#aftg reread 2024

[zoroshonkingbazonkadonkas]

THIS MAN

[02511213942]

"you look like a carrie stunt double"

[eviefrie]

all for the game by nora sakavic: a summary

[immaterial-pearl]

Best part of aftg is that kevin is also there. 24/7 hes trying to do two things and its play stickball and be homoerotic ONLY for the purpose of making his stickball speeches more dramatic.

[jeanmoreaux]

kevin is a coward 😗

okay, sure, you’re entitled to your opinion. if that’s how you want to see it, there’s no one stopping you. it just seems to me that our reading, interpretation, and understanding of the story is fundamentally different. i cannot even fathom where this godawful take is coming from. if you look at kevin's life in context it’s a gross simplification of the dynamics at play. not to say that he didn’t make some questionable or selfish choices and hurt people along the way but idk how you could look at a deeply traumatised boy and call his (maladaptive) behaviour/trauma responses cowardice. just because you don't like kevin or respect his decision doesn’t mean he’s a coward. 

[hold-him-down]

I am /FERAL/ about aftg. I literally read the entire series (at the time) in 2 and a half days mid 2022 and then turned right around and read it again immediately after. Definitely top list whump recommendations for those who like their media a little dark and twisted.

I’d say those who enjoy the darker aspects of universes like BBU would enjoy aftg

*foaming at the mouth over aftg*

👀 will also be checking out your other recs though

!!! ok but SAME I just did a thorough reread (because I HAVE always skimmed some of the sports(!) stuff), and it holds up it's such a whumpy little thing AND I think more importantly it's EXCELLENT daydream/fanfic fodder.

Let me know how you like the others!! <3

[kingtankgirl]

i do believe neil josten experiences transandrophobia

[aftg-readalong]

AFTG Readalong- FAQ

Hello all! Do you:

Want to read more in 2024?

Want to reread AFTG (or read for the first time!)

Want to talk to other fans, but need structure and find Discord scary and chaotic (*me*)?

If so, this event is for you! Read on:

What is it?

Through Storygraph (Goodreads, but better), they now have a Readalong feature, which is essentially a digital book club.

Where?

When?

The readalong is set to run for all of 2024, since there are conveniently 48 chapters in the series. So, it would be one chapter a week, with a catch-up week between books, a wrap up at the end, and a break week in the middle with fun activities/forums.

How?

In order to participate, you need to have a StoryGraph account. It's super easy, and even has a way to import your Goodreads shelf to their system.

Then:

Each week, a forum topic for the chapter we're on will open. So, for example, chapter 1 of The Foxhole Court will open on January 1 until January 7.

During that week, people are free to make posts commenting on that chapter's events, and chatting with others on their posts.

Then, the next week, a new chapter will open up. You are still free to comment on previous chapters, so don't worry if you're late or fall behind!

That's it!

Additional Info

As far as rules, I only have one:

Don't be an asshole.

That means, don't start fights with other people about their opinions. This is not a discord: I am not a mod and I am not your mom. I'm opening the space, but I am not here to mediate arguments between people, and honestly, I'm not going to be watching the space that closely except as a participant.

Keep in mind the trigger warnings inherent to the series; I expect that everyone is mature enough to know that these books have a lot of sensitive topics, and you should only participate insofar as you are able to handle that. But again- not your mom.

Finally, don't spoil future chapters- even if you're rereading, someone else might be reading for the first time.

With that in mind, this is a space to get to talk about a series we love in celebration of TSC, and remake the forums of old on FF.net and LJ. So have fun!

Send me an ask if you have questions, and spread to people in the fandom! I look forward to seeing y'all on Jan. 1!

[augustmourn]

Fic Writer Questions

Tagged by @saiditallbefore, thank you!!

(Of note, I have written... very little in 2024, so that relates to some of my answers.)

how many works do you have on AO3?

169

what's your total ao3 word count?

579,513

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1 - Unexpected (Bojack Horseman, Bojack/Mr. Peanutbutter fake dating to romance) has over 1.4k kudos. It's the second most kudosed fic in the fandom, and used to be the top before being surpassed by a massive crossover fic. I'm actually really proud of it--it's pretty different from what I usually write, and I think it's both pretty funny and feels true to the canon.

2 - you know what they say about assumptions (Star Wars, Anakin/Obi-Wan/Padme modern AU) has just over 900 kudos. It's the first fic of mine that someone podficced. I haven't reread it in a while, and I was in high school when I wrote it so I'm sure I can find a lot of flaws, but it got a good response.

3 - Into the Dark (IT Movies, Richie/Eddie, time loop) has just over 750 kudos. I wrote a lot of Reddie fics in the approximate 9-13k range and at this point they all sort of blend together, but this was one of the earlier ones I wrote and it's fix-it for the canon, so I assume that's why it's popular.

4 - The Kids Are Alright (IT Movies, Richie/Eddie, teenage getting together fic) has just over 700 kudos. Another longish Reddie fic from this era, and I have fond feelings about this one too!

5 - Lights Will Guide You Home (Star Wars unfinished epic fix-it fic) has just shy of 650 kudos and is almost out of the top five, thank god. This was an ambitious attempt that was the first fic I posted on this account, and I did not finish it and have not touched since high school. Sometimes I contemplate going back, but I have not updated it in... seven years, wow. I've grown and changed a lot as a writer since that time and have freed myself from Star Wars, so I'm not up to date on the lore.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I used to, and I also used to go back and respond in batches, but I've fallen off of that in a few years. Partly because I used to just do it as soon as I saw the email and then when I started doing exchanges I wanted to wait until author reveals, and then the backlog became overwhelming. As well as often feeling like I had very little to say and feeling kind of embarrassed about it, lol. I do try my best to go back and respond after author reveals of an exchange, at least to the recipient, but it doesn't always end up happening. I do read and appreciate every single comment, though.

what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Probably quiet birds in circled flight -- IT Movies, AU where Richie commits suicide instead of Stan. It's been a while since I've written just a straight up Grief Fic and I enjoy that writing headspace.

what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

That feels hard to define, haha. I write a lot of noncon and darkfic, and even the ones that aren't noncon or entirely dark have some darkness to them, but I think in IT fandom I did write a few longer, earn-your-happy ending fics. The two listed in my top five above fall into that category--and I guess the Bojack fic as well. full heart and other organs is a fairly sweet, essentially pre-relationship AFTG AU.

do you write crossovers?

I have not written one. I tried to write one for a fic event once and didn't finish it... and I found buried in my google docs two Magnus Archives/The Good Place crossover fics that I didn't finish. But none published, haha.

have you ever received hate on a fic?

I got a barrage of hate comments on a werewolf sex fic because it was a full form shifted werewolf and people thought that was the same as the character fucking an animal, but other than that, no lol.

do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yeah...

I've written a very wide variety from fluff to kink to noncon. I enjoy writing it and I think it's probably the kind of writing I'm best at, just based on sheer amount written.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think someone posted some of my Reddie fic on Wattpad but tbh I don't think I even looked at it until it had already been taken down.

have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! One of my AFTG fics has been translated into Russian.

have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I'm interested in the idea, but writing is a very solitary activity for me, and I don't think I've ever had a specific idea that aligned enough with someone else (and both with an interest in writing it) to try it.

what's your all-time favorite ship?

Lol, I don't think I can confidently say! I tend to leave fandoms and then not really get pulled back in. The fandom I'm most confident in calling a forever fandom is AFTG, where Neil/Andrew is like, the better ship, but Neil/Riko lives in my hindbrain as a noncon ship of all time.

what's a wip that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Well, that Star Wars fic from 2017 >__> most of the others have not seen the light of day. Actually I finished a very long Danganronpa fic about a year ago and I recently realized I don't think I will be able to edit it or reread it maybe for a very long time, and probably not publish it even if I do, which does make me sad. Too tied up in my ex.

what are your writing strengths?

Porn. Lmao. But I think I'm also good at comedy, though maybe not consistently.

what are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not good at writing long or writing subplots. I struggle with research and being intimidated by the idea of research, so that feels very limiting in terms of what fandoms I can try to write.

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I don't think I've ever done it. I can see narrative utility in certain cases, but most of the time "they said in French" or whatever will do just fine. A nickname from another language that is not the primary language the characters are speaking is not something I've written personally--I would probably only do that if it was established by canon.

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

The Hunger Games, when I was 12, on FFN. The first fandom I posted on AO3 was Star Wars.

what's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I am between hyperfixations at the moment and the only thing I've started and have some hope for is... a bit embarrassing, so I probably won't talk about it until I publish it if I do so haha

what's your favourite fic you've written?

I like a lot of my fics, and I've had a lot of fun going back and rereading ones that I haven't read in long enough that I actually don't remember everything that's happening, but I think the fic I am proudest of is the fic I wrote for a TLT big bang last year, Crashing. It's the longest piece of fiction I have ever completed and it felt like a massive accomplishment.

Tagging @ladyculebras, @hearthouses, @queermccoy, @gregwambsganss, @witchoil, and anyone else who wants to!!!

[pertinax--loculos]

Books Read in 2024 (so far)

(Looking at my Goodreads, where I've been keeping track of this, I apparently only started keeping track in March? But I guess that's fair, there's a chance I didn't read anything before that. So let's go with that. ^_^)

The Foxhole Court, Nora Sakavic

The Raven King, Nora Sakavic

The King's Men, Nora Sakavic

-> These kicked off my reading binge for the year. Also, how have I never read them before? Because my god. Instant favourites. Don't talk to me.

Like Real People Do, E.L. Massey

-> My attempt to recapture the All for the Game vibes. It failed. The book was okay, though.

John Dies at the End, Jason Pargin

This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It, Jason Pargin

What The Hell Did I Just Read, Jason Pargin

If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe, Jason Pargin

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, Jason Pargin

Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick, Jason Pargin

Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia, Jason Pargin

-> Some of these are technically rereads; JDatE, Spiders, and the first Zoey book. Regardless, Pargin is an insta-buy for me.

Leech, Hiron Ennes

-> Tumblr recommendation off a random post. Very good.

American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

-> I enjoyed this. If you can say that about this book. Taking it as what it is, I thought it was very well done.

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry, Alex Ritany

-> Go check out @aritany if you haven't already! Wonderful human, incredible writer, new book coming out soon!

Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One, Jack Townsend

-> Trying to recapture some of Pargin's bizarre humour. Pretty similar, and I did enjoy it, but I was starting to move away from that vibe, and to be honest this just wasn't as good as Pargin.

Maze-Born Trouble, Ginn Hale

-> My only complaint with this book is it was too fucking short. 😠 Astonishing worldbuilding and a very rich story for what amounts to a novella. Love.

Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan

-> Following on from the scifi of Pargin's Zoey series and Maze-Born Trouble. This was good. I doubt I'll read more in the series because from the blurbs they're quite disparate, but holy hell the world that was built was incredible.

Mystic River, Dennis Lehane

-> Complicated reason why I read this that actually has to do with OOC. Also technically a reread, from a while ago. Love Lehane, though, and this as a standalone is very good. Has some examples of omniscient POV that I would almost classify as head-hopping that actually works, and as a thriller, so an interesting read for a writer as well.

Educated, Tara Westover

-> The beginning of my brief nonfiction binge.

I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jenette McCurdy

-> Because, obviously.

Eggshell Skull, Bri Lee

-> Highly HIGHLY recommended. Some heavy stuff regarding sex offences and the legal system, and quite centred in Australia, but a brilliant nonfiction read.

The Sunshine Court, Nora Sakavic

The Foxhole Court, Nora Sakavic

The Raven King, Nora Sakavic

The King's Men, Nora Sakavic

-> Why yes, I did see that The Sunshine Court had been released and immediately read it, then immediately reread All for the Game, because what the fuck else was I gonna do? Not reread it? C'mon.

Icebreaker, A.L. Graziadei

-> Note the author there, cuz I know there's another book by the same title. This one was excellent. Still not the AftG vibes I was seeking, but closest I've found reading something immediately after finishing that series.

The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley

-> I know everyone's talking about it. Read it anyway.

Summer Sons, Lee Mandelo

-> currently reading. Currently loving.

...and that's 27 so far this year -- 23 if you don't count rereading books I read for the first time this year. 0.o Still, not a bad effort!

If you'd like more info or just wanna chat about any of this books, feel free to hit me up. Also if you've got this far without being intimidated by my awful formatting choices, congrats! And thankyou. ^_^

[zoroshonkingbazonkadonkas]

to this day, this is the funniest interaction in aftg

[buffonia]

what's your favourite memory from January 2024?

january was pretty uneventful for me so probably rereading the aftg trilogy fkladjfkl

[zoroshonkingbazonkadonkas]

TKM is so funny bc

wymack knows somethings up and andrew obviously knows why he's sending neil after him

but the entire time neil's just like.

bro has Not the Faintest

[zoroshonkingbazonkadonkas]

Neil Josten + 'I asked', a series

[zoroshonkingbazonkadonkas]

head in my hands. out of every fucking thing he couldve asked him for (and he wouldve done it, andrew wouldve done anything) it was THIS

[zoroshonkingbazonkadonkas]

;-;