1. Test your effects on your friends and choose the ones with the best reactions. You will often be surprised at which ones they are.

2. Don't be afraid of simple methods. These are often the best! Remember, the audience doesn't care about the method, so you shouldn't either. There's no such thing as "cheating" in magic. For example, one of the best ways I know of to produce a large silk from your bare hands is dropping it from your sleeve.

3. You'd be hardpressed to overuse your TT.

4. Presentation is most important, so practice to make the magic automatic so you can focus on this. Then, set up a videocamera and watch yourself. It's 10 times better than a mirror ever was.

5. Videotape EVERY show. You always think it went worse than it really did. So watching your own performance will increase your confidence, reveal audience reactions you may have missed, and show you where you can improve.

6. Worry about FLOW. How does one effect lead into the next one? Does the show/routine build to a logical climax?

7. Don't treat your volunteers like props. Especially kids -- physically get down on their level, if you can. And talk to kids just like you would adults.

8. This last one seems like common sense, but it's amazing how many people are often guilty of it: Don't neglect your practice! Practice EVERYTHING -- every gesture, word and look. And practice your WHOLE SHOW, not just the individual effects. That's where you get a good sense of flow and transitions. It's the difference between "an evening of entertainment" and "a guy who did some cool tricks for an hour."

I hope something here strikes a chord. I just felt inspired to share some things that have helped me tremendously.

Thank you for sharing this information ! It will certainly help me when I'll be ready to do my first show !

I cannot reccommend enough reading the last section of Expert Card Technique, as well as the last section of Card College II. They are absolutely jam packed with tips like these and fantastic for developping your performances, it's amazing how relevant performance tips from long ago are today.

What are recommended books for learning to create routines beside the standard

Magic and Showmanship,
Showmanship for Magicians, and
Strong Magic

Magic and Meaning is a great book. Tabell covers routining as does Amateur Magicians Handbook.

Follow the rule that you must have a relatively quick opener, and build towards a cliamxe (super strong ending). Also bear in mind that for each effect you are doing, you should be able to describe what you are doing in two sentences or less OR it is too complicated for your audiences to follow.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat

Just to clarify, notice that Paul is saying that you should BE ABLE TO describe what you are doing with 2 or less sentences. He doesn't mean you should describe the effect to your audience that way. You should never tell the audience what you are going to do before you do it, or they will know what to look for.

Personally, I'd say ONE sentence ought to be enough!

Another tip -- Don't TELL your audience anything that you can SHOW them instead. Instead of showing your hands and saying, "Both of my hands are empty," simply show your empty hands and say nothing. Don't worry -- they'll notice. It will make your presentation much cleaner and cut out unnecessary patter.