Date: December 06, 2007 03:44 am Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
I like the idea of seeing the trajectory of their relationship through the filter of Karen shopping for Jim - an apt metaphor because so much of their relationship was him desperately trying to be that other guy (i.e., the one that wasn't hopelessly in love with Pam) and Karen unwittingly trying to remake him into the guy she needed to be with. Kind of symbiotic...only problem is that wasn't who Jim really was or ever could be. If only he'd come clean/or she'd read the writing on the wall sooner. I like the poignant foreshadowing at the beginning of him not wearing the ties and her pretending it didn't matter - and at the end, the simple detail of him watching on his laptop, not DVD - turning inward/away, not sharing with her, deflecting her with jokes. Ouch. I felt very sad for Karen, but in the long run, the best thing for her was to get out of that relationship and be with someone who was truly emotionally available to her. I digress. This was well done and concise, but with great details and moving.
Author's Response: i love getting your feedback! i do like writing the small details with depth, i think it adds a layer to the whole thing. i'm so glad you picked up on the ties! i didn't want to make it too blatant, but he doesn't wear the ties because (a) it's jim and (b) the blue tie looks like pam's dress from casino night. maybe not the exact material, but enough to make him shudder and not put it on. ever. i agree that karen needed to move on. even if jim and pam had not gotten together, he still wouldn't be what she needed. thank you so much for your words - they mean a lot.
Date: December 05, 2007 09:09 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
Good story, Emily's List! Poor Karen, going from "They were so, so new" to post-Beach Games, and not knowing what was coming next.
This line: "He chuckled for a moment, but it wasn’t quite long enough" was very good, and very true to life.
Nice job!
Author's Response: thank you for your feedback! yes, on the menu was karen torture. i do like her though... in utica. someday, maybe i'll write fluffy, uncomplicated karen/jim. just not anytime soon :)
8 [Report This]Date: December 05, 2007 06:13 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
I really enjoyed this even though it brought my split personality back to the forefront ("I hate Karen" vs "I feel sorry for Karen"). I felt sorry when she was so excited about their new relationship while she was shopping but was in the hating mode reading about Jim showing her how devoted he was after BeachGames. Blech. Seriously though, this was very good.
Author's Response: thank you!! don't we all go through that? it is so interesting, to me, to revisit s3. so much crazy stuff to dig into. i think the post-beach games section isn't about jim's devotion... more about the mirage of that devotion, of him trying to convince her that he was devoted. he did an okay job, obviously, but - i digress. thank you for your feedback :)
Date: December 05, 2007 06:07 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
I like this very much. I like the choices you made in how Karen tries to create a new & improved Jim Halpert. None of them fit. And they're so telling about her.
Author's Response: well i'm so pleased that you got it - i think that when most people enter a r'ship, we try to changes folks to fit our ideas of what is good, cool, etc. karen kind of failed, but she was up against some pretty serious stuff... i'm glad you liked it. your feedback was really great to hear :)
Date: December 05, 2007 04:55 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
ugh. Karen.
and Jim ? needing a haircut ? I've never heard such a thing ! :P but this is still very nicely done ! I loved it :)
Author's Response: i am so in love with jim's haircut. it's adorable. i do not like jkras in a jim wig though - that was not cute. you know, with the haircut section, i wanted to make some allusions to samson and delilah. i'm actually glad i didn't - that's kind of over the top i think. anyway - thanks for the feedback!
Date: December 05, 2007 03:49 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
Ouch. The trust was beginning to grow. Karen didn't even see that bus coming, did she?
Author's Response: yup! that was the idea! i may have gotten a little melodromatic with that bit, but i couldn't help but emphasize how calm karen was after "beach games." if my sig. other's former crush (well not really former) said what pam said TO A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND A CAMERA CREW, i do not think i'd be as cool as karen. the only thing i can think is that while pam's words tore at jim, he tried his damndest to convince karen nothing was up. so - yeah :)
Date: December 05, 2007 03:39 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
This makes me sad. That means you're amazing. as much as I hate Karen, sometimes I have to realize that she was a real girl with feelings. well, as real as a character on a TV show can get anyway... :) i love this.
Author's Response: oh, thank you so much. yes, karen hating is so easy and let's face it, it's what she was there for. and as much as i loooove jim halpert - he was not honest with her. so. i wrote about that :)
Date: December 05, 2007 03:15 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
And what is the appopriate amount of shame, exactly? Well if it inspired this awesome fic, than maybe I can forgive the song choice. But you are on a warning missy. ;)
Author's Response: "awesome fic"? thank you :) well okay. i was walking down 6th ave a couple of weeks ago and the song came into my head. i'm not above saying that beyonce rocks hard. i am just embarassed to admit that i let it influence my high brow writing... ha. i guess penance would have something to do with writing fluffy yet angsty jim/pam stuff...
9 [Report This]Date: December 05, 2007 02:33 pm Title: I can do for you what Martin did for the people
I'm intrigued by the image of Jim in bed wearing glasses. Very sexy...a kind of male variation the "naughty librarian" theme. Makes me wonder, of course, if JK does wear glasses. I think too much. Not healthy? Don't know, don't care. Anyway, even though I'm not a Karen fan, really enjoyed this story, as I enjoy all your stories.
Author's Response: right. the glasses are definitely an invention i use in my writing to show intimacy. you know, seeing the somebody not everyone gets to see. also, the thought of jkras in plastic black frames... amazing :) and thanks for your feedback! i'm glad you liked it. you know, i didn't become a fan of the office until recently. i'm sure if i watched last season, i'd have a lot of venom for karen floating in my veins. as it is, though, i just feel sad for her - and it comes out in my writing. a lot recently. anyway. thanks for the feedback - i always appreciate your imput.