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Brilliant, thanks for all the advice guys.

I shall try and keep him focused on those points Allen, but he likes to move through things quickly so it will be hard to keep him from rushing forward.

However he has a very very keen interest in magic, so if i can keep him on the right path he should progress well.

I am surprised to hear that Paul Daniels would have allowed anyone to get away with not paying attention. Perhaps he didn't notice them.

As for the easier coin tricks there are two sources I can think of. One is the book by Bob Longe (I forget the title) and the other is Self Working Coin Magic by Karl Fulves.

As for Bobo I was given it as a present when I was about 15 and I still do only two tricks from it. I did get my basic knowledge of coin sleights from it though. I do recommend this book as the best one on coin tricks.

Allen Tipton wrote:Just let him for the next 18 months to 2 years feast and absorb The Mark Wilson Book, the Bill Severn Book and the Fulves Mental book.

Allen Tipton

Allen, that is very good advice. As an adult starter, I bought too many books, and I think its really slowed me down. Too much material is as much of a problem as too little.

I've only begun to make progress now I've selected a couple of books to really study... in my case, the royal road and mark wilson. Before that I was wasting a lot of time flitting around, and never really did enough work on a single book to master its content.

I should preach--there are 800 books here on the Magic Room bookshelves BUT I have always been passionate about books since the age of 5 & about Magic Books since I began at 9. Ouch!

He has to be taught that although Magic is fascinating, enjoyable etc ANY PERFORMER needs Self Discipline.

Allen Tipton
PS All magicians will never stop buying. As one gets older, HOPEFULLY, you think more before paying out!

Allen Tipton wrote:All magicians will never stop buying

So true, so very, very true !!!

Sk8r:
What I would do is--once he has read/scanned the books through, get him to choose about 8 tricks--you only need 4.

Then: eliminate 4 and see if you can find or guide him to :
1. An Opener.This to be a trick he really likes performing.
2. A follow up trick--say 2 to 3 mins.
3. The Big & longest trick
4. The Closer--this should not be too long.

Thus he has an Act.
DURING this process see if you can arrange a 'date' for him to perform his Act.

Might be the local Church; his class (depending on the type of kids that are in it); a friend's house, a party etc at yours. Or simply a gathering of a FEW relatives/friends at yours to give him an audience.

At yours, puts him on his Home Ground!

THIS WAY: you give him a goal to aim for.

Allen Tipton

Thankyou for the advice Allen, but i do not think he is aiming to perform magic to an audience on a stage or what have you.

I put this down to my fault because he always looks up to me and although it was his decision to start magic he has stuck relatively close to the style that i have adopted, which is the post modern close up/walkabout magic. I know a lot of magicians frown upon the increasing popularity of this style, and blame it on David Blaine, who is actually one of my most admired magicians.

Anyhow, although he is not aiming to perform to large audiences, he does a lot of magic to his friends and such (close-up as aforementioned) and i confess, has performed a lot more than i have. It is great because he is always asking to borrow Mark Wilsons Complete Course, and we have both learned a lot of valuable things from it. That being said you're idea of giving him a target of tricks/routines to accomplish sounds great and i shall try to instill it into him.

Thanks again!

Skr8: UNLESS you encourage him to construct, even short acts, & this includes Close Up & Walkabout, he will end up being in the 'Show us a trick' brigade & that is a backward step for him & Magic.
Too many magicians are always too ready to just pull out a deck of cards or a small trick & show it off to friends. Then it becomes just a trick--not Magic.

By all means let him continue to show tricks to friends etc. but get them into short acts.
And I think, especially as he is asking to read books or certainly one book,as he matures, he will want to go beyond this.

Finally: Take him to any magic shows or to see any magician (even poor ones) who are performing within reach.
A day at a Magic Convention will show the way.
I know most of them are expensive but there are ones like The Travis Perkins at Ferrybridge @ £3:50 for the day!!

Allen Tipton

I will be sure to do so Allen. Also i shall encourage him to create a short act or routine that he can then use in a close up situation, as like you say, this will be a step forward in magic for him, as opposed to one back.

Once I give him the books for his birthday, i am sure it will be easier for me to get him to do the above.

EDIT: Oh and Allen, would you be so kind to suggest some more upcoming conventions/shows that both me and my brother would enjoy, cost isn't too much of an issue, unless they are up north.

Well there is
The Annual International Magic one in London Usually Nov/Dec
The Leamington Day 23 June
ww.lincsdayofmagic.com 10 June

WHY NOT type into Google-- www.MagicWeek.co.uk
Look on 'What's On'
There you will find Magic Events for months ahead.

Allen Tipton
Look on Magic Week every Saturday a new issue.

Brilliant thankyou for all the advice and help.