Pyo Book Test Package

pyo book test package by dee christopher

welcome Welcome to the PYO instructional manual. This PDF will explain all of the important information that you need to know to set-up and perform PYO. First things first, PYO is an acronym; it simply stands for the “Print Your Own” book test. This is one of the first major advantages to this book test, even if you lose or tear the special books, you can always print some more. This avoids you spending a lot of money on special books and having to buy refills, you can simply order your own which cost about £3 a copy (excluding shipping). This also means that PYO is completely customizable. I have not only included the print ready PDFs, I have also included the word files. This means that if you wanted to, (this is by no means necessary) you could edit the interior of the book as much as you like to include other features (if you own Larry Becker’s “Flashback”, this could be added for instance) or change the size of the books to be pocket sized. This is completely up to you – I perform the book test as it is provided, but customization is always a feature I like to have when buying a product of this nature. I have also included ready to print covers, (I’ll teach you how to print the books to book store quality in this manuscript) which if you are into graphic design, you could use as templates to create your own covers. Again, not necessary, but the option is there should you want it. I must note, that you are not authorized to sell or distribute these books, you may only print copies for yourself and you own performances. This is still a digital product, so will not be allowed on second hand magic sites and should not be uploaded to any shared servers. In allowing this for sale, I’m putting my trust in you.

background PYO is based on a book test that I released in very small quantities a few years ago, this book test was called “The Script” and it retailed for around £70; what you have received here is the same (slightly edited) book interiors, but with new covers, a new cheat sheet, new instructions and a new format. This is essentially evolution of “The Script.” I’ve performed book tests for many years and for a long time I just had someone think of a word and revealed it. I then came to understand that if I use David Hoy’s book test principle, I’ll be forcing a whole page, so if I found the ‘right’ page, I could reveal a lot more and almost appear to be reading through the participant’s eyes. I researched this concept further and discovered Rick Roth’s “Outlaw Effects” and his range of wonderful book tests. Usually in Roth’s work, the focus is on something other than a simple word; it’s all about revealing details and feelings, while creating atmosphere. Later on, I had the opportunity to attend a Luke Jermay workshop. In this workshop, Luke discussed his wonderful book test, in which a participant is asked to select any book from a pile, open to any page and read silently to himself or herself. Jermay then asks them to feel what the character is feeling and begins to produce an empathic reading. I thought that this was fantastic and the gold for me was in the realization that I could simply print my own books and put features that suited my needs best. This book test is nothing like Jermay’s in method, however, his book test method definitely helped to shape mine. Of course there are many other book tests on the market, too many to mention and each one has it’s own plus and minus points; I feel that you can never know too much, so I’d recommend investing in whatever you can, it could help shape your thoughts toward the book test plot.

how to print your books I’m going to show you now exactly how you can print your own books at bookstore quality for minimal cost. The key is the boom in self-publishing over the last few years, several websites have popped up and the one that I frequently use for my own books (for lower quantities) and for test copies of gimmicked books is www.Lulu.com Lulu offers many options for printing books; you can print normal soft back books for minimal cost and hardback books for quite cheap too. Lulu also offers a lot of very helpful video tutorials; the one on publishing a paperback book is only five minutes long and can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBmsWTwPBCk The only important thing to note are the book sizes and the covers. The size of book that you should select is: DIGEST. This is in the value paperback section of this page:

Once you have gone through the process of publishing a book to the point of uploading the PDF, you will be taken to the cover image upload page. You will need to click through to the ADVANCED ONE COVER screen here:

And there you can upload the cover wrap that I’ve provided. From that point, your book is ready to print, so you can get it sent straight to your address! It’s important that you DO NOT make this book available on the Lulu or Amazon marketplaces, you should make sure that it’s just available to you on your profile.

editing the books If you wish to edit the book, use the word file. You can change anything you like to suit your style or if you wish to make a joke out of a story or author’s name. If you want to change the size of the books, to make them bigger or smaller, or to make the text bigger or smaller, this will off-set the pages and will ruin the key. However, I have devised a solution to prevent this from happening! While the page numbers are in the corner of the Lulu templates, (If you wish to change the size, I always recommend using the Lulu templates, unless you are a professional designer or have a lot of layout knowledge) I have written the page numbers in the TEXT throughout the book so that you can see where one page finishes and the next starts. To change the book size, just copy and paste all the text into whatever template size you have. You can make the text bigger or smaller so each page fits correctly, then just go through and delete the extra page numbers in the text, ensuring that you don’t pull back the top line of the next page. This is a really easy process that takes maybe five to ten minutes and it means that if you wish, you can create a pocket book test to carry with you everywhere in your inside pocket! This also means that you can add other principles to your book; it’s not my place to include other people’s work, but if you own something like Flashback by Larry Becker, that principle would be very easy to apply to the book.

the key The secret is very simple; so first, let’s look at the book interior. The stories are made up of banks of ten pages, it’s essentially the same text, but with the necessary changes to title pages, layout and some of the words so that upon an quick examination, you wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. You will get the page number the participant or participants are thinking of during your presentation, once you know the page number, you know a vast amount of information about the page they’re looking at. I’ve detailed everything below: The page number is broken down into several parts. Whether the first digit is odd or even, (0 is considered even) whether the second digit is odd or even, whether the first digit is 04, whether the second digit is 0-6. As well as this, there are certain numbers, which relate to certain elements of the pages. For instance, all the pages that end in 0 contain a picture. (10,20,30,etc) This key only applies to the first two paragraphs of each page as that’s all the spectator will be reading. The full key is below: Each story starts on a page ending in 4 and goes through to the next page ending with 3 as each story is 10 pages long There is a picture on each page ending in 0. Odd first digit = Woman Author Even first digit = Male Author (0 is considered an even digit, so page 4 would be seen as page 04) It should be noted that it’s the first page of the story that will indicate the sex of the author as the first digit will change partway through each story. If the number named is number 25 you know that it’s a male author as the story will have started on page 24. However, if it’s 23, it’s the last page of the previous story, so it’d be a female author. Odd second digit = bad experience Even second digit = good experience This is talking about the experience that the character is having in the first two paragraphs of each page. Reading a couple of pages of the book will demonstrate exactly the kinds of things that are going on. First digit is 0-4 = female character First digit is 5-9 = male character

You’ll notice that in one of the stories at the mid point of the book the character changes sex. This isn’t a problem, but allows this story to fit with the key. Second digit is 1-6 = Childhood reference Second digit is 7-0 = No mention of childhood I’ve purposefully not used 0-4 and 5-9 again as by doing so the details you can give will vary more in case you wanted to repeat the effect or do it on more than one spectator at a time. Finally, the last word on each page is also in a key. All pages ending in the following numbers all have the same final word. (So 4,14,24,34,etc will all have the same final word) 1 = Within 2 = Around 3 = Through 4 = False 5 = Time 6 = Await 7 = Eyes 8 = Down 9 = Stopped 0 = Over That may seem like a lot of information to remember, but it’ll become second nature very soon. Until then, you can use the cheat sheet image included with the package as an image you can print and stick on your notebook, or anywhere else.

how to get the page number Getting the page number is really easy. You may already have your own method for doing this, if so feel free to use that. The method that I use is just in my script; in fact, it’s not even really a technique at all. It goes as follows: “I have a couple of books here, would you like to take one. Great. Both the books have about a hundred pages or so in them. Just name a number for me between one and one hundred. 57? Ok, turn to page 57 for me.” Done! I told you it was easy. From there you can go on to ask them to just read the first two paragraphs on the page and try and put themselves into the position of the character. I then begin to describe the relevant information, once I’m through that phase I’ll ask the spectator to go down the page and look at the last word on the page, which I’ll go on to reveal as the final climax. So, now that you know the basics of the PYO book test, lets look at some extra routines you can do with multiple books.

bonus ideas HOY EXTENDED: The Hoy book test is a classic book test that can be done with any two books. I’ve used it a lot over the years and the interiors of the two script books being the same allows us to extend the method further and takes out the tiny bit of memory required. In the original Hoy book test, you miscall a page number, in this routine, you don’t need to miscall. The spectator chooses a book. With the other book, you begin to flick through the pages and ask them to call stop. When they call stop, you let them know that page they stopped on and ask them to turn to the same page in that book. So, if they stopped you on page 51 while you were riffling through the pages of your book, you would ask the spectator to turn to page 51 in their book. Now, You currently have open the same page that they do. You can reveal much more information now, even full sentences or the details of an image! IN-SYNC: The effect is simple; you will have two spectators on stage. You hand each one a book.

This is going to be a test of synchronicity; each spectator will make a decision for the other. Spectator one is asked to call out a number between one and one hundred. Spectator two is asked to turn to that page in their book and remember the last word. You take spectator one’s book and begin to flick thru the pages. You explain that you will riffle through one more time and spectator two is asked to call out stop as you do so to choose spectator one’s page. The word stop is called and spectator one is asked to look at the last word on the page. Both spectators are asked to name out loud the word they’re thinking of. The both say the same word! I’m sure you can see the method at work. This is a great trick to do with couples. Let’s assume that spectator one had called out page 34. So spectator two will have turned to that page and memorised the word False. So, we now need to force this word on spectator one. When you flick through the book demonstrating what you are going to do for spectator two to select a page, you are actually going to locate one of the other pages ending in 4. For instance, page 74. Hold a little finger break in this page and simply riffle force it. No matter where the spectator calls stop, you open the book at your break. Hand it to spectator one and have them remember the word. Now, it’s just presentation. You can get rid of the books if you so wish and have both spectators stand with their eyes shut and on the count of three, they should say their word out loud. It will off course be the same word.

walk-through It’s my belief that everyone should write their own presentations for every effect they do, I know a lot of people reading this already do so. If you’re one of those who do not, try editing this script gradually to add your own ideas, or perhaps some humor. Finding your own voice will make your performances much more fulfilling. “For this next demonstration, I’m going to attempt to create a connection with one of you lovely people through the pages of a book. How about you sir, please, if you could come up to the stage and just grab any of the books off the table for me. Can you just shout out any number between one and a hundred for me? 45? OK, there’s definitely more than 45 pages in that book, so please if you could turn to page 45 for me that would be perfect. You don’t need to read the whole thing, I just want you to read the first paragraph of the page and take in the information, get a feeling of how the character is feeling and try to envision your self in their place. Perfect.” I have the cheat sheet on the back of my notepad. I only ever need to turn the back of the notepad towards the audience when it’s open, so with the front cover flipped around, the cheat sheet is hidden. At this point, I’m just holding my notebook before making any notes, so I can glance down at the key at any point I need to. The page this spectator called was 45, so let’s look what that means in our key.

• • • • • •

The page number has an even first digit, which means the author was a male. It’s an odd second digit, so the character is having a negative experience. The first digit is between 0-4, so it’s a female character. The second is 1-6, so there’s a flashback to childhood. There is neither 0 or 4 as the second digit, so its just a normal page. The second digit is 5, so that means the final word on the page is “time.”

So, this is how I would structure the revelation: “I’m getting the sense that you’re feeling a little confused, that would leave me to believe that you’re imagining yourself in a body of the opposite sex. The character in the book is female, correct? And I believe you’re not having a good time, it’s almost like you’re looking back to when you were a child, wishing that things were that simple again, something like that… Is this making sense to you? Perfect. I know this is totally random, but the words I’m seeing feel like their written by a woman… Can you do me a favour and read out exactly what the first paragraph says?” At this point they read and you reiterate the hits you got. You may then ask them to flip back a few pages (which also acts as a subtle suggestion that it’s not just one page repeated) and you have the hit of the author being female. “Amazing, you’re great at this. I don’t try this a lot, but I’m going to try and pull a specific thought from your head. Go back to your chosen page and I want you to remember a word. Let’s say the LAST word on the page. Can you go to your page and remember the last word for me now; I want you to send that word to me, just focus your thoughts on it. You can close the book and close your eyes if that makes it easier for you.” At this point I open the notebook, being careful not to flash the cheat sheet, and write the word I know he’s thinking of. In this case, it’s “time.” Alternatively you could draw a clock for this word. “OK, I have written down what I think you were trying to send me, what was the word you were thinking of? Time? …Look at this!” I then turn the notebook around to show that I got the word correct and thank the participant as they leave the stage.

final thoughts This can be a really commercial and powerful routine when performed correctly, it’s simple, to the point and feels like a lot more than just a word reveal, though you do still have that final punch at the end. Get your book(s) made up, or add the PDF to your tablet or phone and you’ll have a great routine ready to go at all times! Thanks for reading and investing in this product; as far as I’m aware, this is the first “print your own” book test on the market, it’s allowed me to release this work for a much more affordable price as well as making sure that you never have to buy replacements, so please, let me know your thoughts by reviewing this product on The Magic Café or other forums! Rock ‘n’ Roll,

d

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