Not gonna lie, Dan Harlan's lesson on Routining a magic show was incredibly helpful. Granted, doesn't work for every show - if all you do is mentalism, you may have to tweak a few things - but overall the thinking behind it is phenomenal.

Putting a routine together is something I've been thinking about for a bit now. Wondering mainly how many tricks to include. As an excited beginner, I would love to keep going and going, but know this wouldn't be good practise at all. So it's a question of where do you draw the line without doing too little, and also knitting the tricks together with some sort of theme. Aus, I think you're older post is brilliant. Thank you for the link to it and for the effort you went to in the first place

I once heard David Regal talk about how every trick he does has to have an intro. It's like an opening line to a joke. It's like telling a short story.

My casual magic has simple opening lines. I do a fun borrowed quarter trick that starts with me borrowing a quarter and saying: "This is going to be hard to believe, but I'm going to make your quarter disappear." The coin then apparently goes into my back pocket and I show my hands empty.

My more formal magic includes fun stories that are based on funny real experiences. For example, one of my routines is based on a true story about a bartender teaching me to drink tequila shots when I was 8 yrs old.

I watch a lot of stand up comedy to come up with ideas to incorporate humor in magic.

KJ

Right! The late Charlie Miller, when discussing a trick, always asked: "How do you get "into it"?

Yes, Dick. The advice that I got from David Regal actually came from him observing Harry Lorraine. He was wondering why such a crowd always gathered around Harry at the back of a restaurant. he observed him closely one day and found that Harry engaged the audience before the cards came out. I don't know where Harry picked it up. ... we are all standing on shoulders...

Hey 1KJ - tried to respond in the other post. Not important, but it's LORAYNE. I didn't pick it up, it's just THERE.

Yes, Harry, I realized the misspelling after I hit the dreaded "ENTER" button. There is not "UN-ENTER" button. I think my keyboard is cursed.

ROUTINING.

A book could be written on this.

There are literally thousands and thousands of tricks. That’s all they are - tricks. Something that happens when you do something. It could be self-working or it could require great (concealed) skill.

Turning any trick into a performance piece usually requires a lot of work. Sometimes - very rarely - the whole thing falls into place pretty quickly. Most often it can take weeks, months or even years.

I’m pretty useless at inventing but I am pretty good at routining but that didn’t happen overnight. I have a knack for retaining things of interest in my head and in my notebooks. It might be a line, a move, a trick, an idea or bit of business. Sooner or later something else will strike a nerve and I’ll see how all these can be combined together.

But that takes time and study over years - at least for me.

Amateurs and hobbyists love new tricks.
Professionals love finding a trick they can add to their show and will pay good money for it.
True professionals will kill for a bit of schtick that will keep a show moving and add to the entertainment. They’d much rather find that than a new trick.

You will find that certain tricks work well with other tricks and strengthen them.

Far too many magicians feel that once they have learnt a trick, it is ready for performance. No. That is only the first step.

As Charlie Miller said, “How are you going to get into it?”
What is your opening line? A question, a statement, an action?
Where will the props be beforehand. How will you introduce them?
What will you be saying?
Where will the audience be? Will there be angle problems and how will you cover them?
If performing close-up on a table, only have on display the props in use. All else is clutter and a distraction.
What about misdirection? Misdirection is really controlling the attention of the audience. Too many magicians only make eye contact just before they do a move - thereby signalling something funny is going on.
How will you finish?

I recommend you study a few of the Ron Bauer booklets which teach full routines, all with a beginning, middle and end. They are available here and are $10 each http://www.thinklikeaconjurer.com

In the meantime, here are two routines from my repertoire. The first was basically complied from “bits” in Martin Gardner’s Encyclopaedia of Impromptu Magic. It is a sequence of relatively minor tricks and gags that combined together have a compounding effect creating a routine that is far greater than the sum of its parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl......zevpv3EE

The second is my routining for David Britland’s version of Bob Neale’s Trapdoor Card. Terri Rogers showed the trick to me in the late 80’s at a Blackpool convention. The presentation - the lines, the patter, the gags are far more important than the trick itself. http://www.telepathy.co.il/quentin-reynolds1285/

I hope you find them of help. But the best advice is not to try too much at once but to perform for someone - anyone as often as you can. Pay attention to the responses. Ask them after what they liked and what they didn't like. Listen and your audience will teach you.

I have over forty years experience of performing professionally. Harry Lorayne and Dick Oslund have far more experience than I. We are all happy to help. We could come to your house and spend weeks with you but even after all that you will have to do your own learning. No one can do that for you. All I can tell you is that with the right attitude the journey is fraught with twists and turns, some dead ends and some extraordinary doors opening for you. There is nothing quite as exciting in magic as a polished routine you have put together yourself. Perseverance is the key.

Let me give you an example of how I created a light comedy routine for a dove pan trick and maybe you can follow the process, it is more or less a sort of reverse engineering. You start at the end (the reveal or moment of magic) and work backwards.
What was I going to produce from the dove pan? Well it could be any number of thngs, I chose a rubber chicken. It would be unexpected and rubber chickens may be old and tripe but it is still funny.
Now, why would a rubber chicken be in the pan when I removed the lid? That question had to be answered. Was it a mistake, was it what I predicted would appear, Was it something totally opposite of what I expected? Was it a logical conclusion? You have to keep asking questions until you come up with a good one to fit the answer , which is the rubber chicken production.
Next, What would increase the surprise effect and not give away the ending? I want the routine to build to the conclusion and then the conclusion to be the "ta da".
What can the audience relate to? Telling a story too obscure that the audience cannot share in a common relationship does not work well. You have to involve the audience, so it has to be something they all can relate to. A current topic, a common experience, something that is just "common knowledge"
Now how did I get here and involved with this whole thing. How do the props fit in. Why am I standing here in front of these people with a dove pan? Why would I even have a pan on stage with me?
Answering those questions led to a routine based on a very common commercial and series of jokes at the time around Colonel Harlan Sanders and his Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Basically I came out with the pan and sat it on a table. I pulled out an index card from my coat pocket and told the people that I would like to share a special recipe with them.
Then I told them that this special recipe had been given to me by a very strange gentlemen, with white hair, a goatee, and wearing a white suit. Then I talked on in the story about how he gave me the recipe and I began to sare it, while looking at the card between each ingreient. Of course it began with a liberal dose of a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices (confetti that I sprinked into the pan), then coat gently with oil (lighter fluid), and then "set on fire at 350 degrees". That is when I lit the pan and got the flames. At that point I would look flustered and confused, grab up the index card and look intensely at it and suddenly shout, "Oh no, it's not set ON fire at 350 degrees it is set on THE fire at 350 degrees!" I'd give a look of panic and confusion then suddenly spy the lid sitting there and grab it up and slam it down in the flaming pan. Because of the confetti there would be a good amount of smoke rising up out of the edges of the pan. I'd cough, and wave my hands to make the smoke disperse, then look at the audience somewhat blankly like I had really blown it, and suddenly open the pan and pull out the rubber chicken and announce "It's finger licking good."
I know it is corny but it got huge laughs and I got a lot of demand for the trick. Today, it probably woudn't work as well as they only recently brought back Col. Saunders in the commercials, there aren't as many commercials, and the "Col. Saunders Jokes" are the current rage they were at the time of the routine. But you can get the idea of how I built that routine. It begins with what happens at the end and then you back up, be it with words and a story or music. Each step must logically move to the next, all building to the finale, and must start with a reason for you being there with what ever props you have to do the trick.
Nothing says "Trick" instead of "Routine" more than you suddenly pulling out some odd hardware for no reason for having it there.

These words are pure gold, in my opinion.
I watched the videos. The one with the handkerchief is wonderful! BRAVO!

Mark

Hi! I wanted to wait until you had a number of responders. Sometimes, if we old geezers speak up too soon, others don't respond, and the OP will get a rather one sided opinion. Michael Skinner has an excellent reputation.

Michael's statement about learning routines instead of tricks, is OK, IF, you understand that routines are, generally speaking, COMBINATIONS of tricks and bits of business. "Tricks are the 'bricks' and routines are the finished 'wall'! Bits of business are the mortar that holds the bricks together.

From your OP, you're off "on the right foot"! TARBELL was a great source of knowledge and wisdom for me, when I was a teenager (I'm 84 as of last Friday.) I met Joshua about 15 years ago at an Abbott Get Together. I was impressed with his knowledge and wisdom at his age, then.

From Tarbell, you will learn PRINCIPLES. From principles you will begin to understand many different TRICKS, and realize how they are related. It won't happen overnight! FESTINA LENTE! (Latin for: MAKE HASTE SLOWLY.

"Doc" Tarbell was a naturopath. His magic performances were "lecture style".The "patter" he wrote is almost a hundred years old. Read it, but, don't imitate it!

I only met him twice, so, I didn't get to KNOW him, but I KNOW that he was a success as a performer. He won't lead you astray.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read anyway." --Groucho Marx Your best way to learn about magic is through books.

You can't buy "MAGIC". It only exists in the spectator's mind! You can't buy TRICKS, either. Tricks, like music, only exist while they're being performed.

You can buy PROPS and/or SECRETS. Using props and/or secrets, you can perform a trick.

If you perform the trick well, using your PERSONALITY and a good PRESENTATION, magic may happen, in the mind of the spectator. (The EFFECT, is what the spectator "sees" or, THINKS he "sees".

BUT, MAGIC IS NOT INHERENTLY ENTERTAINING! --YOU, and YOUR PERSONALITY, and YOUR PRESENTATION are what CAN make magic,ENTERTAINING!
The right ingredients, combined and cooked properly, can make a good pot of soup! I hope that the analogy makes sense.

So! Read Tarbell and Joshua. Tarbell provides the secrets and the principles. Most of the props needed, you already have available around the house.

Buy props only when absolutely needed.

I've been performing magic for 70 years. 20 years as a part time professional, and 50 years as a full time professional. My working act developed slowly. Much of what I do, is from TARBELL, either directly or indirectly.

After you have acquired some knowledge of tricks and principles, you can start combining some of them into a routine. --Just remember, the PERFORMER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PROP.

To put a trick into your show, there are three things necessary:

1. Learn how it is DONE.

2. learn how to DO it.

3. Figure out HOW to DO it, so that it ENTERTAINS AN AUDIENCE.

This is actually quite interesting topic for me. I'm quite a beginner(only 8 months or so of practice) and I'm planning to perform first time on my local magic circle meeting in February. I have often seen especially some younger magicians performing a routine that already exists, with all the same moves/music/presentation etc. What I'm kind of planning to do is do my own version(nothing too fancy, simple aces + jokers production into music that I felt fitting). I'm wondering what is the general opinion here? Should I had perform "ready" routine's before attempting to do my own or is it good to personalize it right away?

Personally I don't really like the idea of completely copying someone's presentation, even though it might be effective. Luckily I do have an experienced member from the club who have kindly agreed to help me to prepare it so I'm able to get feedback and brainstorm with someone who has a lot of experience performing.

Also something I've noticed that at least for the moment I feel very determined of performing specific type of magic. That style is performing silently to music. I know that something like comedy magic and "street magic" are both very common(sorry for not using correct name's, but I hope you get the idea what I mean). So I wonder how important it is to try all different types of magic, even one's I don't like. Although I have to say with comedy magic it's not so much that I don't like to watch it, but more so that I don't like the idea of performing it personally and I don't think my personality would really fit to it.

Thanks already for all the answers

Good post! It "tells" me that you've done a bit of thinking before writing!

I'm at the opposite side of your situation! I'm 84, a retired full time professional. I traveled the USA from coast to coast and border to border for almost 50 years. I appeared mostly in schools for audiences of all ages from Kindergarten through high school. --and, often the audience in rural areas was all 12 grades!
Before becoming a full time pro., I was a part time pro. for about 20 years. (I started performing for money when I was 13.

Most of the "stuff" I do, came right from Tarbell! Of course, the material evolved, as I gained experience.

That's enough about me! Let's talk about YOU! "When you're "green" you can get ripe! When you're "ripe", you; just get "rotten"! (Look at ME!) So! You moved from "Suomi" to "Kangaroo country"! And, you've "found" a MENTOR. You're a fortunate young man! But, you must understand that he CAN'T TEACH YOU ANYTHING! (He CAN ONLY HELP YOU LEARN!!!)

From reading your post, you appear to have the "right attitude". --That's a BIG factor in your learning!!!

IMHO, there's nothing wrong with using someone else's routine when you're beginning. You'll have the advantage of a routine that, hopefully, has been
"tested". It, I think, will help give you confidence. As you develop in skill and knowledge, you will probably enjoy "trying your wings". At least, that's the way I began in the '40s!!!

Now, regarding working "silently to music". Certainly, it's not intrinsically evil! However, it would likely limit, to some extent, your potential. Unless you have excellent mime ability, communicating with an audience could be very challenging!

Involvement and interaction with your audience is ESSENTIAL, if you plan on ENTERTAINING that audience! "Watch me do this clever stuff" type of acts will, in the future, have problems getting booked! People are less likely to be content to be passive spectators!

This is true, not only in professional performances, but even in strictly "social" situations. (e.g.: "parlor" entertainment for friends and associates)

So, again, may I suggest that when you go to a Smorgasbord, be willing to "taste" everything!!! --even things that you don't think that you will like! You may be surprised!!! Example: 30 years ago, I tried some mental material in my high school program. It played quite well, but, I was not comfortable with presenting it. I dropped the mental stuff, but, I tried it! (The audience liked it! It just wasn't my "cup of tea"!

You mention "nothing too fancy, simple aces....." YES! MAGIC IS NOT INHERENTLY ENTERTAINING!!!! (SUGGEST THAT YOU READ MY POST (JUST ABOVE YOURS!) One of the primary "rules" for ENTERTAINING (especially with magic tricks) is: K I S M I F. (Keep It Simple Make It Fun)

My mentor(s) always stressed: "It's not WHAT you DO, it's HOW you DO it!" YOU, the performer,are more important than the PROP! Your PRESENTATION is what makes the EFFECT, ENTERTAINING! (The "EFFECT", is what the spectator "sees", or "THINKS that he sees!)

Go "break a leg"!

Thanks for reply! I really do appreciate it a lot. Besides finding a somewhat mentor, I'm lucky in a sense that the local magic circle here where I joined is very friendly and it's great place for me to get first touch on performing. Both because I feel comfortable going there and presenting in front of them more so than with random audience(essentially I'm not afraid of failing there) and because I know that even if I do the routine exactly like I planned I will then get a lot of feedback from magicians who perform to all kinds of different audiences.

After your message I have to say it got me thinking again about "trying everything". And basically the conclusion that I came is that I'll watch more magic and theory craft a bit more trying to figure out also a interactive style of presentation that would fit for me. I do realize that interaction in essential in some kind of situations, but for right now it's just that I don't have clear vision how would I like to present magic in those situations, because I don't like the obvious options that are most popular at the moment.

Also what I meant by "nothing too fancy" is that in terms of methods it's nothing that complicated. I mean it consists of paintbrush change, wave change, erdne's and shapeshifter. Also simple in the way that I had some other ideas using other musics, but those would have included skills that I don't have at the moment. For example one song had a point where I was thinking "...and sybil cut really would fit here.." so while I have notes about that for future as for the moment that has parts that I can't perform.

I've found the book "Maximum Entrtainment" to be a good starting point... anyone know other books that are just theory on this subject?

Maskelynne and Devant's "OUR MAGIC (1946) Dariel Fitzkee's "trilogy" "THE TRICK BRAIN" (1945) "SHOWMANSHIP FOR MAGICIANS"(1943) "MAGIC BY MISDIRECTION"(1944) Henning Nelms' "MAGIC & SHOWMANSHIP" (1969) will provide a good basic education!

"Our Magic" is a bit "dry", but should be "required reading". I think that Fitzkee's trilogy, also belongs on the 'six foot shelf'! Nelms is a "college text", and should be on that "shelf" also.

Ken Weber's "MAXIMUM ENTERTAINMENT" is EXCELLENT!!!

I would recommend DENNY & LEE'S MAGIC STUDIO (Rosedale, Maryland) as a source for used books. I don't have Denny's address "in front of me", but, you can google "him". Tell him that I recommended him!