I spent months trying to invent original stories for my routines. Then I discovered that the most powerful narratives had already been written -- centuries ago, by people whose names are lost to time, in cultures that understood something about storytelling that we have largely forgotten.
Read MoreI was looking for a story to frame a routine and found it in the most unlikely place -- a Hollywood actor's memoir from the 1950s. That discovery changed where I look for material forever.
Read MoreMatthew McConaughey kept journals for thirty-five years. Austin Kleon maintains a swipe file. Ancient storytellers carried entire libraries in their heads. Three different systems for gathering the raw material that becomes performance -- and what I learned from studying all three.
Read MoreI built an entire routine around the story of King Midas. The audience knew the ending before I started. The magical climax -- which should have been a revelation -- felt like a formality. That taught me the single most important rule of choosing stories for magic.
Read MoreI used to start building routines by picking a trick and bolting on words. Then I read a process that flipped the whole sequence on its head -- and everything I built afterward was stronger for it.
Read MoreA line you can recall in your last line is worth trying as a first line. That single scripting principle from Pete McCabe changed how I build every routine.
Read MoreThe best performances I have ever seen did not give me answers. They left me with a question I could not stop thinking about. I am learning to do the same.
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