Well, I guess 'Strong Magic' isn't what you're looking for.
: : SHOWMANSHIP + CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
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- Magic and Showmanship by Henning Nelms
- Win The Crowd by Steve Cohen
- Introducing NLP by Joseph O'Connor [Rapport Building / Learning Techniques]
- The Complete Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
- Magic 1400s - 1950s by Mike Caveney, Jim Steinmeyer, and Ricky Jay [Inspiration / Historical Reference]
- Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Calvin
- Rules For Revolutionaries by Guy Kawasaki (Suggested by Chase Goforth)
I would also check out 'Pure Effect'.
But... those cost monies.
Maybe look into some acting classes/books? Or borrowing a book or two from a friend? Or, God forbid, get a job and pay for your hobby. Even busking is an option, anything to fund what you want to do.
Oi! When I saw NLP on this list I thought I'd choke...
KEEP IT SIMPLE!
A beginner at your age level need only focus on two key sources for the next year or two (when it comes to tricks); the Mark Wilson Course in Magic and the Tarbell Course in Magic... you don't need anything else until you can do the basics. Problem is, everyone wants to run before they can even crawl in today's world.
I've done magic for over four decades and I can tell you first hand that the majority of those top rated pros in today's world do not depend on a pseudo-science like NLP... that's just hype. They might exploit some of the thinking associated with it, but it is too "iffy" and requires to much preliminary effort to be considered practical in most working scenarios.
AS A NOVICE you're going to feel like a kid in a candy store the more you visit forums, read magazines and hear about everyone getting the latest cool nifty gadget that will be collecting dust in under six months time if not quicker. But if you invest the same kind of money "they" throw at the trick of the month trends on the two resources I mentioned about, for less than the average cost of 5 such new tricks
you'll have access to THOUSANDS! If money is tight, I think the path of study would be obvious... but there are other resources out there for you, many that will cost you little to nothing, such as the local Library where you can find well known magic books along side introductory materials. There are companies on line that sell used books and props or simply track down and join the local IBM (International Brotherhood of Magicians) or SAM (Society of American Magicians) and you'll get access to a lot of first hand instruction, books and more!
SHOWMANSHIP is the biggie and you aren't going to learn it from a book!
Most communities of any size have a Community Theater Group that cost nothing to belong to (you may even find a improvisational comedy troupe to work with). The point is EXPERIENCE; you need on-stage experience in order to get used to an audience, learn about staging, direction/blocking, how to stand and use your voice, etc. Most importantly, you will learn to understand theater and what it means to be an "Actor"... I bring this up because of the big lie told in the magic community...
"We are but Actors Playing a Part...." If that were true those under 21 and wanting to learn magic would be pointed to theater workshops first. Magicians are generally buffoons that love gadgets (myself included) -- geeks and pack rats -- exceptionally few ever taking the time away from a deck of cards in order to learn true stage craft, proper speaking and why it's so important, etc.
Many will point you to Royal Road to Card Magic, Hiding the Elephant, and of course the trend-based tomes of Criss Angel, Derren Brown, etc. These are not a high priority list of "must have" resources and of this list Royal Road would have to be the most important followed by the Bobo Coin Book and the Rice's Silk Encyclopedias and other foundation texts specializing in specific aspects of magic such as working with small livestock (Birds & Bunnies) or what-have-you... again, none of it is as important as the Wilson & Tarbell foundation material, so do yourself a big favor by starting there and getting as much stage time as you can EVEN IF ITS JUST MOVING EQUIPMENT... you will still learn and from that be able to grow!