X Marks the Spot Secret
6m 12s
What you’ll need: A normal magazine, envelope, notecard, working marker with ink, and identical dried-out marker.
The only way to truly predict what word your volunteer will randomly choose is to know it ahead of time before you ever seal it inside the envelope. As preparation, draw a giant X on a magazine page. The intersection of the lines will determine the predicted word nearby where the lines cross. Here’s what they don’t know. The marker you give them is completely dry and cannot draw any lines inside the magazine.
Pro Tip: Somehow label the dry pen so you don’t mix them up accidentally during the performance. It’s important to have the spectator write their name on some paper with an identical, ink-filled pen. They will believe the pen works before you smoothly switch it to the dry pen. You won’t want to miss the dozens of other spectacular effects taught by Larry Anderson in this series: “Jawdroppers: 80 Tricks.”