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I could really use some help with developing a character. Here is a bias description of me. ( By bias I mean I wrote it about myself so there are probably things other people see that I don't)

I am a tall skinny young man. And to take up less time I will just list my most dominant characteristics:
Serous, friendly, sarcastic, blunt, a lot of people find me strange or weird to put it in their terms, and spontaneous

I love all different types of magic. However, I prefer not to do more than one or two card tricks. And my focus is close-up magic.

If you have any ideas or questions please post. I need all of teh suggestions and help I can get. Also feel free to send me a msg.

Derren Brown's Absolute Magic has a chapter about creating a character.

"Serous, friendly, sarcastic, blunt, a lot of people find me strange or weird to put it in their terms, and spontaneous "

I assume a cold reader told you this...

Just avoid being pretentious and you'll be fine. Performing for friends and strangers for free (at school, I get tons of opportunities to do this) can help you shape your style.

Eric Mead's Tangled Web has several chapters that might help you shape your style and character as well.

Shoot Ogawa brought this down to its bare bones when I saw him lecture in South Shields. Essentially, he said that if people don't like you, they won 't like your magic - regardless of how creative or technically brilliant you are.

And he's right.

As an example, I have immense respect for Marc Oberon as a magician and inventor. I think the man's a genius, and he has the kind of technical talent that I can only dream about. And he's a really nice guy to boot. But on stage, he comes across to me as a smug git. I like the guy, I love his magic, and I really want to like his performance, but there's just something about his stage persona that's profoundly punchable.

In the work I've done, I measure my success not on how many sleights I did faultlessly or how many people I 'fried'. Within the first 15 minutes, I want people to make eye contact with me and smile when I walk around. I want people to feel that they can chat with me as if I was one of the guests at the function where I'm working. If people are relaxed with me, then I'm doing a good job.

If I was to condense any of my limited experience into bullet points, I would say:

Be approachable
Be genuine
Be friendly
Take time to chat to spectators - make the performance about them
Smile

Ultimately, be a nice guy, and people will like you. If they like you, they're more likely to like your magic. Especially it's obvious that you're having fun with it too.

Pete

I'll be honest. I have a bit of a problem with people asking for help with their 'character'.

That's largely because no one really knows you like you (and your friends and family). A potted description doesn't really help us, especially a biased one! Some people think they are charming, when they are just slimy. One man's caustic wit is another's grumpy old git.

The advice pcwells gave is very good. Above all, be yourself, if you are likeable. If you aren't, give up on dealing with people and do a manipulation act.

The most important thing that I keep in mind is that passion and enthusiasm are highly contagious.

If you're utterly consumed by something, other people will naturally take an interest in it too - even if it's a fleeting one. When I worked in a whisky bar, this simple fact helped me sell a good many £500 bottles of malt. And yes, I genuinely love good Scotch malt whisky...

I think it's a matter of sharing your passion without coming across as a floozie.

There is a distinction between 'finding your character' and 'being liked at a gig'. An obvious example would be Sadowitz. He has a very clear performing persona, and yet few people would call it likeable! (It is, from a performance point of view a very funny and engagin character though!).

Your audience will, over time, dictate what your character is. Listen to the reactions you get and adapt your performance to those. Importantly, don't try and be something that you're not. It's always rather tragic to see magicians trying to be Derren when in fact they're a cockney barrow boy for example.

Lastly, don't hide behind the tricks - ask yourself 'what's my 'character' when I'm just in a bar chatting to strangers (we all have one!) use that sort of thinking and add it to your magic.

Good luck!

Lee

But can't you sum this up as attitude?

I'm polite and crazy when I'm performing for kids.
I'm polite and cheeky when I'm doing strolling magic for adults.
I'm a wee bit frantic when I'm doing stand-up mental magic.
I'm thoroughly irreverent when I take magic and mentalism onto a comedy stage.

But I'm always Pete.

Oh, and if you're going to specialise in one field, such as mentalism, it's important to decide exactly what you can and can't do. How far do your 'powers' stretch?

I find that my best character is well, me.

People who have seen me can vouch that when I perform, the only that that I change is the pace at which I talk, so the spec can understnd me.

Other than that, I am me. Sometimes I can actually come across like I am not altogether sure what I am doing, that suits me at times. I act like me.. and I think thats a pretty good point. I ACT like me, which is strange, but I put on a character that is just like me, but not wuite me.. but so close to me that the two personalities are almost indisguishisable ( Im so sorry, I have had a complete brainmelt and the pre-ceding word / sentence has just messed up my neuro-system and makes no sense now/or then )

Erm.. yeh.. just be you.. unless you are un-likeable in which case.. well.. dont. Be someone else..

Or just follow the advice above which makes more sense and even more so now that my brain has de-activated entirely throughout the couse of this here post.

Yeh like ID say's when I perform I change from Chris to Magic Chris....Its like a Clark Kent/Superman thing....your still you, but acting as you.....Weird

just smile, be friendly and be yourself.

For most people being yourself works. But there are a few things to consider. Do you have an act? If so what are you trying to portray, are you the bumbling drunk like Cardini? However if you are doing walk around most people, (unless clowns or mimes) are best off being themselves. The only issue with this is, what if you are an A@#@$le?

What you'll find is that the more you perform you character will just develop itself. I've got a definate character when I perform which is just really an exagerated version of my own personality. But I never sat down and thought 'that's who I want to be when I perform' it just kind of developed as I performed.

yes.. an exaggerated version of yourself, myself.. thats exactly what I was getting at.

Be you.. but play it up. if you put on a persona that is so far from your natural persona.. unless you are naturally a good actor.. you will just seem weird!!

It was said that your performing character should be a hightened version of your own personna (or words to that effect). I don't know how old you are but you may wish to consider this when thinking about your style and repertoire.

Joshua Jay, has some nice material for the younger (teenage+) performer so maybe check out his book for some ideas that might suit your style.