if/when it doesn't perform as well as I thought it would, the spectators don't remember it. After each evening of performing, I write in my notebook about things I need to rethink, ways the spectators surprised me, how I could explain what's happening more clearly, funny things that happened or occurred to me etc. Sometimes this takes years. Yeah...seriously.

Step Nine and a Half: Rewrite my script.

Step Ten: I continue performing it close up until I know that sucker intimately. IF I am still excited about it, I'll incorporate it into parlor presentations. IF I am still happy with it after a number of performances I go to...

Step Eleven: I put it into a small stage show -- again sandwiched in between two very strong effects.

The issue is that I genuinely love every single effect in my show. I know how effective they are...and I've worked hard to develop each one so it does exactly what I need it to do and is placed in the exact right place. IF a new 'something' is introduced, that means I have to remove something I'm already doing. So this is pretty rare. But the process of development keeps me sharp.

My mentor used to talk about performers who "inflict **** on their audiences before they understand why they are performing it." He was right...which is why I always do an internal eye roll when I read about guys who get a prop and 'put it into their show that night.' Maybe it works for them...who knows? It will never work for me, though.

Hope this is helpful.

David