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Holiday Challenges
Just some holiday challenges - DM Style

1) Holly-Days (Puff) -
I'd love to see a challenge involving Michael and Holly and the holidays. Maybe one sends the other a gift, or they talk on the phone, or one decides to surprise the other on Christmas. A bonus would be for Michael to make a bunch of lame Christmas jokes about Holly's name (like in GT- "If we hung Holly from the ceiling, we could kiss under her." Umm, I think you mean Mistletoe there, Michael).

2) Wallace's Party (Mandy) -
I am yet to find a fic detailing the Christmas party that Ryan alluded to when Jim spoke to David Wallace about the website. I think it would be great to see the party; Ryan would be there, Jim and Pam are a couple and Karen also attending as the Utica Branch Manager - and I love fics with David Wallace :)


And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on December 08, 2008 05:48 am 0 Comments
Happy Holidays
Everyone stuffed with turkey and other stuff? Getting ready for whatever holiday you celebrate? Ready to write some fic?

1) Snowy Times (Morning Angel) -
I'd love to read a story involving Jim, Pam, and snow. They could have a snowball fight, go on a ski trip, get lost in a snowstorm...

2) Mistletoe (Grape Soda) -
Anyone (specifcally Jim/Pam) finds themself under the mistletoe during S2 Christmas. Remember, Jim was still with Katy, Pam with Roy, Ryan and Kelly weren't together, and Jan and Michael were still all weird.

3) Home For the Holidays (Morning Angel)-
How do Dunder-Mifflinites celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas?  I conceived of this challenge as a great occasion to meet the employees' families and get a bit more insight into their lives outside the office.


And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on December 01, 2008 06:14 am 0 Comments
Moderator Changes

We would like to announce that sadly, Cousin Mose has decided to step down as a moderator of the archive.  We would like to thank him for all the time and effort he put here in the last year. :)

Morning Angel and the MTT admin team

 



--Morning Angel on November 21, 2008 02:55 pm 0 Comments
Challenges
1) Phillies In The World Series (JennInTheCity) -
The Phillies are in the World Series for the first time since Jim was a teenager (1993) - and they WON! How will he and Pam celebrate?

2) Sogni Miei (EmilyHalpert) -
I was reading a book, and I loved this quote:
ed I miei sogni usati, Ed I bei sogni miei, tosto si dileguar
Now all my past dreams, my beautiful dreams, have melted at once into thin air.
Hopefully someone can do it justice.

3) No Karen (deerinthepark)-
Jim comes back to Scranton, but without Karen.  Will our Jim & Pam still find their way to each other?  Who/what will be Jim's shield?  Or will everything be resolved much more quickly?


And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on November 10, 2008 06:32 am 0 Comments
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween! Pumpkins carved? Bobblehead costumes ready?

1) Zombie Attack (princesslisa) -
I've been thinking of other alternate universe Office stories I would like to see. My current favorite? Zombie outbreak in Scranton. Possible inspirations include the awesome "Re Your Brains" song on Jenna's MySpace and Shaun of the Dead, featuring bored, zombie-like office workers. Extra points given for "but we could DIE" sex.

2) Haunted House (nomadshan) -
In the spirit of Halloween, Michael organizes an office outing to a haunted house.

3) Rocky Horror -
I may just be pepped up from seeing a live production of Rocky Horror picture show, but I think it would be fabulous to issue the challenge of The Office does Rocky Horror.  I have visions of Michael as Dr. Frank N. Furter, and Dwight in sexy black camisoles and fishnets that absolutely must be indulged.  How about it? ;)

4) Masked Ball -
A masked ball at Halloween

Plus, we even have this thread all about Halloween stories!

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on October 27, 2008 07:13 am 0 Comments
More Challenges
Just a few new challenges this week. All of them are based around a quote or a song. Enjoy.

1) Love Is Stronger Than Pride (kreene) -
A song I really like is "Love is Stronger Than Pride" by Sade. Every time I hear it I think of Jim and Pam. So I was wondering if someone wanted to incorporate the song or  just the idea of it into a story.

2) You Don't Know Me -
I'd like to see a challenge based around the song 'You Don't Know Me'. The fic could have the song playing in the background, could have the characters singing it, could base the song off the fic or whatever....

3) Mystery Woman (Strider) -
I came across this description:
Her hazel eyes seemed to have experienced all possible tragedy and to have mounted pain and suffering like steps into a high calm and a superhuman understanding.
I challenge y'all to write a story about this woman (you may change her eye color).

Maybe these will inspire some stories!

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on October 13, 2008 08:15 am 0 Comments
Baby Challenges

Holy crap, that was a great premiere! I've watched the proposal a thousand times over. Sure kicked my ass.
Anyways, now that Jim and Pam are engaged, well, obviously, I'm ready for some JAM babies! So, here are two oldies but goodies involving Jim and Pam as parents.

1) Pam's Pregnancy (belsum) -
Pam found out she's pregnant. What happens when she lets the rest of the office know?

2) Daddy Jim (SaraBell) -
What would Jim be like as a father? He could either be with Pam or someone else.  Would he be strict or help his kids with pranks?

We finally get a new episode again this week! Enjoy the episode, enjoy the writing. Basically, enjoy having the show back!

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

 

And - don't forget to comment on the fanfic primer (see below)!



--EmilyHalpert on October 06, 2008 08:07 am 0 Comments
Fanfic Primer - Comments

You nominated them, you voted for them, now's the time to tell us why.

We want to ask people to contribute a few sentences commenting on stories that were part of JAM or other pairings fanfic primer.  You can write blurbs for as few or as many stories as you wish, but it might be particularly nice to could start with the top 10 vote getters in the JAM category, which were:

1) I Just Wanted To Be Famous
2) Pack Up Your Bags, It's Never Too Late!
3) Hope
4) Vox
5) Canary
6) The Love Song of Squirrel McPants
7) Vanilla
8) Climbing As We Fall
9) Breakable
10) Truth and Consequences

The top vote getters for the Other stories

1) Hey Jealousy
2) Life Under The Observer Effect
3) Five Firsts (or, how Dwight, Jim, Angela, Pam and Michael lost their virginity)
4) Occasionally We Stop and Stare Past Tiny Paintings
5) stitch myself together and tie the ends in knots


You can post your comments in the comment thread.

Thanks for your help!



--Emily on September 30, 2008 04:57 pm 0 Comments
A few challenges
I figure by Thursday, we will have enough to write about. But until then, here are some challenges.

1) Going To The Chapel (Strider) -
I'm really liking these quotes. Use this quote, write a story around it. Any characters, any time frame, etcetera.
You've just got to marry me!

2) First Time For Everything (Hannah_Halpert) -
This can be anything from Jim and Pam’s first date, to their first night together, their first birthday/holiday celebrated together, first time meeting each other’s family…

Enjoy and can't wait til Thursday! Watch the episode, and then get writing, okay?


And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on September 22, 2008 07:33 am 0 Comments
Just A Week And A Half Away....
Yay! Only 9 days away. Are you excited? Very excited? Extremely excited? .... Just very? That's cool.
So, in order to celebrate this momentous occasion (the 9 days before the Season Five premiere), I have some new challenges.

1) Deleted Scenes -
I'm sure we've all gotten the DVD by this point, so why not expand on some of the delete scenes we've seen. Lots of fun could be involved. (of course, I haven't actually watched the DVD yet... bad fan!)
-An MTTer sent in this challenge, but didn't include their name. Please let me know so I can credit you.

2) Oh D! (untherapy) -
I know we are JAM writers, but I really think someone needs to jump on the end of the finale and really break up Andy/Angela: What happened before Phyllis came in? What happens after she see them? How does D win the day?? Definitely needs to be some development here before the writers come back and impose their ideas on us.

3) No, I'm Not Dead (Strider) -
Okay, I just really like this idea. Use the quote and write a story around it. Any characters, any time frame. (Less than 700 words would be preferred)
"Yes, it’s me. And no, I’m not dead."

Hope these spark some creative writing. And just think, in 9 days, we have some actual episodes to work with!

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on September 16, 2008 10:28 am 0 Comments
More Olympic Challenges

Well, the Olympics are about halfway over, and how amazing in Michael Phelps? Seriously, its pretty awesome. And I decided to find something else sports related for the challenges.

1) Dunder-Mifflin Tennis Tournament (Halpert) - So I was watching Wimbledon and wondered what would happen if the Dunder Mifflin employees had to participate in a tennis tournament against other companies. Will Karen be paired with Pam? How is Dwight's serve against Jim's backhand?

2) Paintball (Lizzy559) -
Jim and Pam team up in the 1st annual Dunder-Mifflin paintball tournament out at Dwight's beet farm.

Okay, so I may be stretching some definitions of sports a bit, but if it gets you writing, its worth it.

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!



--EmilyHalpert on August 19, 2008 11:01 am 0 Comments
Olympic Challenges
The Olympics are in full swing (and we even have a thread about it in the forum), so why not some sports-themed challenges to get in the spirit.

1) Play Ball! (EmilyHalpert) -
I really want to see Pam at a baseball game... really, I guess Pam at any sporting event will be cool, but Pam+baseball=love.

2) Let's Get Physical (Jess) -
Dunder Mifflin has a new employee gym. All types of hilarity and locker room awkwardness ensue. Of course Michael probably wears something ridiculous and ends up hurting himself.

We may not be able to be in China with the Olympics, but you can write like you are (lame, confusing, I know!)

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

--EmilyHalpert on August 12, 2008 06:20 am 0 Comments
Travel Challenges

New challenges time!

Well, I just got back from a fun vacation (okay, workcation ;)), and so I decided to pick two challenges that have to do with travel...

1) Road Trip (samsmom) -
Jim and Pam on a road trip. I don't know where they are going or when it takes place. It is all up to you.

2) 55 Words To Leave Scranton (Morning Angel)
Write 55 words about someone departing Scranton.

Any takers for some traveling fun?

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!



--EmilyHalpert on August 05, 2008 10:01 am 0 Comments
New Challenges
We haven't had any challenges featured in a while, and with summer in full swing, here are some summer related challenges to get you writing! (come on, writing fanfic is better than being outside in this heat!)

1) Summer Jobs (Cousin Mose) -
What did Dunder-Mifflin employees do for work as teenagers or during college? Did Jim have a paper route? Did Dwight sell beets door to door? Did Angela ever work at Hot Dog on a Stick? It's summertime...go get a job!

2) Hot Hot Heat
It's rather hot outside, so why not have a challenge with Jim and Pam trying to get relief from the heat.
(an MTTer sent in this challenge, but did not provide their name, if you suggested it, let me know so I can give you credit)

So, get writing!

And as a reminder, if you have challenge ideas, you can submit them in the challenges thread on the forum, or email them to us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks!



--EmilyHalpert on July 28, 2008 12:07 pm 0 Comments
Happy Second Birthday, MTT!
I was out of town for the last few days so I forgot to post this before, but on July 9th, the archive turned 2.  Thank you all for having made this place such a wonderful community!

--Morning Angel on July 13, 2008 03:38 pm 0 Comments
Vote for Your Favourite Stories
You can now pick stories you think should be included in the fanfic primer. Go vote for your favourite Jim/Pam and Other stories!


--Morning Angel on June 15, 2008 10:46 am 0 Comments
A Few Additional Precisions About the New Submission System

1) It doesn't change anything as far as how you submit stories. You still click "Add Story" and submit. The only difference is that it goes to a queue for the mods to review before it is added to the "Most Recent" page

2) We're not making this change to interfere with what people want to write; the goal is not censorship. You can still write whatever pairings or genres of stories that you want provided they fall within the guidelines that have always been in place in this archive.

3) We are NOT trying to make it an archive for a select crowd, nor  do we want to discourage newbies. In fact, we are wanting to make this a more pleasant and welcoming place for all to come and read or share their writing. What we are trying to avoid are stories that are poorly formatted making it really difficult to read, look untouched by a spell checker, or look put together in 5 minutes. A systematic review also gives us the chance to ensure spoiler warnings are present, and that proper ratings and labels are applied.

I hope this clears up some questions.



--Morning Angel on June 06, 2008 02:50 pm 6 Comments
Major Change in Story Submission
In the past few months at MTT we've noticed a couple of new trends. The first, an increase in the quantity of fics being published, is actually a good thing (Who doesn't love more fanfic, right?). But when this trend is accompanied by the second, a decrease in the quality of fics being published, I think we can all agree that some changes need to be made.

In light of this, we've decided to change our submission policy at MTT. As all published authors (and I think most readers) are aware, the current set-up allows authors to instantaneously add new stories and chapters to the archive.

Beginning June 6th, this will no longer be the case. Instead, the archive admins will be reviewing each new story before it's made available to the public. This review will simply be a quick check that your submission follows the MTT submission guidelines that have always been in place. If it does, your story will be made available to everyone. If not, we will contact you and explain what you will need to revise before we can let your story be published.

This change in our system will give new authors additional support as they post their first stories. Our admin team will be making sure that there are no problems with formatting, rating or categorizing since the MTT readership has come to expect stories that are polished both in content and in form.

We know that the majority of authors here are conscientious about following the guidelines. That's why we'll also be establishing a system to let experienced authors bypass this review after you've proved to us that you're capable of posting correctly. For some authors this may mean you'll never even have to worry about this.

If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, feel free to contact us at morethanthat1@gmail.com

We appreciate your patience as we make this change. We want MTT to be a welcoming place for everyone, and we know it can be with your cooperation. Thanks everyone!

--MTT Admin Team on June 05, 2008 08:48 pm 0 Comments
Fanfic by Mood or Theme
On the boards, we created a folder for reading suggestions. Every week, we'll add a new theme or mood and ask you the readers to mention stories that you have enjoyed that fall under that given category. It's nice if you explain why you liked that story or how it relates to the theme. Then, we hope these threads can serve as a reference to use when you feel like reading something specific.

Since summer is fast approaching, go to the boards and give us some summer-themed (or heat-related) stories. Smiley

If you have any theme/mood/scenario you'd like to see featured, do PM one of the admins or email us at morethanthat1@gmail.com

--Morning Angel on May 31, 2008 07:11 pm 0 Comments
MTT Primer Update
Announcing the fanfic primer update!

Hello MTT-ers. We're asking for your help as we update MTT's fanfic primer. The current primer is sadly outdated and we'd like to come up with a new one that recognizes both the "classics" of Office fanfic, and some outstanding newer stories.

In order to do this, we need you to email us your top 5 Jam stories and your top 5 "Other" stories. (Other includes ensemble fics and stories about other pairings.) If you only want to nominate stories for one category that's fine. We welcome any input.

Please note that you are only allowed to send us one set of nominations and your nomination email should include your MTT penname. When we receive your nomination we'll send you an email confirming that we got it. If you don't get this email within three days of sending us your nomination, please contact one of the mods; we want to make sure everyone's vote gets counted.

We're going to give you until midnight EDT on Saturday, June 14th to send us your nominations, after which we'll be narrowing down the choices a bit more.

If you have questions feel free to contact us at morethanthat1@gmail.com. Thanks for your help!

--Azlin on May 28, 2008 01:13 pm 2 Comments
List of Ribboned Stories
The wonderful Azlin has created a list of all stories who received a ribbon from the administrators of the archive over the last 2 years.  If you want to see this list, head on over to this thread on the message board ! 

--Morning Angel on May 23, 2008 06:30 am 0 Comments
The Final Four

 

And so we have the Final Four of Member's Choice Madness!!

Thanks again to all of you who voted!!!

Friendly Advice by uncgirl
when all this time you didn't know love by unfold
Up in Jim's Room by wendolf
Blink (and you'll miss it) by xoxoxo

 

 

Stay tuned for another chance for you to feature your favorites post finale.  We'll be updating our fanfic primer.  Vote for the stories/authors you think are essential reading for an Office fanfic fan.

 

Details to follow.



--xoxoxo on April 28, 2008 05:33 pm 0 Comments
Member's Choice Update

I'm a slacker but I wanted to post the latest in Member's Choice news for you. 

I never mentioned this here last week (bad xoxoxo!!) - but the second set of stories featured was:

My Love is Strong Enough, to Last When Things are Rough by dundiefromgod
Any Reason by Geinnob
Charcoal & Watercolors by I Know This Much Is True
A Matter of Timing by Lissa_Maylee

Honorable Mention: Baby Talk by Lovefool (which has an update today!)

This week's featured stories are:

to calm and comfort by Lyss
The Great Escape by PhatHalpert
Names and Places by shootingstars
Vox by sophia_helix
Oracle Mom by time4moxie

There is one more batch to come after this.  Thanks again to all of you who have participated!!!



--xoxoxo on April 19, 2008 05:14 am 0 Comments
Thanks!

Thanks to all of you who voted in our Member's Choice contest.  The first five winners are featured as of today. 

Please check back in coming weeks for updates.  Without further ado.....

~ Our top nominee ~

Observer Effect by GodInThisChilis

Honorable Mentions

Fathers and Daughters. Women and Men. by Stablergirl

Euclid Wasn't Perfect by Becky215

The Garbage Can Letters by Azlin

and to round out the first 5 stories

The New Happy by Colette

Stay tuned for another way to express your love for some of the stories archived here.  Next we will be updating our Fanfic Primer.  Think of the stories that got you hooked, the ones you think are essential for someone new to fanfic.  

Details to follow soon!!!

 



--xoxoxo on March 31, 2008 07:26 pm 0 Comments
Member's Choice Madness!!

In anticipation of the April return of our favorite show (and for those who don't follow College Basketball) it's time for.... 

March Member's Choice Madness!!!

(and sigh.  OK.  People who follow basketball can play too. ;) ) 

Here's the deal:

Beginning at 12 Midnight ET on March 1st - please email morethanthat1@gmail.com with your nomination of a story you would like to see featured with a blue ribbon on the archive. Nominations will close at 9 PM ET on March 31st* 

*Nominations received before or after these parameters are not eligible. 

Rules/Requirements  

1) Only one (1) story nomination per member will be considered. 

2) Probably a given but for the record - authors may not nominate their own works. 

3) Story must be complete - not a "work in progress" (WIP).  Works finished during the month of March are eligible but only after marked as "complete". 

4) The story must not have been featured on the archive previously.    

5) In the interest of fairness if a particular author receives nominations for more than one story only one work by that author will be featured.   

6) The top nominated story will be featured for the entire month of April.   In addition, nominated stories will be featured (2 each week) for the rest of the month.  We hope to have about 10 "Member's Choice" stories in all. 

7) Stories nominated through the gmail account ONLY will be considered.   Nominations made on the "Recommendations" thread in the MTT Forum or similar will not be eligible. 

If you have any additional questions re: the nomination process, please feel free to comment here or PM me. 

Thanks and happy nominating!!!

 

 



--xoxoxo on February 26, 2008 09:03 am 0 Comments