the24thkey

Listen, sometimes you really mean to write a post to summarize your year in fanworks but then you kind of procrastinate on it for, uh, an entire year? Yeah. It just be like that sometimes. So now you're getting 2023 and 2024 in one, which honestly works pretty well because I haven't been posting all that much in that time. 2023 was a bit more productive on the podfic side of things, 2024 was better in terms of fic I posted, it all evens out eventually.

Alright, let's get on with this.
( 2023 podfic )



( 2024 podfic )



( 2024 fic )

Stats

I posted 13 podfics this year, including ITPE. 3 of those were collabs.

Longest: just let the feeling grow 01:17:40

Shortest: Sing Me To Sleep 17:47

Total time: 06:29:11

Average length: 30 minutes

Fandoms:

Two for WayV and single entries for BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, TWICE, PRISTIN, Red Velvet, BTOB, GFriend, GOT7 and All For The Game. So only one non-kpop fandom!

Additionally, I took part in two other multi-voice projects not included above (one of them filk!).


What was the best podfic you made this year?

From a performance standpoint I think this one goes to raise the mists (light up the day), the WayV Kun/Ten football au. I think <ten's emotions as the POV character come through very well, and there's one game section especially that I was just so pleased with because I think I was able to convey the thrill and the rush of it in a satisfying way. In hindsight I'm not super happy with my music decision, but I still love the podfic. On the more technical side of things there's the naming of cats, which involved a lot of organizing and editing things together but turned out really well.


What was the best cover you made this year?

I'm just so fond of the cover for just let the feeling grow! That grumpy cat stole my heart. tribadism also turned out well, though not at all like I planned at first. I started using an app for covers this year instead of doing everything more freehand, and it's definitely faster and maybe cleaner, but also perhaps a bit more generic. I'll have to see if I want to switch it up again for future covers.


What was the best music choice/editing?

I did two podfics with soundscaping this year, Sing Me To Sleep and triades, and I also think those are the ones that best integrated the music. I tend to default to piano covers a lot, but it works especially well for Sing Me To Sleep, and for triades I got to use some of Red Velvet's spookiest music. The English version of Bad Boy I used for the outro is especially satisfying to me, with the "every time I come around/another bad boy down". On a different note, just let the feeling grow has a funny (to me) music choice and I managed to cut the perfect loop for the intro, so that's always nice.


Personal favourite, for whatever reason?

Just let the feeling grow. It was my ITPE project and surprisingly the longest thing I recorded this past year. It's also the funniest, and it was such a joy to sink back into this particular narration because I hadn't done a good indignant and hilarious Seokjin POV in so long. I hadn't quite realized how much I missed reading this kind of style but it's so fun! I've done similar styles in other fandoms, but something about BTS and Seokjin in particular just lends itself so well to this almost over-the-top performance - though of course when I think I'm goiing over the top while recording it still always ends up sounding a lot less dramatic when I listen back to it.


Most popular?

The most popular was i've been confused on how to move, which makes sense because it's hilarious and also a collab with growlery and knight_tracer. So that's well deserved, in my opinion. My highest ranking solo podfic by kudos is the previous years's ITPE, which I count towards 2020, but after that comes Sing Me To Sleep, which is a bit more surprising!


Most underappreciated?

All my girl group podfics rank last when sorted by kudos, with Dreamland at the bottom, but I know what the audience for this is (or rather isn't), so it's not exactly unexpected and I wouldn't call them underappreciated. It would have been nice to see a bit more engagement on raise the mists, I guess? But I don't feel bad about it.


Most difficult to make?

the naming of cats was the most technically challenging simply because of the number of people involved and just let the feeling grow was occasionally a bit of a struggle because I felt like I had forgotten all of my character voices, but I don't think there was anything I'd really call difficult. I have enough routine by now that most things go pretty smoothly, really.


Most fun to make?

A lot of the voice team projects I posted early in January were really fun, like the collabs and the ones with soundscaping etc., but I think for this I'm gonna go with a year together (or two, or tree). It's a short and cute BTOB podfic that I finished within two days or so, very soon after I got into the fandom. It was a really spontaneous, low-stakes project that I did just for myself, and I think that made for a very chill and fun creation process.


A scene or character you voiced that surprised you?

There are a bunch of lines in just let the feeling grow that really stuck with me! Like I said, I had some trouble getting back into those particular character voices, but when I hit the right delivery I really nailed it, and that was more satisfying than anything else. For a more literal surprise, it took me until I had finished editing a year together (or two, or tree) to realize that the sheep in the story are actually other BTOB characters, which was pretty funny.


Most "ah ha ha I can't believe I'm doing this"?

tribadism. I've done a couple pwps by now but it still feels a bit ridiculous whenever I do, and with this one especially it was like, an hour of got7 genderswap porn? No one but me is going to listen to this! But I recorded it anyway (origninally for my birthday, even if I ended up posting it way later), and you know what? I'm glad I did.


How do you hope to grow as a podficcer next year?

Mostly I just hope to become a bit more efficient, and also I hope I can find more time to record! My voice isn't always up to the task, especially when I get my regular colds, but maybe I can do more regular vocal exercises to help with that.


What's next?

I actually have a bunch of unfinished projects that I just need to sit down with and do a final round of edits and then they'll be done, so I really want to get those out of the way. I'm also working in a long project that's only half recorded, and I have some ideas on how to celebrate my 10 year podfic anniversary, so hopefully I'll get around to those.

Signing up to give & receive: kpop (Stray Kids, Ateez, WayV/NCT, BTS, Seventeen, Day6, Mamamoo, TWICE, ITZY, BTOB), Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Haikyuu!!, Jujutsu Kaisen, All for the game, Ace Attorney (games/anime/movie), Six of Crows, The Locked Tomb Series, This Is How You Lose The Time War, The Witcher

 

Additionally receiving: scum villain's self-saving system

Post sign-up addition: The King: Eternal Monarch

 

Additionally I'm willing to record James Bond (Craig movies, 00Q)
 

 

 

( Fandom info )

 

Stats

I posted 16 podfics this year, including ITPE. 4 of those were collabs.

Longest: lyrics of an improvised love song 03:54:57

Shortest: You Only Live Twice (Or So) 05:40

Total time: 14:53:47

Average length: 55 minutes

Fandoms:

Stray Kids (5)
All For The Game (2)
and one each for The Untamed, Guardian, Day6, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, The Unlimited Hyoubu Kyousuke, Got7, WayV, Mamamoo and EXID.

Additionally, I took part in three multi-voice project.


What was the best podfic you made this year?

This is kind of a bitter-sweet question this year, because the work that I know objectively to be my best is also one I can't listen to anymore, due to the fact that one person involved in the pairing has turned out to be a piece of shit in real life. Maybe in a couple years and with some distance I'll be able to properly appreciate the story and my performance of it again.

But my actual pick for this question is instead going to be lyrics of an improvised love song (skz). It's a podfic I put a lot of effort into, one that I spent a lot of time working on, and I really think it paid of. The story means a lot to me personally, and I'm so glad I got to record it. It also has a lot of range, from funny to heavy scenes, and I think it makes for a very varied, interesting performance that I am really proud of.


What was the best cover you made this year?

Actually this might not be one I made for my own podfics, but the cover for My Job Here Is Done (skz), which is a podfic that was recorded by knight_tracer (though I was involved insofar as I wrote the fic). But also lyrics of an improvised love song (skz) is like, classic me. The Century Gothic font, the simple picture of an inanimate object (or, well, food in this case), it's very much my style from before I got into kpop and started using people's faces all the time.


What was the best music choice/editing?

The single most satisfying music edit I made last year was the intro to You Only Live Twice (Or So) (EXID). that perfectly timed moment where the music cuts out? I actually fistpumped when I got that. In terms of music choice, absentmindedly making me want you (skz) was also fun. I hesitate to call Beach Again a parody song, but it's defintely a very funny (but great!) song, so the vibes of the original were a bit wrong for this particular story. Instead I lucked out and found a cover version that gives the podfic the appropriate mood while also giving me the personal amusement of associating the original song by SSAK3 with this project.

Personal favourite, for whatever reason?

This has turned out to be a surprisingly difficult question, and I'm not sure I have an answer for it right now. Instead I'll point out a podfic I've found myself listening to a lot this past year: three thousand and eighty seven (aftg). It's a very comforting listen while also including a whole bunch of story elements that I like a lot, and I'm really happy with how it turned out.


Most popular?

Devoutly to Be Wished (the untamed), which really shouldn't have surprised me as much as it just did when I looked at my stats! For one thing, this is a big podfic fandom, and for another it's a collab with knight_tracer, and collabs tend to draw more attention simply because you have regular listeners of two people coming together.


Most underappreciated?

Technically it's Happy endings (the unlimited), but it doesn't feel like it - it's one of my most niche fandom interests, so I genuinely expected nothing and just made it for myself. Instead, the one that does feel the most under-appreciated is actually the basement kids of garreg mach (FE3H). It's such a funny story and I'm pretty happy with my performance, so I was a bit taken aback by the lack of reaction? But then again it is gen and also about characters that only appear if you get the DLC, so I probably should have adjusted my expectations.


Most difficult to make?

people say (we're so weird) (wayv) was a challenge because of the mandarin/cantonese character names, and also because it involved a lot of distinct character voices that I hadn't quite gotten a grasp on yet. But for that I like how it turned out! Radio Friendly (got7) is one that gave me a lot of trouble. I initially recorded it when my voice was not in a good state, and I really dragged my feet on editing it because I didn't like how it sounded. In the end I actually rerecorded the whole thing, which is not something I do lightly or often.


Most fun to make?

the basement kids of garreg mach (FE3H) was so much fun even though I also had some trouble with imitating the very distinct voice actor's styles. It was also a short one inbetween my usual longer projects, and that's always a relief.


A scene or character you voiced that surprised you?

lyrics of an improvised love song (skz) has a section towards the end where the Angst hits, and I thought I was prepared for that since, y'know, I'd read the story before, I knew what was going to happen, but somehow hearing myself perform it made it hit so much harder? I legit got teared up while editing this scene, and it makes me feel a lot of Emotions listening to it now.


Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a podficcer (could be another podficcer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc)

I get so much support from idella that I can really never thank them enough for their help and their enthusiasm. knight_tracer is a great fandom friend as well, and I'm so happy she joined me in kpop. Lastly, voiceteam and the members of team kpop gave me an unexpected burst of energy and inspiration that I really appreciate.


How do you hope to grow as a podficcer next year?

I want to work on letting go of my perfectionist tendencies. I'm never going to be someone who can adher by the Care Less mantra, but I need to learn to go a bit easier on myself and maybe be happy with something after 2 rounds of editing instead of 4. Also I want to get better at covers, as always.


Did you take any podfic risks this year?

I am...really not a risk taker. I'm very happy in my comfort zone and I don't like leaving it. I did participate in a challenge that isn't ITPE for the first time however, namely Voiceteam Mystery Box. And on that note...


Most "ah ha ha I can't believe I'm doing this"?

Voiceteam! For the last two weeks I spent an incredible amount of hours and focus just on podfic, putting out works at a speed that is kind of ridiculous. Over 14 days there were 12 new things posted to my AO3 (two of those were fics) and considering my normal output that's pretty wild. But also it was super fun!


What's next?

My goals are to record more femslash and to finish a podfic that I've been technically working on for three years now. Also next year (2022) is going to be my 10 year podficversary, so I want to start planning and preparing some things for that. And in general, I want to keep doing my part to make podfic more of a thing in kpop fandom and record stories I love. <3

Signing up to give & receive: kpop (StrayKids, GOT7, Seventeen, Day6, Mamamoo, WayV/NCT, TWICE, BTS), Haikyuu!!, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, The Old Guard, All for the game, Witcher, Gideon the Ninth, KJ Charles novels (Think of England & The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh), Ace Attorney (games/anime/movie)

In 2019 I posted one fic, and it's one I'm really quite proud of: the things I've almost told you (got7, jjp genderswap), the direct sequel to lezgeddit that I somehow tricked myself into writing. It took me over a year to write it, and in some ways it ended up a very personal story. Honestly though, I just love my lesbian daughters and their circle of friends, and I'm incredibly proud of myself for sitting down and finishing this fic. I also wrote porn for the first time! Exciting stuff. :D

Now on to the podfic! I posted 14 of them in 2019, including my ITPE gifts.( yay podfic! )

And that's that! If you read or listened to any of my work in 2019 then I'm very grateful and hope you enjoyed it! Looking forward to another productive year from here on. <3

Stats

I posted 13 podfics this year, including ITPE.

Longest: The MIrror Wheel Eye, 04:30:11

Shortest: new jersey is a punchline, 05:05

Total time: 14:14:52

Average length: 65 minutes

Additionally, I took part in one multi-voice project.


What was the best podfic you made this year?

Looking over everything I posted this year, I'm actually really torn? Still Water (BTS) and The Typical Love Song (NCT) are both strong contenders but in the end the answer should be charmed (BTS). It's a project I spent a lot of time on, and it turned out really well in the end.



What was the best cover you made this year?

can you not (BTS), hands down. It took me forever to photoshop that cloak onto Yoongi, and I also spent forever thinking about whether I was really just gonna use the ace flag as a background, but you know what? The end result makes me super happy. Runner up position goes to stay made of lightning (BTS), a simple cover that worked out really well.


Personal favourite, for whatever reason?

Oh no, this is really difficult. Maybe Still Water (BTS)? I think it's one I'll find myself listening to a lot in the future. It's a kind of story that I haven't really done before, even though I like mysteries a lot, and i'm pleased with how it all turned out - my reading, the music, the cover. Though if we're measuring this by 'how many times did I personally listen to this in 2018', the answer would be either no place I'd rather be (GOT7) or the woodland food bank (DAY6). Then again, maybe that has more to do with how there's barely any podfics (/none at all) by other people in those fandoms.


Most underappreciated?

For some reason I thought charmed (BTS) was a bit underappreciated, but looking at my stats for the year it actually got the most kudos out of everything. XD Perception is weird sometimes - maybe it's just a measure of how proud I really was of this podfic. Looking at the list now I don't think there's anything that was criminally overlooked, some of them just have small audiences in the first place. And in all of my kpop fandoms I really record for myself first and foremost. If other people like it it's a bonus.

On the contrary, a podfic that got a way better reception than I expected was The Typical Love Song. Thanks, NCT fandom. <3

Most difficult to make?

The Mirror Wheel Eye (Naruto) T___T I don't know why, but it gave me so much trouble during recording and editing. Sometimes everything goes smoothly and other times it just doesn't, what can you do.


Most "ah ha ha I can't believe I'm doing this"?

The Typical Love Song (NCT), lol. I swear I didn't notice how sultry my voice got during recording, so while I was editing I got kinda flustered by that. XD Adding the music to can you not? (BTS) probably qualifies as well. The decision to include a video game soundtrack was pretty spontaneous and a lot of fun. I was looking forward to listeners' reactions to it, one song choice in particular. >:D


Biggest learning experience?

There's not really anything big I changed this year, I have my routine by now. Maybe setting up personalized keyboard short cuts for Audacity counts? And I always like to think that I'm slowly getting better at making covers.


What's next?

I have a podfic in the works that I'm VERY excited about - I wanted to finish it last year, but it's taking a bit longer than expected. Other than that I just want to keep filling up the podfic tags for my fandoms that have none or only very few podfics. Be the change you want to see in the world, etc. And hey, maybe I can get some more people to record podfic for them as well. ;D