Date: July 08, 2008 09:06 am Title: The View From 10th Grade
What a clever way of describing a character's traits. I think it's awesome that Andy and his Dad ARE the Sailing Club.
Author's Response:
I had to go back and check, because it was a while back that I posted this chapter. Andy and his dad started the Sailing Club, but they "have a couple other guys and dads who joined now, too." Those guys and their dads are on other boats, though (wouldn't you be, given the choice?) which is why the Bernard boat-like vehicle could fit another pair easily.
This was kind of a fun chapter to write. In reality, Andy probably wouldn't be allowed to go on and on like this, but that's a bit of artistic license. Besides, I think the Principal and the head of the newspaper are those sorts of women who can love "The Kid" and they are trying to help him find his "nitch." ;)
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Alamos.
Date: October 22, 2007 04:39 pm Title: The View From 10th Grade
While I missed the a cappella and cheer inside jokes, I nonetheless learned a lesson which I wish I would have known in high school: do not wee-mo-way near the gym.
Oh, Young Mose....there's so much I wish I could tell you. And yet, tragically, I cannot.
Anyway, this was hysterical all across the board. My only wish would have been for a Mister Miyagi reference during the karate club spiel. :)
Author's Response:
NOOOO! You wee-mo-wayed near the... Oh, Mose. I'm so sorry. :-( So, YOU know the results of wee-mo-waying there. (Tell me sometime. It turns out, Andy would only tell the other guys.)
I'm so glad you liked this, Mose. I'm afraid I couldn't put in Mister Miyagi, because until I just Googled him, I didn't know anything about him. I think I saw Karate Kid once, long ago, but it didn't really stick with me. (Hangs head in shame.)
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
8 [Report This]Date: October 21, 2007 05:06 pm Title: The View From 10th Grade
Wow, TLK, another awesome Andy chapter. You managed to seamlessly incorporate so much of the Andy we know with younger Andy. I just loved him trying to find his sports "nitch". And I laughed out loud at this - "Butt doen't tell hum eye sayed that."
Author's Response:
Thanks so much, kaystar! I was hoping to convey the 'core' of Andy. None of us change that much, do we?
I do love the idea of Andy almost desperately trying to find the things that work for him. Chorus and a cappella definitely work -- other things, not so much. And meanwhile, his parents are trying to help in every way they can!
Imagine being silly enough to insult the editors! Hah! No one would really be that silly, I think, but I couldn't help myself with that one.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, kaystar!
Date: October 21, 2007 04:39 pm Title: The View From 10th Grade
Andy, Andy, Andy... I can just picture him wee-mo-wayin' all over the hallways. But not near the gym.
Author's Response: Ha! I imagine he got a super-wedgie or something from wee-mo-wayin' near the gym! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing; it's so appreciated. :)
Date: October 21, 2007 10:47 am Title: The View From 10th Grade
TLK,
This fic is so money, it doesn't even know it's money, but it is. And so are you for writing the perfect Andy story for firthgal and all of us to enjoy. Love every bit of it and I agree with everything firthgal mentioned in her review. You've got Andy Bernard's character down to a T.
Author's Response:
EH, I'm so glad you like it. Don't speak too loudly, though. If the fic hears you say it's money, then it's going to know it's money, and then... never mind. I forgot that we were using the cone of silence, so it won't hear us. What? What?
I'm so glad you think I have Andy down. Maybe I am Andy. I think that Andy and Angela are maybe the easiest for me to write; I'm not sure what that says about me. Either I am them or I can just get into their brains the teeniest bit. Hmm. :)
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, EH! It's so nice to get reviews!
10 [Report This]Date: October 21, 2007 09:31 am Title: The View From 10th Grade
Oh, this was perfect! Absolutely wonderful!!! So incredibly Andy. Once again you've completely captured his character into this innocent kid who is so tragically oblivious. I love the subtle mentions of his anger problems and his inability to fit in. And I LOVED the part where he told them not to weemohway near the gym, that made me laugh out loud. And I so very much love that he was on the cheerleading squad and he's so proud of that fact. You've got his speech patterns and unique verbosity down so beautifully that I hear his voice so clearly in my head (a touch higher than what his voice is like now). I adore his desperate attempt at positivity and having the appearance of total cluelessness as to what his life is really like. That is the core of Andy, that positivity is what keeps him going, and I love how you've captured that. And it kind of scares me that Andy is into the same exact pop culture things that I was/still am. Total Saturday Night Live freak. It was the Will Ferrell years when I was in high school, but I watched the Phil Hartman years in reruns every day, so I was still quoting those episodes too. Oh man, this is just so perfectly Andy. I love it! So worth the wait. And now I need more!
Oh, and the jokes that you inserted, not sure if this is what you mean, but in the a capella section you did the "rit-dit-dit-di-doo" thing that Andy always does, and in the cheerleading one he spoke in pig latin. So cute!
I love this!!! Dare I say that it is my favorite Andy fic of all time?
Author's Response:
firthgal, what a wonderful review! You mentioned so many of the things I was trying to get across! I was a little scared about your reaction; I thought you might think "she's made my Andy into such a loser!" I'm glad you saw that he doesn't see himself that way at all, and he's really a pretty positive and happy guy here.
You may need to wait a while for another chapter. See reason 5 of "Why I Haven't Updated..." It's really that bad. ;)
The a cappella in-joke is actually not just in the a cappella section, but it's something throughout the fic. Only a total a cappella nerd would get it. My husband will get it, and I wrote it, so I get it... (I'll PM you...) But yes, the rit-dit-dit-dit thing was to show Andy was already doing some fun things with his words due to the a cappella influence in his life!
The cheerleading joke was sort of guessed already, it was just that it's ridiculous for a boy to be a flier. Fliers are always the littlest/lightest girls. And no, I was never a cheerleader, but I do have some cheerleaders around me...
See, you're catching the little Andy-jokes, things that Andy did then and still does now! I love how you're always so Andy-focussed. Andy is so much fun, isn't he? Some episodes we'll see more of him, and some less, but even in the background, he's a lot of fun.
To have something I wrote be the favorite Andy fic of the biggest Andy fan is just wonderful. Thanks so much for that compliment!
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, firthgal. I love how well you 'got' everything I was trying to say with this.
10 [Report This]Date: October 21, 2007 08:26 am Title: The View From 10th Grade
I heard that Mrs. Greene sometimes asks problem-kids who don't ‘fit in' anywhere else to work on the newspaper, but there are no losers like that this year, so it's probably not true.
Oh Andy. *shakes head* Great chapter!
Author's Response:
I'm really enjoying Andy more and more as we go along. I tried to make High School Andy be about the same as the Andy we know, but even more positive and even less self-aware. He really is trying, and he thinks he's doing awesome! (Whoo!)
I'm so glad you liked the chapter, Big Tuna. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.
9 [Report This]Date: October 21, 2007 06:28 am Title: The View From 10th Grade
Poor Andy, too fat to be a flier. Oh well, it happens to the best of us. He sure did work the odds didn't he with all of his girly activities. Nice job Kev. L-E-T-S G-O, let's go, let's go, L-E-T-S G-O, Let's Go with Chapter 3!
Author's Response:
I wouldn't say fat, really! Andy just grew between 9th and 10th grade, like lots of people. So, maybe he added 4 inches of height and filled out a bit as well. The silly thing is having a boy be a flier anyway, right? That's what gave me a giggle. I like that he had a nickname with the cheer squad (Andy-Bear), and they probably did kind of like him. :)
We now know that Andy has at least a couple friends who like him enough to sing a cappella over the phone with him!
And, yep! Andy's trying to work the odds by getting involved with things that girls are in. But, to be fair, he's also trying out for all the sports. (Not making the cut, but...) He's really looking for friends, isn't he?
The next chapter may be a while. If you want to know why, see "Why I Haven't Updated That Story You Really Want Me To Update." The reasons aren't numbered, but it's the 5th one in the list.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
Date: October 21, 2007 05:20 am Title: The View From 10th Grade
This is so well written. I already love Andy on the show, but I love having a backstory for him (even if its not true lol)...to see why he is like he is. Great job...looking forward to more!
Author's Response:
I'm glad you like the writing, nbyevu. I'd never written any fiction before this past May, so I sort of feel like Grandma Moses, finding something a bit later in life. Not that my fics can be compared to Grandma Moses' paintings, but you know...
It is fun to fill in a backstory for Andy. Like most of us, it seems he's probably been the same person all along, just the surroundings change. But he's still trying to fit in, and thinking he's managing it, and generally having a good time. Remember Michael (of all people) saying how he'd never known someone with so little self-awareness as Andy? What a great character Andy has turned out to be.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, nbyevu!