Diary of a Nitwit Magician

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May 19, 2008
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manchester
day 50

tomorrow is the big day!!!

tom told me that if I can perform a trick to a professionals and they cant figure it out he will teach me how to do a really awesome card trick called, two card monte.

my mentor left today and I was really sad, but he gave me a number I could ring so we could speak.

My mum had a tea party with some of her friends and I performed a trick for them from the card collage books, they were all dead impressed and told me I was like David Blaine and derren brown! I was really proud of myself.

I went out to the mall and performed for random people that I met, some people said no but I did magic for others! They really liked it and I decided that in a few days I would go busking with tom.

when I got home I had a shower and decided what I would wear at the convention.

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Day 51

Today was the best day ever!! Me and Tom (or is it Tom and I) went to the convention, and had loads of fun. I met lots of new magician friends, and even a few professionals. This one guy taught me this cool trick called Triumph, and it's amazing. I showed another guy my thumb tip tricks, and got a great reaction. He said it was a great trick, and I should get Darwin's Encyclopedia of Thumb Tip Magic if I like that kind of magic. Tom got us some decks of cards, little books, and other cool stuff. This guy named Dana "girly name" Hocking was recording magic for some video, and even recorded some of my stuff! The guy he was with, Wayne something-or-other, watched and gave me a great reaction. He said I might have a future in magic. Now Tom will teach me 2 card monte!!
 
Oct 6, 2007
612
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day 50

tomorrow is the big day!!!

tom told me that if I can perform a trick to a professionals and they cant figure it out he will teach me how to do a really awesome card trick called, two card monte.

my mentor left today and I was really sad, but he gave me a number I could ring so we could speak.

My mum had a tea party with some of her friends and I performed a trick for them from the card collage books, they were all dead impressed and told me I was like David Blaine and derren brown! I was really proud of myself.

I went out to the mall and performed for random people that I met, some people said no but I did magic for others! They really liked it and I decided that in a few days I would go busking with tom.

when I got home I had a shower and decided what I would wear at the convention.

----------

That...really, really hurt.

Honestly, I think the evolution of the character would be much more realistic and not brutally painful to read if you stopped writing diary entries. Why the hell would Tom teach Two Card Monte if the 'nitwit magician' outfooled a professional. Why the hell would he perform TCM after that!?

And also, why would your mom's tea friends have any idea who Derren Brown is? David Blaine is understandable, with all the publicity, but Derren? C'mon.

Lastly, what's with "I took a shower and slept" at the end of every diary entry?

I'll try to write an entry soon...see how that goes..
 
Mar 29, 2008
882
3
Yeah - I agree - seriously guys - for now on PM any entry - because it is getting hard to write out of the holes you are taking the character...I might have to write one where the guy kills himself if this keeps up! haha.
 
Mar 29, 2008
882
3

Day 55


I just did a very interesting effect that used from a magician named Palms Harry…just kidding, his name is Paul Harris – the effect was called Twilight Angels – it’s a very connected effect, where an angel moves beside the other angel on the back of a card. I used the presentation of two people finding each other – I did it for this pretty girl, and she said, “you should never do that effect for someone you don’t want to sleep with immediately” – I told her I don’t do magic for that reason, but I am glad she enjoyed it…I took her number anyway, haha.

It is interesting, the more I read and learn in magic, the more I realize how much work I have to do. However, I am starting to build sets –and am starting to see how to build a show. I still can’t do the methods to all my things without focusing on stuff, so I will have to be patient to show these things until I can do it naturally, while focusing all my attention on interacting with the spectator.

Also, I realized that the massive amount of drugs I was taking to control my ADHD was causing OCD, which made me talk about stupid s**t that didn’t matter…sorry for my last few entries. I think everything is cool now – I called my Mentor and apologized, he was cool – we may meet up again for a few more sessions.
 
Oct 6, 2007
612
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Day 55


I just did a very interesting effect that used from a magician named Palms Harry…just kidding, his name is Paul Harris – the effect was called Twilight Angels – it’s a very connected effect, where an angel moves beside the other angel on the back of a card. I used the presentation of two people finding each other – I did it for this pretty girl, and she said, “you should never do that effect for someone you don’t want to sleep with immediately” – I told her I don’t do magic for that reason, but I am glad she enjoyed it…I took her number anyway, haha.

It is interesting, the more I read and learn in magic, the more I realize how much work I have to do. However, I am starting to build sets –and am starting to see how to build a show. I still can’t do the methods to all my things without focusing on stuff, so I will have to be patient to show these things until I can do it naturally, while focusing all my attention on interacting with the spectator.

Also, I realized that the massive amount of drugs I was taking to control my ADHD was causing OCD, which made me talk about stupid s**t that didn’t matter…sorry for my last few entries. I think everything is cool now – I called my Mentor and apologized, he was cool – we may meet up again for a few more sessions.

Love the last paragraph. HAHA!

Well, here's my entry. Definitely no match to Morgician's...

Day 56

Boy! Am I tired...I just got back from a long night at this new bar, "Se7en".
Tom invited me to come with him this afternoon, after explaining how he thought 'I was ready'.

So we went into the bar, and immediately the bartenders and the regular customers started shouting out and cheering for Tom. I heard a few people shout "Tom the magic guy!" and I even heard some guy say "Tom! The bomb!" (I guess he was drunk).

After Tom said hi to all his friends, we sat down at the bar, and people surrounded us, and urged Tom to perform magic. Out of nowhere, Tom told everyone "Guys guys...Today, my friend is going to perform for you!". I was so surprised and shocked. Everyone started cheering and begged me to perform magic for them.

I didn't know how to react, and every time I looked at tom for help, he just nodded and silently urged me on. Shaking from the nervousness, I fumbled through my pockets for cards. I then proceeded to perform another trick by Paul Harris, "The Invisible Palm". It was amazing! Not just for my audience, but for myself! It was the first time I performed an effect for my than 5 people, and I was literally surrounded by cheering drunk men. I managed to keep them under control the whole time, and made sure they didn't touch the cards on the table.

After that, I didn't stop for another hour. I took breaks every 2 tricks or so, walked around and chatted to some people about my magic. Many of them we're interested in me performing in events for them, and although I gave them my email if they wanted to hire me, I avoided trying to market myself so much because I know I still have a lot to learn before doing paid gigs.
At the end of it all, I performed for around an hour and a half (including the breaks). When I finished my last trick, I spoke to Tom and asked for feedback. He gave me some tips here and there, but he said I did an excellent job overall. He was so proud of me, and so was I.

It really was a great night, but most of all a great experience and stepping stone in my magic. I realize now why I do magic- Because of nights like these.

My mentor is coming back tomorrow morning. I can't wait to tell him what happened tonight!
 
Mar 29, 2008
882
3
DJ - NICE WORK! Another person gets it...nice development - I really loved TOM THE BOMB, actually I think I laughed out loud. Great job.
 
Oct 6, 2007
612
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DJ - NICE WORK! Another person gets it...nice development - I really loved TOM THE BOMB, actually I think I laughed out loud. Great job.

Thanks so much!

I was afraid it would be no match to yours.

I'll try and write a few more posts, and see how the Nitwit Magician goes from there.
 
Oct 6, 2007
612
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Morgician,

Would you mind if I took all the (decent) diary entries and collaborated them into a pdf.?

Produce a more organized "Diary of a Nitwit Magician"?
 
At DJ, that would be sweet!

Day 58

My mentor got back, and I told him everything! He told me that I should keep going to Se7en, so I could get a regular crowd. So, I went back, and a bunch of guys welcomed me back! I showed them more magic, and they loved it. They practically begged me to come back the next day, and I think I will. The bartender guy even said he would hire me to perform at his daughter's 8th birthday party! I'm going to talk to my mentor, Jeff, and Tom so that I can get a good routine together. I want that little girl to have the best birthday ever! My mentor said there was certain magic to do for kids, and that he had experience doing it. He had a couple of books with kid's magic, which he let me borrow. It's in 6 days, I need to get ready!
 
Mar 29, 2008
882
3
Hey DJ - I will write one soon - busy week - but I agree with iwannayoyo - feel free to post again, you are doing a great job!!!
 
Day 63

The party is tomorrow, I'm really nervous! All my magician friends have been helping me study, and I think I'm ready. I read tons of books, watched tons of DVDs, and learned a lot of tricks. I've been practicing them for Tom, and he said I'm ready. I hope I am!
 
Mar 29, 2008
882
3
Day 64

I just finished my show…wow, what a crazy experience! Turns out more than half the stuff that I worked on was completely impractical for the show. It was a real pain carrying my cups and balls…my pockets were too full with tricks…and some things I only did once because the re-set too long and I had no time to do it.

I talked to Tom over the phone; he said I have to work on what he calls “pocket management”, and “effect transitions”, so that my sets flow. He seems right, I will talk to my Mentor about lending me a hand understanding how to use more practical effects and offering a variety – as I found myself doing different effects that offered the same thing. Overall, I think people enjoyed the magic – but I think it could have been much better and a more connected experience. I think I am still focusing too much on what I am doing, but it is getting better.

I had a couple hecklers, but I just joked with them and made fun of myself…there is lots of material when it comes to self depreciating humour…my overdose of meds, OCD with baths and shower documentation, striking out with girls, the fact I still live with my Mom but am old enough to go to bars, and the fact that I am a magician…which I am learning in the real world is not as cool as one might think.

Oh, and how many times do you guys here, “can you make my wife disappear”? Pretty funny joke…I heard it tonight for the first time…and the fourteenth. Off to work on my show…

Peace!
 
Oct 6, 2007
612
0
Alright...I just wanted Morgician and I to take turns, so neither of us would be TOO responsible for developing the character.

P.S. I'm ignoring the previous post because it really WASN'T what I was hoping for. It kind of sounded like the old Nitwit Magician!

EDIT: I just realized that my post is a week behind. When I said the 'previous post' above, I meant the one where he gets offered a gig. Please read my diary entry below as if it was the one right after my first diary entry post.


Day 57

My mentor arrived today! I didn't want to be too obsessed with him, so I decided to call him later in the afternoon.

While I was eating lunch, I got a call from Tom. He explained to me that he actually worked in Se7en, and he brought me there because he knew the environment, and that it wouldn't be too tough for me. He told me that after I left the bar (I left before him), the owner talked to him about me. The owner explained that he owned a chain of bars in the city, and that he was interested in hiring me to work at one of them, as sales had gone up 15% since Tom started working at Se7en. Tom told the owner that he would give me a ring and give me his number (the owner's).

Tom and I discussed the offer, and although it was hard to do so, I called the owner and declined the offer. I really wanted to ask my mentor what his opinion was, but I knew he would say the same thing as Tom- I was still fairly new to performing, and I needed years of performing experience before taking a job where I performed for money.

Later in the day I called my mentor and we met up at a cafe to chat. I told him the great night I had at Se7en and the offer from the owner. He told me that I had made the right decision and he was proud of me. He then invited me to his house, and explained that he wanted to give me something that would help me more than any magic book, something where I could learn stuff that no book would ever include- experience.

So we went to his house, and he started searching under his bed. After a few minutes of fumbling and fiddling around with old boxes and books, he took out a black book, covered in dust and spiderwebs. He cleaned it and then handed it to me, saying that it was a gift. I opened it up and on the very first page it read "The Diary of Peter Buckle". On the next page it read "My goal in magic is to perform magic professionally, and make it my living. I will write in his diary until the day I reach this goal". He told me that he wrote in it everyday for 13 years, and he stopped when he got a job at the Center Town Steakhouse- where he has been performing magic every Friday and Saturday night for 8 years.

I couldn't believe that he had a diary too. But I'm even more eager to read through the experiences of my mentor, Peter.

___________________

Sorry if this is too out there. But I hope many lessons can be learned from this diary entry.
 
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