talkmagic.co.uk

Since i started learning about magic I have built up a DVD collection and acquired a few books like everybody else i guess.

I would like to know if any of you guys keep notebooks on your favourite tricks?
As I thought I would try to do this rather than search through all the books and DVDs each time.

I have thought about buying a few notebooks to cover seperate areas ie Cards, coins, sponges etc or maybe just picking out my favs say from RRTCM and jot them down, then do the same from Tarbell etc.

Although obviously I only buy stuff that interests me there are bound to be some tricks on a DVD or in a book that do not appeal plus the notebooks would be a good reference,as if not performed regularly and as new stuff appears, some great tricks could get shoved to the back of my mind and basically forgotten about.

Any thoughts on this please?

I have kept notes for years on old scripts i wrote, routines i created, working sets and a bunch of stuff. It is a very good thing to do and fun to look back on.

Out of interest, how exactly do you make notes? I understand the concept of writing in a dedicated book etc, but I'm more interested if there's some way to organise the notes and routines. I love structure, and I fear my useless notetaking skills will be horrible. I haven't even mastered routining yet...

I keep a notebook for general ideas (including magic routines). I find it very useful. I find it especially useful for ordering my thoughts.

I've got a good stack of notebooks full of ideas on routines, effects and methods that I've either thought up or found in a book and thought might come in useful for something.

When I'm learning an effect, I'll write my own instructions in a notebook, as I go along step by step. That way if I stop doing an effect for a while and forget a step I can look at my own instructions rather than try and find the original instructions.

Thanks guys

Heckler- that is exactly what i meant as some books can be a bit long winded in describing an effect, which is not a critisicim,by writing my own notes I can pick it up quicker.

And yes I can see where it will be useful to create routines.

I've been keeping note's for years too. Almost always carrying a little moleskin with me especially when flying. I use mine to keep notes of ideas, up-coming gigs, routines I have and are working on, ect... It's a great idea even if to start with you are just writing down your favourtie effects, it will hopefully turn into your own ideas and routines. I wouldn't bother keeping seperate books for seperate areas of magic though. If you're just starting out then you would probably have several books with only a few pages used in each. Just leave a page or two empty at the front or back and then as you jot new things down just write them in at the front, then when you want to hunt something down you just have to scan the first few pages rather than the entire book.