Summer 2016 marked the 10th anniversary of MoreThanThat and in honor of this milestone we conducted a survey of MTT readers and writers new and old and got some pretty great responses. Here are the compiled results. So that this post isn’t way too long individual results will be in expandable/collaspable sections, just look for the gray sections with the plus sign and tap/click to expand or collapse.
When did you discover/join MTT? (29 responses)
17% One of the First! (joined summer 2006)
52% Joined during the angstfest (Season 3, or fall 2006 – summer 2007)
14% Joined in the middle years (Seasons 4 – 6, or fall 2007 – summer 2010)
7% Late-comer (Seasons 7 – 9, or fall 2010 to summer 2013)
10% Didn’t find MTT till the show was over! (after May 2013)
Did you write Office fanfic or were you just a reader? (29 responses)
62% Writer
38% Reader
Writing
What kind of Office fanfic did you write? (18 responses)
(89%) Jim/Pam fics all the way!
(11%) Focused more on other couples (Ryan/Kelly, Dwight/Angela, etc)
(28%) Explored non-canon pairings
(11%) Enough of this kissy stuff! I was more about non-romantic stories
(17%) Other (please specify): “I dabbled in some smaller pairings as well”, “Mostly JAM but did try a few ensemble pieces or other characters/pairings. But 90% JAM”.
What genre did your fanfic generally fall into? (18 responses)
(50%) Angst/Drama
(44%) Fluff
(50%) Smut
(8%) Humor
(6%) Other (please specify): A/U historical
What got you into writing Office fanfics?
A lot of writers were inspired by other writers!
I got into Office fic because...
- A discussion in the TWoP fanfic thread ended up with me co-writing a goofy story with muggins (I think). A writer was born.
- All of the angst wanting to be resolved, and reading great stories in the world of fanfic.
- All the other great writers were inspirational to me, and sometimes a certain episode would motivate me.
- Enjoyed others, decided I’d try.
- I just got really into the show and the characters.
- I love to write in general and grad school had sapped my creative juices and fanfiction finally got me writing again.
- I loved the show and wanted to continue the adventure, give closure and find more storylines for Jim and Pam.
- I wrote the story I wanted to read
- It seemed fun
- My friends Annakovsky and Kyra/moireach were
- other writers
- Season 2 finale
- There was a lot of quality writing that inspired me.
- The angst of JAM!
- When my Office obsession started during Season 3 I found MTT. I had dabbled in fanfic but never published anything. The “unseen” factor of The Office, that we only see the work hours so most everything else is fill-in-the-blank, really inspired me.
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Which fic of yours are you the most proud of? Why?
I am most proud of...
- Banana Slings
- Costa Rica Was Beautiful… and That Guy. I think they were my best.
- Darcy’s Letter — an Office/Pride and Prejudice crossover!
- “Hope” because I took a chance on the setting.
- How Sweet The Sound. I loved the chance to flesh out a minor character (HQ’s receptionist Grace) and make her part of the action.
- I Just Wanted to be Famous – because it was my most unique and longest one and I truly enjoyed writing every chapter.
- Nobody’s Business
- I guess Philly Jim, because so many people didn’t like it but I stuck with it. And some of my readers said they didn’t like it because I made the premise seem so plausible.
- I only wrote 3 stories, I guess “One Moment of Many”, being my latest fic, would be the one I like the most. I feel that it was the best of the three.
- Sometimes Lonely Hearts They Just Get Lonelier, because it just came out right
- The Secrets We Keep. Years later, still feel like it was one of my most in character, realistic, just so well thought out pieces.
- The Shaping of Andy Bernard, although I’m having fun re-reading my stories, including a number of them that I completely forgot about. I’m kind of proud of Beet Mail, too. The final chapter was difficult to write (I hadn’t really figured out the ending and suddenly I had to make one), but everything was done through emails and I think it was a lot of fun. I’m probably most proud of these two because I think they’re funny and the characterization is pretty solid.
- Write to Me – I really felt in the zone when I was writing it
- I’m most happy with certain chapters of my fics. I’m really happy with chapter 6 and 12 of “Anywhere But Here”, Chapter 4 of “More Than a Day More Than a Word”, and I don’t know if I’ve had a more inspired moment that the Drug Testing chapter of “Expressions in Emoticons”
- Is it terrible that I don’t remember my own titles? I wrote one about a Christmas party, and another about the Love Triangle that I thought were good. And one about Pam and Jim and their first baby that I think was pretty decent too.
- my first fic in english
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Which fic do you most want to rewrite? Why?
I most want to rewrite...
- All of them (x3)
- 99 Problems, bc it was my last Office story and I wasn’t feeling it as much/the opening is weak
- There are a few chapters of Expressions in Emoticons I kind of want to rewrite, especially “The Job” chapter. I wrote with the intention of being fluffy and happy, but then we learned how Jim the Bad-Breaker-Upper dumped Karen and I don’t know, I’d change the tone of it a little (or maybe I’ll remedy it in a Season 4 sequel)
- Fathers and Daughters – because it was my first and my writing improved a great deal after writing that one.
- I’m not really writing at all anymore…but I’ve considered deleting How Jim’s Poker Party Got Out of Hand, so maybe that one.
- Observer Effect
- The Receptionist’s New Clothes. Not re-write– Finish! I have one chapter I never actually wrote to make it complete.
- Maybe “The Saboteur” … just because it’s one I don’t remember very well and it could probably use another round of edits.
- “Sleepwalk” because the sex is over the top. *cringe*
- I feel that way about various fics of mine depending on the day. Anything from dialogue to changing a word or two.
- None of them, actually. I haven’t written anything in almost 10 years because I lost my muse.
- There are a few. My writing has improved so much since then.
- My first one, because, actually I just rather never think of it again. It was a total Mary Sue, just my first attempt and it is SO BAD
- I wasn’t a prolific fic author, so I never really considered rewriting any of them.
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Which character(s) did you most enjoy writing? Why?
PB&J dominated but interestingly many writers enjoyed writing PB more than J, or vice versa.
I most enjoyed writing...
- Andy, maybe? I’m not sure.
- I actually initially had the easiest time with Karen (I was once in a situation very similar to her, sadly I did NOT meet a goofy cute dermatologist after). I like writing PB&J of course, and I really enjoy writing dialogue for Kelly and Kevin for some reason.
- Jim
- Jim
- Jim. I loved how he loved her.
- Jim and Pam
- Jim and Pam – they were the reason I started writing again in the first place
- Jim and Pam. And Dwight, though getting him right was tough.
- Jim and Pam. They were so real, it felt like writing real people and was easy to slip into their shoes
- Jim and Pam, because I love them.
- Pam
- Pam, because overidentification
- Pam, 110%. She had a voice in my head and lived there for SO long. I thought she was going to be a permanent resident, but.. she wasn’t.
- Pam – because she is so human and had such a transformation on the show. Also Famous!Pam because her inner monologue and neurosis were always entertaining.
- Roy because it gave me a chance to flesh out a character the show left fairly 2-dimensional.
- Ryan….not sure
- Toby because I’m weird and for some reason loved him. Kelly second because she was fun to write.
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Which character(s) did you struggle with writing? Why?
Lot’s of Dwight’s and Michael’s here.
I struggled with...
- Creed
- Dwight
- Dwight
- Dwight. He has such a unique voice and it was easy to make him over the top or just a shell of who he really is.
- Dwight. It was too easy to go over-the-top.
- There’s a reason I don’t have much Dwight dialogue, I don’t know if I fully get Dwight, maybe he’s not meant to be known.
- I almost never wrote from Jim POV because guys were harder for me then (now I write m/m slash)
- Jim because I liked him less than most people. Also anyone with really distinctive speaking patterns like Dwight or Andy.
- Michael. He’s an enigma.
- Michael. I don’t think I really ever wrote him in fics.
- Michael…so specific
- Pam. I kept writing her, but I don’t think I hit the notes the show (or Jenna) hit.
- Ryan. I almost never wrote anything about Ryan; I couldn’t get into his head at all.
- Toby. Because…Toby.
- I never really wrote any others except in one fic and I think it turned out okay
- I tried to minimize the other characters in my stories so I wouldn’t struggle as much. Ha!
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Were you ever clairvoyant in your fics? (writing something specific that later happened on the show)
Most writers don’t have a future in fortune telling 
I predicted that...
- My stuff was usually so far from anything that happened on the show. I think I had Toby wanting to write before he started doing that on the show but nothing big (unfortunately).
- I did have Jim and Pam at Niagara Falls!
- Yes! I predicted Pam leaving Phyllis’s wedding with Roy. (“Do Us Part”)
- I usually wrote about the past and not the future … so, I don’t think so.
- No, but I know some of the writers were pretty spot on with ideas.
- I had Pam have a friendship with a crew member who clued her in to some things.
- No (x4)
- No, but the show ruined my imagined canon when it revealed that Pam worked at DM before Jim. I had it the other way ’round.
- Not that I remember
- I’m not sure!
- Sadly, not in this fandom (others yes)….
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What’s a story you never got to write but would have liked to?
P.S. it’s never too late!
I wanted to write...
- Oh I have lots of loosely plotted fics, finding an old file of them actually inspired me to start writing again! Got a few “five things…” fics, an idea for an AU where Jim and Pam were high school sweethearts that lost touch, a Brian-centered fic, another Pam fic exploring different AU scenarios (like if she married Roy, if she married then divorced him, etc), also I had an idea for a ensemble/script-like story called “Take Your Mother to Work Day”.
- I’ve wanted to do sequels to almost every one of my fics.
- Never did an episodic multi-chapter story but would have liked to.
- There were a couple Karen-centric fics I wanted to write, but the plots escape me now.
- Nothing. I wrote a lot!
- Too many ideas, not enough time!
- I’d like to finish the last one I started… Mr. Shore.
- I never finished one of mine, but I can’t think of one I didn’t get to write.
- I would have liked to finish Harold Moran (and I still hope I will!)
- I started one that I still love, about Pam having a tragedy happen while Jim was in Stamford and how that brought them together. Still love the idea, and the opening chapter.
- I had a Kevin fic started called “It’s Complicated,” about Kevin, his relationship with Stacey, and I don’t even remember what else, but I loved the idea of it at the time.
- Now I have a kid of my own, I’d like to go back and write kidfic. Also I really wanted to write a good Karen/Pam, because I ended up shipping them in the end (I stopped watching in S5 after the baby).
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Which fellow Office fanfic writers made you think “I wish I could write like this!”?
I wanted to write like...
- All of them!!!
- I don’t remember! It’s just too far back.
- Annakovsky and Kyra
- BigTuna was great
- Colette. Sweetpea.
- Can’t remember screen name…. Cooley
- I always really liked honey wheeler.
- nomadshan. *sigh*
- sherlockelly, PamPongChamp & Annabel Winslow
- Sophia_helix, unfold, Talkative, Colette, bebitched
- sophia_helix — she wrote the truest portrayal of Pam I’ve read, in “And Harder Still to Make Noise.”
- My favorites were Sweetpea, Colette, and girl7, all amazingly talented writers.
- Time4moxie, Wendy Blue, Xoxoxo, girl7….most of the authors on the site…
- Oh, so many to love. Moxie and October Grey, probably.
- Squirrel McPants
- Oh a lot of them! I’m decent with dialogue but always impatient with descriptors so I marvel at anyone who writes beautiful prose without a ton a dialogue. Unfold comes to mind. Also I’m jealous of anyone who can write sexytimes well, like sophia_helix, callisto, and the Warning Labels authors.
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Are you still writing? Do you write for other fandoms or are you doing original work?
The good news is most respondents are still writing!
Writing today...
- Both! I write in the Once Upon a Time fandom and hope to self-publish original fiction soon.
- I am working on children’s books, and a murder mystery I have been writing since high school. No fanfiction at the moment but being back here makes me want to write again.
- I have written for other fandoms but nothing in a long while.
- I have my first YA novel being published in Spring of 2017! ZENN DIAGRAM by Kids Can Press/KCP Loft. Check it out!
- I have written for How I Met Your Mother (all stories are on my Livejournal under my same pseudonym) and the X-Files, and I also write original work in various forms.
- I write & publish LGBT romance as Mia West, specializing in historicals, and I write YA under my own name.
- I write professionally (content marketing) and occasionally in other fandoms. I have a Leverage WIP and I’ve done some Harry Potter.
- Just slowly working through all my unfinished Office fics! I do go through periods where I write a lot but I’m not sure if published writings in my future. Mostly just a hobby.
- Yes for writing, for other fandoms. Eventually maybe original work.
- Yes, sports RPF (baseball and hockey)
- No (x4)
- No, I leave the writing to my son, who just finished his PhD.
- No writing, except things like letters to schools about my kids’ needs, and a lot of editing/proofreading my kids’ stuff. I’m designing and making quilts (for fun), so that’s my creative outlet, really.
- Not really
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Any other comments or thoughts about Office fanfic writing?
Additional Thoughts...
- I have never felt as at home in a community as I have with MTT – Office fanfic has brought me great joy through the years! Thank you MTT!
- I love it!
- I miss it! (x2)
- It’s difficult to believe I used to do it. That seems like another person, sometimes.
- It’s just fun, after all there’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things!
- It reminded me that I could write. That I could channel the passion I had for the characters and create.
- It was a big surprise for me to write for a sitcom! Previously I’d done pretty serious/dark stuff for X-Files, Buffy, Angel, and Harry Potter. It was the fandom that taught me how to write lighter romance, and also honed my smut-writing skills.
- It was a really important step in my writing life. I hadn’t been doing much writing, and definitely hadn’t been doing any sharing, and writing fanfic built my confidence. It made me want to share my work instead of just doing it for myself.
- One of the greatest fandoms ever
- The new updated archives have inspired me to start rereading some of my “favorites” again. I have to say, we were very fortunate to be exposed to some highly talented writers in this fandom.
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What did MTT mean to you?
MTT is/was...
- a good place to exchange about the office
- A much better place than lj to keep my stories, and predates ao3 as an archive
- Back in the day when the forum was hopping and the fanfic was flying? So, so much.
- Big part of my life for a few years
- Community, creativity, and fun.
- Family
- Office fanfic has a special place in my heart. It was my first creative writing, and the community we built around MTT was a great one. I haven’t participated in a long time, so I’m thrilled to see that MTT is having its 10th anniversary!
- Happy memories. Finding community. Good times.
- I wasn’t ever too involved in the forum during it’s heyday but on the fanfic archive side it was such a welcoming place and the fact that authors I looked up to most would still read and comment on my fics was so great.
- It is a wonderful place where I met other crazy fans who loved the show as much as I did and there are some seriously talented writers who I learned from.
- It gave me confidence in writing
- It gave me friends and so much confidence when I needed it. Some of the greatest friends I met through MTT and still am friends with, even a decade later.
- It was community. I loved it and miss writing here. Maybe I’ll start again!
- Lots of support from the community was amazing!
- Loved it! So totally enjoyed the writers and ideas.
- MTT was a nice central place to drop fics. It was nice when people would comment or reach out to me even though I wasn’t writing Jim or Pam and had a weird love for certain characters or pairings.
- MTT was in my opinion, the absolute best website dedicated to fans of The Office on the internet. I was a member of the NBC Office forums, then TWoP, and finally found MTT. MTT blew them all out of the water, as well as OfficeTally, IMHO.
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Reading
What kind of Office fics did you generally read?
(90%) All about that JAM!
(28%) Fics about other couples (Ryan/Kelly, Michael/Holly, Dwight/Angela)
(31%) Hey, fanfic’s about the “what if?”, give me the non-canon pairings!
(7%) I preferred fics where romance wasn’t the focus
(7%) Other (please specify): Any good writing
What genres did you gravitate towards reading?
(71%) Angst is what I lived for
(57%) Fluff, the fluffier the better
(46%) Smut, warms my heart, thinking about them two kids, doing it.
(64%) Humor, this was a comedy, I wanted to laugh!
(14%) Other (please specify): “Well-told stories”, “I read some angst, but it wasn’t my preference. Also, I liked: behind the scenes stuff, alternative stuff (I wrote one about if the parking lot scene had gone differently), and really alternative, like The Office people in a post-apocalyptic world and such.”
What genres did you avoid?
(31%) Angst, who needed that drama?
(44%) Fluff, it’s too cheesy!
(31%) Smut, I just wanted a nice, wholesome time!
(0%) Humor, leave the jokes to the pros!
(6%) Other (please specify): “I didn’t totally avoid [angst], but I didn’t prefer it.”
What got you into reading Office fanfics?
Unsurprisingly, the Casino Night confession and kiss is what roped in most people, though a few of you apparently just stumbled onto the site
How I got into Office fic...
- being beta for one of the writers
- Can’t even remember.
- I was going through a rough time – a loved one had cancer – and The Office was a huge, huge comfort. When I wasn’t watching it, I was looking for more information on it, and thus stumbled on to the fanfic. It was a wonderful distraction from real life
- I had always read X-Files fanfic, and was looking for a new show to delve into when I found MTT. I was hooked right away.
- I honestly don’t remember, but I had never even HEARD of fanfic prior to reading Office fanfic (I’m OLD) but I got hooked very quickly, mostly due to the angst of the early Office seasons, and the high quality of fic being written.
- I kind of needed to know I wasn’t the only one this obsessed. That other people needed to know what these characters were going to do.
- I loved the show! And I was interested in the characters.
- I stumbled upon this place by accident. I was a huge Buffy/Angel fanfiction reader and it suddenly dawned on me there was probably sites also devoted to Pam and Jim
- I’m not even sure anymore, found MTT somewhere, at the Office LiveJournal group or something, and I don’t know, I never seem to grow tired of reading a new story about Jim and Pam.
- In the summer after Casino Night, I was pretty obsessed, thinking about what might happen. That’s when I got involved in The Office fandom, my first fandom ever. I happened upon fanfic through The Office forum of TWoP and read it constantly.
- JAM (x2)
- Just loving the show and the different characters,
- Kovsky and Kyra’s post-S2 stuff
- Looking for a place to share my Jim/Pam passion!
- My daughter introduced me to the idea of fanfic ( she follows Harry Potter, marvel, and Supernatural). I Googled “The Office fanfic” and here I am.
- my love for jim and pam and for the things not showed on the show
- Reading comments about fanfic on the forum
- Sad when the show ended
- Stumbled on it.
- Stumbled onto the site
- The Season 2 finale left us all hanging! Had to do *something*.
- There were so many paths the show could have gone; I wanted to see various possibilities
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What qualities did your favorite Office fanfics have?
Good characterization and dialogue naturally won here.
I liked fanfic that had...
- Smut is okay, but I like sudden, unexpected romantic actions
- Smut, humor, felt like the show
- True portrayals, great sensory detail, true-sounding dialogue
- Cute banter, good characterization.
- Humor, good dialogue.
- A happy ending
- Well thought-out plot and vivid characters
- Great dialog! The Office was always about dialog, so fanfics that mimicked that, really were great.
- Accurate characterization and dialogue. These were such distinct characters, and if you missed that boat everything felt wrong, even with a good plot.
- well written, believably in-character
- Well written
- Those who really stayed true to the characters as we saw them on tv and really kept their personalities. Fics filled with cussing were kind of annoying. Not because cussing bothers me, but because it wasn’t typical on the show. Yes, I’m sure if they were real people they probably cussed but it felt out of character.
- The best fanfics took the time to really get in the characters’ heads.
- characterization that was believable with respect to the show
- Good writing. Characters that were spot on.
- JAM resolution!
- Realistic characters. I really had no favorites. I read everything. Everything.
- I prefer characterizations consistent with the show canon. Too much OOC just takes me out of the story. If I can close my eyes and “see” the author’s work as part of the show, then it works for me.
- Really good characterization. Realistic scenarios. Proper grammar, sentence structure, etc. , in other words, didn’t sound like a middle school student’s work.
- Humor
- Good writing, good characterization, humor.
- Realistic portrayal of the characters.
- Good writing, narrative, story, etc.
- Detailed
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What were some tropes or cliches in Office fanfics you couldn’t stand?
Couple of you not in love with Jim and Pam calling each other “Halpert” and “Beesly”. Also, as indicated in the chart at the top, fluff is definitely a “love it or hate it” genre.
I did not care for...
- Anything Ryan-centric
- Anything too fluffy. But I wasn’t into Jim and Pam so I didn’t read those fics.
- Character death
- I’m not fond of Pam/Ryan pairings. She never showed any interest in him on the show, so I can’t really accept them as a couple or even just a hook-up. It also bewilders me sometimes what a limited diet Pam and Jim seem to have in some stories. One can only consume so much mixed-berry yogurt and grilled cheese sandwiches!
- Jim and Pam calling each other “Halpert” and “Beesly” constantly.
- Jim being so destroyed by Casino Night that he could never trust Pam.
- Jim’s brother “Johnathon,” Travis (the band), Pam coming out of her shell, etc.
- Jim whining, Pam whining, generally any whining tends to get on my nerves.
- Karen
- Nothing takes me out of a PB&J fic faster than wordy declarations of love, Jim and Pam are terrible at verbally expressing their feelings, it’s half their charm! Smut fic with heavy Sex-God-Jim or Sex-Kitten-Pam factor are certainly fun, but I more often than not feel they’re OOC. Also, though I’m definitely a JAMmer, I really like fics with good portrayals of Karen and those can be tricky to find.
- Oy, I remember basically having a list in my head, but it’s been awhile and I’ve forgotten many. Too much of Jim calling Pam “Beesly” for one, or ALWAYS going to Cugino’s or Poor Richard’s, you guys get my drift.
- Pam as a fragile bird
- Pam getting with Jim 5 minutes after she broke up with Roy
- random pairings just for the sake of them
- slash, adultery, abuse
- Super angsty stuff
- Too much lovey dovey perfection with Jim and Pam. They were actual people (sort of) and I liked seeing them (and their relationship) a bit flawed.
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Did you form any “head-canons” thanks to Office fanfic?
Maybe less headcanon and more “I could see this happening” especially with first date fics.
Thanks to fic I thought...
- Yes. I was totally stuck on Jim having a brother named Jonathan
- I still default to Jim starting at DM first, also I much prefer girl7’s Jonathan to the two jerks they had be Jim’s brothers on the show.
- So many!
- Jim was a stoner.
- The camera crew guy being in love with Kelly.
- Canary colored paper
- Well, I always loved the many excellent post “The Job” fics, because we never got to see any of the first date and all the hashing out of issues between Jim and Pam.
- There were a couple of MTT takes on JAM’s first date that are part of my head canon, since we never saw it in the show.
- yes, but will admit I can’t remember them. but I know it was strong way back when!
- This is a really difficult question. I would need to think about it.
- I’m sure I did, but I can’t remember!
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What are some of your essential Office fanfics?
Links included
My essential Office fics...
- Oh man, I mean you can’t go wrong with anything “ribboned” on the archive
- Accidentally in Love by Hannah_Halpert
- Allentown by Sweetpea
- And Harder Still to Make Noise by sophia_helix
- Beginnings by xoxoxo
- Canary by Kate Andrews
- Cardiac Care by Vampire Blood
- Climbing as We Fall by girl7
- Commence Fantasy by wendolf
- Distance Learning by time4moxie
- Elsewhere by girl7
- Five Gold Rings by nqllisi
- Garbage Can Letters by Azlin
- Hope by nomadshan
- I Just Wanted to be Famous by Stablergirl
- In The Darkness In The Stillness by Azlin
- My True Love Gave to Me by time4moxie
- O*F*F*I*C*E by Annakovsky
- One Day by Wendy Blue
- Only by girl7
- Pack Your Bags, Its Never Too Late! by Annakovsky and kyrafic
- Prelude by Annabel Winslow
- Primae Noctis by Neotantrika (livejournal)
- Safety First! by veryangrymidget
- Shame is the Same as Guilt by Athena
- Shotgun Wedding by Talkative
- Talk by Annabel Winslow
- That Night by Colette
- That’s When She Knew by iwantphillyjim
- The Love Song of Squirrel McPants by time4moxie
- The New Happy by Colette
- Truly, Madly Deeply by time4moxie
- Up in Jim’s Room by wendolf
- Vocabulary by Talkative
- Warning Labels series (livejournal)
- What She Felt by Evvaleave (AO3)
- Succubus I think was the name (mod note: can’t find this one, reply if you know it!)
- there was some pam/ryan smutfic that i remember adoring
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Who are your “must read” Office fanfic writers?
My favorite Office Writers were...
- Annabel Winslow
- Annakovsky
- Athena
- Azlin
- Becky215 (stories gone sadly)
- callisto
- Colette
- girl7
- Godinthischilis
- jazzfan
- kyrafic
- LoveFool
- Neotantrika (livejournal)
- NobleLandMermaid
- nomadshan
- nqllisi
- Stablergirl
- sophia_helix
- Strawberry Fields
- Sweetpea
- Talkative
- time4moxie
- unfold
- Vampiric Blood
- wendolf
- Wendy Blue
- xoxoxo
- Warning Labels writers (annakovsky, honey_wheeler, kyrafic, and obsession_inc)
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What’s a story or concept you would have liked to see in an Office fic?
I wanted to read...
- More KaPam
- I can’t really believe there’s no “Pam and Jim practicing their Threat Level midnight scene” fics out there (none that I have found anyway). Goldenface more like solid gold fic ideas!
- Michael’s autobiography.
- I like them all pretty much…
- There is so much good material from season nine that is just begging for stories to be written about it. I would like to see an AU where Pam is still dating Danny Cordray when Jim returns from Stamford, either with or without Karen. More season one fics, like some story about Michael’s 80’s party ( make a good song fic, one chapter per a certain eighties song, I have about a half-dozen great songs that fit JAM so well). And there’s always room for imagining what our favorite Scranton folks are up to now, whether they stayed there or not.
- There was a post-apocalyptic one that didn’t get finished. I would have liked to see that finished.
- More AU stuff. Started to get tired of the usual “Jim/Pam getting together” stories.
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What fandoms do you read now?
A shocking number of respondents were Office or nuttin’!
Now I read...
- None
- None
- None
- None
- None
- None
- Hockey and baseball RPF
- I like to stick with what I know
- Only MTT
- Harry Potter. Doctor Who.
- Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson “phrack”
- Once Upon a time
- None – other than The Office, I haven’t had much interest.
- None!
- None – I just re-read old favorites.
- Blindspot mostly, Scorpion some
- None. I’m strictly an Office fan.
- Just MTT
- Terminator, mostly TSCC although since that’s been over for a number of years, it’s mostly re-reading. There’s some Terminator Genisys fanfic, though, so I read that from time to time.
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What did MTT mean to you?
MTT was/is...
- All the fic in one place
- MTT was an amazingly supportive place to begin writing and sharing fiction. The conversations we had here fed my writing for years afterward.
- Obviously a lot as I’m trying my best to keep it going!
- Relaxing at the end of the day, which is why I couldn’t read angst
- Community! Shared passion! Gold stars!
- it was fun!
- Loved the show and loved to read others ‘take’ on it.
- I love it
- It was just a fun place for Office fans to gather! I loved it when I was here.
- Happy times. Lots of fun and smart people with good taste!
- Community, creativity, fun.
- Community
- I have health issues that frequently limit my ability to get out of the house, so I have a lot of time and am often lonely. Through this site, I can temporarily escape to a place where I can my enjoy the goings-on at DM, instead of my own life. I will always be grateful for that.
- Wow, great question. My daughter turned me on to the show right after Casino Night and I was hooked. At the time (2005) I was going through a divorce, my mom had recently passed away, and I was sending my firstborn off to college. Stress city! The Office was something I could absorb myself in for a nice distraction. MTT was simply the best Office fandom available at the time, and I had been involved in both the NBC boards as well as TWoP. The whole concept of internet fandoms and communities was still fairly new, unlike today, where shows are live tweeted by fans. It was great to follow along with everyone on episode threads, and discuss minutiae to death. And of course, I met many MTT’ers in person at various Office sponsored events, including the first convention in Scranton. MTT was a major part of my life during the show’s long and successful run.
- Escapism!
- So, so much in its heyday.
- A way to get my JAM fix.
- Only fanfiction site I’ve visited.
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Fandom
If you can remember, when did you get into the Office? Why did you like it so much?
Seems late season 2 and season 3 was the hook for most people…
I got into The Office when...
- first episode — I loved the UK version and was curious about the US remake
- First Season. And the JAM romance
- Season 1. Something different, insane office relationships, loved Jam
- From the first season. I watched the UK version. I loved the humor and the Jim/Pam.
- From the beginning, but really got into it in season 2
- A friend of mine shared it with me after the first season or so and I just fell in love.
- I tried to watch The Office season 1 and didn’t like it. Then I tried some episode of season 2 and got into it.
- I started watching in season 2. I love Jim from the moment I saw his first prank on Dwight
- The tension in Seasons 1 & 2 stemming from Jim’s unrequited feelings was EXQUISITE. Painful to watch, but everyone could relate to it. And it spawned a gazillion fics, so WIN.
- Right at the end of season 2. Casino Night pushed me over the top.
- Summer of 2006, bc my friends were squeeing so much
- Summer 2006, The Jam stuff drew me in.
- Summer between S2/S3. Saw a commerical with Casino Night footage and I had NO CLUE what was happening, but needed to know what happened next. It was real, funny, different, just everything I was looking for
- As noted in the previous question, I started watching after S2. The first “live” episode I watched was “Gay Witch Hunt”. I liked it mostly for the great comedy in the early seasons, and followed it obsessively for the Jim and Pam relationship.
- I rented Disc 1 of the Season 2 DVD from Blockbuster in September 06 because the cover looked interesting. By the time the credits on the Dundies rolled I knew I was completely hooked. I had no idea what the term ‘shipping’ meant at the time but I immediately ‘shipped’ Jim and Pam. Him watching her watch the old Dundies tapes I mean c’mon!
- beginning of season 3
- Season 3! I love angst because I grew up on the X-Files which was almost as angsty as it gets.
- Season 3…angst
- S3 the characters
- I loved the first few years, when it seemed so much like real life — the pauses, the little boring moments. I knew Jim and Pam weren’t real people, but it sure seemed like it, early on.
- S4 was on the air when I first got into it – though I didn’t let myself watch those S4 episodes until I’d seen the first three seasons! The mixture of funny (so so funny) but also angsty-romantic was unique and wonderful. And the cast had such chemistry.
- December 2008
- Oddly enough, it was my husband who introduced me to the show when it first entered syndication ( after season five I think) . At first, I absolutely HATED Michael Scott (season one), but we kept watching and my interest grew as the seasons passed. He lost interest over time, but I haven’t. If anything, discovering online material (like this site, YouTube videos, etc.) has only increased my enjoyment and devotion. The Office forever!
- summer 2010
- 2013. Casino Nights!
- Different, JAM, funny.
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Your top Office moments?
No surprise here, MTTers love their JAM!
My favorite moment was...
- too many to count (x3)
- The Dundies (all of it), Michael’s burnt foot, Casino Night confession
- Booze cruise – on the deck of the ship The Secret – the moment in the elevator at the end. Casino night – obviously Initiation – the phone call The job – “free for dinner”
- Casino Night. Casino Night. Also, Casino Night.
- the kiss, obviously.
- Casino Night!!!!!!
- S2 and S3 finales, Karen and Pam being cute planning the Christmas party, Jim and Pam’s actual secret wedding, “The Injury”
- Jim’s parking lot confession, followed by the kiss. BEST.
- Casino night, niagara
- Season 2 and Season 3. My interest waned after that. LOVED Casino Night and Booze Cruise, The Dundies, too many moments to count.
- Season 2 was just such a great season of television in general, I think The Dundies, Booze Cruise, and Casino Night are pretty perfect episodes. Beach Games, The Job (especially those last few minutes!), Michael Meeting Holly, Proposal, the whole Stress Relief Episode, finding out Pam’s pregnant, the wedding, Michael’s farewell, The Paper Airplanes kiss, Jim giving Pam the card(!!!!).
- So many to list. Season two is considered the “golden season”, I guess, and I certainly like it. I also include CeeCee’s birth, Michael’s goodbye, the Finale, The Job, Dwight’s proposal to Angela, Chair Model, just too many!
- Pam’s post-firewalk speech. <3
- The Job, The Return, The Booze Cruise
- The end of The Job, “I’m fine with my choices!”
- Then it’s a date… Casino Night The Dundies
- All the big JAM ones, of course. I also have a huge soft spot for the whole Michael Scott Paper Company arc.
- The JAM proposal and wedding. Michael’s Goodbye.
- The engagement, Michael driving into the lake, Jim’s pranks on Dwight
- The Kiss, Pam’s confession during Beach Games, “It’s a Date”, seeing them finally together in “Fun Run”, the “Italian food” kiss, Jim snuggling with Pam while Dwight reads to them at the Farm, the moment when Pam says their kids will know their parents are soulmates, Jim showing us Pam’s engagement ring, The Proposal in the Rain, Jim cutting his tie and his smile to the camera on the Maid of the Mist, the wedding flashback when they make up in the parking lot “greatest of these is love”, Jim sharing the documentary video and the Christmas card with Pam “You are everything”.
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Your least favorite Office moments?
Season 8 was definitely a weak link. And “Scott’s Tots” is definitely not making anyone’s “Favorite Episodes” list.
I did not like on the show when...
- The first season was a little touch and go due to the heavy lifting from the British original, which had a significantly different brand of humor.
- The Coup episode. I didn’t like that one.
- Prison Mike.
- Jim being an asshole to Karen
- 1. In “The Return” when Pam’s hopes are crushed 2. Any episode with poor characterization or lousy continuity, i.e. when Jim and Pam were “dumbed down” for laughs and when Jan became increasingly crazy. 3. All the attempts at bosses after Michael left.
- Phyllis’s wedding; when Pam quit to join Michael, end of Casino Night, they used a fot of fillers – music, dancing, didn’t get to hear the actually wedding, Andy, and the way the writers tried to turn him and Erin into Jim and Pam.
- Things that happened for the sole purpose of keeping Jim and Pam apart for longer and extending the situation, things that wouldn’t have made sense in real life.
- After the writer’s strike
- Jim being an idiot (Scott’s Tots, Night Out)
- Scott’s tots.
- Scott’s Tots. I can’t even rewatch that episode.
- michael stuff got tedious before he left
- Season 8 was definitely the weakest, and Season 6 was weak with a few bright spots. Jim having NOTHING to do for a lot of Season 7, pretty much any episode that was Andy-centric (I like Andy but somehow I hated all his plotlines), Pam’s art school plot line was a little disappointing, still don’t really care to watch “Phyllis’ Wedding”
- season 8 :/
- Anything involving Robert California, ugh.
- Any scene with Robert California, with very few exceptions. I’m not a big fan of season eight, or Gabe,Nelly, or Jordan.
- Season 8
- I just didn’t enjoy some of the over the top stuff towards the end.
- There aren’t many, but I think the episodes when Andy comes back from his boat tour…generally not my favorite.
- any time in the last few seasons where they really played up the Toby is creepy and no one likes him and let’s make him the butt of every joke.
- Phyllis talking.
- Whenever Jim was stupid. Those weren’t good episodes. Or over the top Michael/Andy/Dwight antics.
- A lot of Dwight in the later seasons, Karen’s reveal during “The Merger,” Andy’s singing, Sabre, the fact that it seemed that the writers were trying to shoe horn other relationship around the office.
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Thoughts on the final season? How about the Finale?
S9 is not making anyone’s “fave season” list, but we seem to mostly agree it was better than S8. And Finale reviews are pretty positive.
I thought the final season/finale was...
- Never watched either
- Jumped the shark about season 5
- Maybe it’s just because it came after Season 8 but I thought they did a good job. I actually really liked Jim and Pam’s plotline. It was a decent season with the exception of “The Farm”. I thought the finale was very good, they gave all the characters fitting (and mostly positive) endings and avoided any ridiculous twists.
- The final season wasn’t bad and better than the season before it. I liked how everything came together.
- I did not like what the writers did to Jim and Pam in the last few seasons. Finale finally put things right! Glad Michael was there. Also, the Parade etc. in Scranton was wonderful!
- Well done
- Cried. ;_;
- I basically stopped watching but I loved the Finale.
- i actually quite enjoyed it! loved donna noble ending up with the baby
- Could’ve been better but it was good.
- Eh. it was tough not seeing Michael those last seasons. I thought the Finale was perfect
- solid season thanks to greg daniels returning, great finale
- While I hated seeing Jim and Pam fight in the final season, I also loved seeing a real story with these two characters again. I only wish we’d gotten more of them. Let’s not talk about Andy. The finale was basically perfect.
- brilliant
- Not great but the finale tied things up nicely! Appropriate.
- I thought they did a good job with it – endings are always the hardest part.
- It did get rough in final seasons, but the finale was perfection.
- I know many folks felt season nine was OOC for the Halperts, and at first I did too. But upon re-watching, it makes much more sense. It was the end of the “honeymoon period ” of their relationship, basically, and the first serious disagreement between them. And neither one knew how to handle it, so they reverted back to their old patterns of not communicating, hiding their true feelings from each other, etc. Like a replay of seasons 1-3, really, but with much higher stakes. I loved the Finale, would liked to have seen more of what prompted Pam’s change of heart. As for the other characters, one thing that bothered me was they never explained why Angela fell into such dire financial straits so quickly. I mean, she still had her job, so why was she facing homelessness? Maybe the Senator had tricked her into combining their finances when they got married, and she had to spend her money on a divorce lawyer. Guess we’ll never know.
- Much better than the previous few seasons, but the Jim/Pam angst seemed overly forced, much like S3 seemed to drag out the angst longer than necessary purely for ratings. The finale was wonderful and I still cry watching it.
- After January, it was great!
- I haven’t really re-watched the final season or even the finale. Maybe I saw the finale twice. I recall thinking the final season was okay (certainly the show was way past its prime), but they pulled out a pretty good finale.
- Good concept poorly executed. The Jim/Pam story was far too drawn out and Brian the boommike guy was a disaster. Liked the Finale because it mostly glossed over this.
- I thought that it was well executed and was happy with the result.
- Final season was not as good, but I liked the finale
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In the finale, Pam said she couldn’t watch the whole documentary, what moment do you think made her stop watching?
Wow, these answers were all over the place! We seem to generally agree it was probably sometimes in the 2nd half of S2.
I think Pam stopped watching when...
- The early season
- Booze Cruise
- Not sure, maybe seeing the look on his face in response to her and Roy’s engagement on the Booze Cruise, or hearing him tell Michael at the Convention “I left because of Pam” or hearing herself say “We’re friends, we’ll always be friends” or watching him dance with Karen at Phyllis’ wedding.
- Boys and Girls – I think older and wiser Pam would have been so ashamed of listening to Roy instead of Jim, then.
- My headcanon is she stopped watching when they got to “Boys and Girls”, watching herself say she’s fine with her choices as she is choosing Roy, who disregards her dreams over Jim, who is nothing but encouraging. And the Terrace talking head! I still cry!
- I honestly haven’t a clue. Could be when she realized just how much she strung Jim along while she was still engaged to Roy.
- “jim, you can tell me anything”
- Casino Night.
- Casino Night. I think she hadn’t realized how much the cameras actually saw.
- I think it was probably CN. That one tear. The guilt must have been overwhelming, and of course she knew what was to come. But I hope someday she does go back to watch, I think it would help her better understand where Jim was coming from in season three (if she were real, of course).
- their kiss on Casino Nights
- “I’m sorry I misinterpreted our friendship.”
- Probably the moment she realized how long Jim had been in love with her and she with him.
- Watching the phone call from The Initiation
- jim’s relationship with karen
- The season 3 stuff with Karen.
- something with jim and karen??
- Phyllis’s wedding? That’s usually what makes me stop watching…
- When she got back together with Roy
- Never actually thought about this. But I think sometime soon after she got together with Jim.
- Michael leaving.
- She realized what a pill she’d been and was rightfully embarrassed
- Probably when Jim and Pam hit their rough patch maybe?
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Should the show have continued after Steve Carell/Michael left?
Surprisingly most respondents were all for a post-Michael Scott Office, but then season 8 happened…
When Steve left...
- Yes (x5)
- Yes I think there were some great episodes after Michael left.
- Michael was so dominating that I was glad they were given a chance to see where the show could go without him, but Robert California, to put it nicely, was a misstep (as were many things in S8). They did much better in S9.
- I am very glad the show continued after Steve left. Not a big fan of season eight, but I am so glad we got season nine.
- Yes, but without the ‘celebrity Michaels.’ Should have kept basic cast or at least not a celebrity Michael. None of those worked out; the show should have continued to be the main focus, not the new guys.
- Only with Will Ferrel. Didn’t like Spader’s take.
- Sure, but the Will Ferrel stuff was a misstep.
- Yes but not emphasize Andy
- It was fine
- I think with better writing it would have kept the fans watching. The core group of actors could have kept the show going. The writing took a turn for the worse for sure.
- This is a tough one because I love the cast but he was the show.
- Ehhhh…I think it would have been fine if it didn’t but I still liked those last seasons without him.
- Sigh. It did okay after he left, but I think overall yes. I mean, there were some good episodes post Michael. But I think part of the problem was not specifically related to him leaving, more just it went on a season or two too long.
- That’s hard. You know….I think it could have been a great show without Steve Carell. A different show in a lot of ways, but still great. The rest of the cast was so talented! But then Season 8 happened and it kind of just killed their energy.
- I don’t know that I can answer that. I still enjoyed it, but his absence definitely left the show a little wanting at first.
- It could have, but it had already run its course.
- Should have ended in S6.
- Probably not
- No
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What would you most like to see in a reunion episode?
Hey,John and Jenna are totally up for it!
In a reunion special I hope there is...
- All the characters. That’s really all. I want to see everyone.
- Everything.
- Everyone’s kids. Everyone happy. Jim still having fun with Dwight…
- Families
- HAPPY Jim and Pam. No angst!
- I’m not sure but I really think they should do one, it’s a perfect show for it!
- I’m not sure we need one. The Finale was really good.
- I would not.
- Karen
- ooh, kelly and ryan!
- Michael’s and Holly’s children, and find out about their life in Colorado. Love to see the third Halpert baby, because we know they had one more (I bet it’s a girl named Emily!) I would like to find out if Creed got out of jail, how many thirsty Schrute babies there are, if Terri ever found out about that Stanley cheated on her, just everything!
- Solid characterization.
- What all the characters have accomplished since the documentary finished, similar to the finale, but including everyone, Jan, David Wallace, Michael and Holly, etc.
- what everyone is up to
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What is something you really wanted to see on the show that never happened?
I wish we had seen...
- anything good ever happening for Toby
- Can’t think of anything.
- Explored Cathy’s crush on Jim
- Jan recover her mental capacity.
- Jam first date
- JAM’s first date, Jim’s breakup with Karen, Michael’s wedding (though I know that wasn’t realistic with how they did his departure).
- Jim and Pam’s first Christmas and Valentine’s Day together, stupid writers strike!
- Jim and Pam getting it on, obviously.
- Jim and Pam having fun as a couple. There could have been a lot of humor there, e.g. the wine bottle rolling down through the chairs at Andy’s play
- When Jim and Pam got together, they didn’t really focus on the relationship after that. I would have liked it if they got a lot of the fluff out of the way before focusing on other aspects of the Office.
- Michael’s mom, maybe.
- Michael slapping Jan?
- mose on a date
- Obviously, what happened after “Then…It’s a date”. I would pay good money to see that. Michael and Holly’s wedding, even if they just showed photographs. Also, I was bummed how they didn’t even mention it when Pam had Phillip on the show. No announcement from Jim, no passing out cigars , he didn’t even put a photo of the newborn on his desk! I understand they didn’t want to build a whole episode around it, since they did that for CeeCee, but seriously, nothing? WTH?
- Roy-Jim confrontation
- Ryan getting squashed like a bug.
- toby stand up to michael
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What was your favorite part of the Office Fandom?
It was a pretty great fandom to be part of . . .
My favorite part of the fandom was...
- All the wonderful internet and real life friendships, all the great fanfic, and getting to meet JK several times.
- The amazing stories and waiting for updates, and the boards and friends.
- The awesome community!
- Besides the stories, the cameraderie and the way the writers supported each other.
- Community.
- Discussing the episodes
- The energy of the S3 fandom; UST is fun!
- friendly and polite fans
- Good sense of humor.
- Having a group of people who understood my obsession.
- I can only use a quote from My So-Called Life: “We had a time.”
- It’s a tie between MTT and Office videos on YouTube. Hours of enjoyment.
- Laughs and supportive community
- MTT fic!
- On the whole, everyone was really nice and welcoming, fandom always kind of intimidated me (still kinda does!) but I always felt comfortable with fellow Office Flans.
- This site!
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What was your least favorite part of the Office Fandom?
Why we can’t have nice things….
My least favorite part of the fandom was...
- Nothing!
- Bad, lame stories!
- Being engrossed in a story and then it stops!
- Cliques.
- Fic that was too angsty and over the top, some infighting I hardly even remember now but seemed big at the time
- The drama! (TWoP was the reason most of us came over to MTT)
- Elitist attitude towards sitcoms, they generally HATED Friends or anything with a laugh track.
- In canon, the Pam/Jim/Karen triangle was like the more mellow, low key love triangle you’ll encounter and still was causing shipping wars XD
- shipper wars
- Silly feuding
- Some of the stubborn fans who were argumentative and sometimes rude.
- Spoilers
- As I have read through some of the old forums here, I have been shocked and dismayed by some of the comments that were made about Rashida Jones and Emily Blunt; specifically concerning their relationships with John. I dearly hope that neither John, Emily, nor Rashida ever read some of the things that were written about them.
- There were occasional angsty spats. Yikes!
- The word “squee”
- When the show ended
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What shows do you watch now? Has anything filled the Office hole in your heart?
Lots of love for Michael Schur’s other shows, but for most of us nothing will truly replace Dunder Mifflin Scranton.
Now I watch...
- Another Period, Big Bang Theory, Silicon Valley are my go-to sitcoms now
- Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra, xxxHolic
- Just recently, Blindspot did, because I’ve got the same community, same sense of friendship
- B99. Parks and Rec was close.
- I *want* to watch Brooklyn 99 but of course its on the one streaming service I don’t get. Parks and Rec is definitely one of my “Desert Island” tv shows along with The Office.
- Community but that’s over now. Mindy Project and Jane the Virgin are probably my two favorite lighter shows now.
- Doc Martin. No!l
- No! The good wife but that’s done. OITNB but that’s different.
- Once Upon a Time
- Parks & Rec came close
- Lately I watch Veep, Silicon Valley, The Americans, Brooklyn 99, Bojack Horseman, Man Seeking Woman, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer. Sometimes The Mindy Project. All of these shows are wonderful, but nothing exactly fills that hole.
- Not much, really. The Big Bang Theory and The Middle and Modern Family. Nothing I am obsessed with.
- Nothing has filled the office hole…I like New Girl, but not enough to write for it.
- There aren’t any shows where I’ve whole-heartedly joined a fandom. I love The Middle and The Goldbergs, loved Parks and Rec, looking forward to The Good Place…and then I usually check out anything with a sci-fi or fantasy angle.
- I make it a point to follow the careers of all the folks from the show, and try to watch both their old and current work. For instance, I was fascinated by You, Me, and the Apocalypse when NBC carried it earlier this year. And I do not have a hole in my heart since I love the show more than ever.
- None, no.
- I don’t watch live TV, everything is either on Netflix or Amazon Video or… downloaded.
- No, I’m not really a TV person aside from sports. The Office was it for me.
- Nothing will ever fill it.
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Any other fandom thoughts?
Additional Thoughts
- i always come back to Star Trek so it was nice to play in another fandom for a while
- I am grateful it happened to me! Like I said, it was a surprise at the time, but really helped my writing advance, and it was fun having all those people to squee with in S3 and early S4.
- So grateful you’ve kept it going. I am a faithful reader!
- Thank you for being home!
- Thank you for this trip down memory lane!
- thanks for the trip down memory lane!
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A sincere thanks to everyone who responded!
