1 [Report This]Date: November 09, 2017 12:13 pm Title: Shipping Out
About nine years late to the party but this is fantastic, very different but still very emotional and romantic, I will definitely be rereading this one and will surely find something new each time.
Sadly I'm too late to enjoy the multimedia aspects of this fic but should you see this and should you still have those extras we wanted to offer our help in getting it back online so this story can be enjoyed more fully. Just let me know!
Date: November 02, 2008 05:53 pm Title: Shipping Out
Sweetpea,
The synopsis for your story had caught my eye many a time while I came here and I finally had the time to check out your story. My kids are tucked up in bed and I have spent the last hour or so submerged in your story. It surrounded me and pulled me in and made the rest of the world melt away. It is unlike any fanfiction I have ever read.
I loved the way you characterized Jim and Pam in this story. When he was reading to his class I saw shades of "Office Olympics" Jim. A Jim who was excited and passionate about what he was doing. It was also very refreshing to see what Pam could be without a decade of suffocation from Roy. They seemed like the characters we know, but brought keenly into focus.
This story was creative, challenging, passionate and romantic and I know it's one that I will read and re-read.
Thank you.
Author's Response:
Beeswax, this is me giving you a giant virtual hug for this wonderful review! You know, I think you captured what I was trying to do with these characters in an A/U better than I could have ever summed up. I love the way you described reading this, too! I miss writing this already and I experienced such a letdown when it was finished. I like to think that I've challenged myself in some small way with each story. This was a big one! (TWSS) I'm so glad you enjoyed it and re-reading is a huge compliment. Thank you so much for such great feedback and I hope I see you again.
10 [Report This]Date: October 31, 2008 01:43 pm Title: Epilogue
Breathtaking. Beautiful. Brilliant.
Author's Response: Wow, BerryJam. I want to do it all over again and do it better. I had the strangest reaction after I finished this one. I was really happy with each chapter as it happened, but when it was done, I just wanted to start all over again. ::sigh:: I guess it should just be on to something else! I'm so glad you enjoyed this and thank you so much for telling me!
Date: October 30, 2008 01:23 am Title: Epilogue
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
Sweetpea, this is FANTASTIC!!!! I am in love with this story. Sheer brilliance all around!!!! I am speechless.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much, moneybeet! I'm so glad you enjoyed this and thanks so much for commenting!
9 [Report This]Date: October 29, 2008 08:59 pm Title: Epilogue
i love the multimedia aspect! kind of pulls it all together in a really fantastic way. love it all. maybe there's a way to see his second book? :)
Author's Response: Ha, EL! Aren't you sly? I loved taking advantage of the medium this way - really fun. I'm so glad you enjoyed this and thanks so much for the review.
10 [Report This]Date: October 29, 2008 09:29 am Title: Shipping Out
Ahh. I am sure you're going to get amazing, insightful, intelligent comments about this epilogue and about the story as a whole. Sadly, this is not one of them. This is, instead, an expression of thanks from someone who has feasted on this and been satisfied. What you've created and what you've left out form something whole and beautiful and balanced. Wonderful.
Author's Response: nqllisi, this is exactly what I expect from your stories: beautifully clear, honest, and concise thought and emotion. It was my absolute pleasure. I knew this story wasn't going to appeal to everyone but I really wanted to make something special for anyone who chose to read. I'm so glad you were one. Thank you so much.
Date: October 29, 2008 06:14 am Title: Shipping Out
A very creative and entertaining tribute to two geniuses.
*loud ovation*
I enjoyed this so much, thanks for putting in what I'm pretty certain were long hours on this one - a labor of love, no doubt.
PS - The pic/bio of Halpert the writer made me snork big time.
Author's Response:
Truly a labor of love, jazzfan. Now that it's done and I've had a couple nights to relax, I just want to do it all over again and do it better. Ugh.
Thank you so much for reading, I'm thrilled you enjoyed it and thank you for letting me know.
Date: October 28, 2008 06:12 pm Title: Epilogue
A wonderful tribute to the man, sweetpea. I even think John would smile at what you've done with his little AU life fantasy.
It's amazing how you picked all these pieces out of the "Total Noise" and made them speak to us all. John's alternate career, the lovely Neruda sonnets, the whole love/grief/healing theme, as well as all the shoutouts to DFW such as Mrs. Thompson, the BI's, the dog, the bandanna, and I'm sure I missed a bunch. It's like one of those Highlights Magazine puzzles: "Find all the references to DFW in this piece". Was there a lobster mentioned somewhere, lol?
My favorite though is the call to pick and choose what's important, what's necessary, and what's needed to combat sadness and loneliness. I'm glad Jim was finally able to allow Pam into his heart.
"This is water. This is water." Words to remember.
My long awaited smut next? *bounces up and down like Pam in the computer*
Author's Response:
You. What can I say?
There was a lobster!! I'm so glad you mentioned it! I read so much in the two weeks or so after his death, that all of these lines and snippets and details were in my head. When he talks about seducing the reader - yes, absolutely. I felt like I was unzipping my dress after the first few pages. I feel utterly ill-equipped to pay tribute - like, here's the lint from the bottom of my pockets - it's all I have.
It's hard to get respite from the Total Noise. I understand that so well - replacing all the voices with one voice. There will never be another one. 1-1-2009 - the journey begins.
Yes, girl in the computer! Smutcakes coming up!
:-)
Date: October 28, 2008 03:03 pm Title: Epilogue
What a beautiful story and a great tribute to Neruda and Wallace. Once again this is by far one of the most orignal stories out there. I am sad to see this story end.
What a great surprise to see so many people from MTT helping you out. That is wonderful.
Author's Response:
Aww, I was sad to see it end, too, Alamos! Normally, I spend such a long time with something that I'm relieved to post it and be done, but I really loved being in this world with them. I'm so glad you enjoyed it and if you think it's a fitting tribute, that makes me happier than anything. I read giants like them and feel so grateful to have a perfect model to follow, however feebly.
It was such great fun to get so much help with the Epilogue! Lovefool and I have been knocking stuff around for awhile now - I contacted her out of the blue to see if she wante to co-author something. I just loved her style and I think she's so funny - I thought we could do something together. We've tried - we really have! But it just turned into a wonderful friendship - as warm and supportive as any real life friendship. I trust her implicitly with characters and storylines - she has wonderful instincts.
Those other two? Hoo and Colette? Yeah, if they hang in there, they'll be stars someday! </Bad John Krasinski imitation>. They're so awesome and I was thrilled and honored to have their help.
10 [Report This]Date: October 28, 2008 12:03 pm Title: Epilogue
LOVED this story. Amazinggggg
Author's Response: Thank you so much aimzers! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for letting me know.
10 [Report This]Date: October 28, 2008 07:26 am Title: Epilogue
This story was so beautifully written, Sweetpea. I usually can't get into AU-type stuff, and especially with the characters (namely Pam) being so different from the show--but it turned out to be just a really great piece of fiction in general. Beautiful, poetic, and heartbreaking(ly hopeful)--and of course, Neruda just makes it that much better. Well done! Hope to see more of your work :)
Author's Response:
What a wonderful review, okayibelieveyou! I've never done anything like this before and the more I thought about this world, the more things opened up for me in a kind of scary way. If there's never been a DM nor a Roy here, how does that change both characters? I knew Pam would be significantly different and it was extremely enjoyable for me to write her in this story. I loved giving her so much color and life and I hoped that readers would accept her that way. I think Jim is different here, too - he's more tender and less cynical. I think those are the differences in a world where they've always been working at things they're passionate about. And, gosh yes, Neruda makes everything better, doesn't he?
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! See you next time.
10 [Report This]Date: October 28, 2008 06:01 am Title: Epilogue
Good morning--it's me again! I had last night to sleep on this. It hasn't left my mind. Truthfully, this story has been creeping around my mind since line one. So, I'm waiting for the train to work this morning and had a thought which made me read the epilogue again when I arrived at work. I love that their baby is due in August. Full circle for Jim, isn't it? Now he can consider August a happy place rather than a melancholy one. It also makes me smile because it brings to mind colette's August, one of my other faves. Sweetpea, you are aces in my book (but I think you already knew that). Off to hop in the smutcake line where I will be waiting patiently with the other gals ; )
Author's Response: Oh, Nan, look at you! YES, the baby IS due in August and I hoped that wasn't getting too cute, but I dearly love story symmetry. I really hated leaving that world myself - it felt so bucolic at the end and so bright. That's the word Lovefool used when I worried that I'd wrapped it up too neatly. No violins, just bright. Thanks so much, and next time you see me, I'll be in the gutter. :-)
Date: October 28, 2008 05:11 am Title: Epilogue
Not only did you create a whole world in this story, in the epilogue you suggested an entire meta one on top of that, with the notes, book, tv show and pictures. Dang, woman - you've gone and raised the bar for the rest of us again. It's no longer enough to quote a song or poem in a fic, now we actually have to WRITE one. I don't know whether to hug you or slap you ;-)
So proud of you for this whole production. Right when I was kind of feeling over fanfic, you reeled me back. And now, thanks to Ms. Hoo's wizardry, I have an actual visual of bespectacled Jim (who previously only lived in my febrile little mind.) Nuclear heat, I tell you. But more importantly, I have this whole parallel universe to daydream about, which I assure you I will.
It was an honor to be any small part of this. Helping you on the poem was not only fun, but it actually gave me a yen to maybe write some poetry myself, which I haven't done in eons - so, thanks for making my head go there again. Okay, better wind this up. Been a pleasure, my friend. Old girl power!
Author's Response:
HA! Old girl power, indeed! We have insurance! (Weird Fried Green Tomatoes reference) And I'll take a hug, thanks!
When I first started cooking this story up, I thought it would go about 10 chapters. I even have an outline for it! It was a very traditional love story and I really can't explain what happened. After I rewrote and posted chapter 2 I told Lovefool "I have a million thoughts about where this can go next and I'm not married to any of them - what do you think?" After she freaked out, she talked me out of switching to Pam's POV and I even had a thought about doing a chapter from Jeeves' POV. Okay, so I had some wine that night! The BI chapter was divine intervention and I loved the idea but it was really hard to write that. Chapter 4 was tough because it had to do so much - Lovefool told me it didn't have to all be in one chapter - maybe I should write more if it felt forced, and that was good advice, but I was completely sold on the idea of wrapping this up quickly but completely. I don't know why, but I suspect you may have the same thought - there's no need to tell every last detail in every story. It's okay to leave things out and give the reader something to do and think about.
I really got a charge out of all the meta-ness of the Epilogue! That was way too much fun to think about and I'd like to say that writing the poem was fun but it so wasn't! Please, I am passing the poem baton to you! If posting prose makes me feel vulnerable, posting poetry is like ripping my clothes off and running through the archive naked! Major props to anyone who does it and I can't thank you enough for your help and your inspiration and your discerning eye.
Date: October 28, 2008 04:33 am Title: Epilogue
oh, this makes me so happy. I loved every word of it.
Author's Response: I can't ask for any more than that, katiej. That makes ME so happy. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Date: October 27, 2008 10:08 pm Title: Epilogue
We did get lucky...but I have to tell you I got the better end of the deal with this one. Being your beta has been incredible, not just because I got a sneak peek at greatness with every chapter, but also because it taught ME so much about what really good writing is. This story was everything a good story should be...it was outside of the box thinking...it was creative without being full of itself...and that's such a hard line to walk. It was romantic without ever being cliche...
And most of all -- it kept the characters in mind. Even though this was completely AU, you kept the core of who these two people are very, very true.
You make me want to be a better writer.
Author's Response:
This is just as good as it gets. :-)
Here's what you did for me: To me, you hold the book on these characters, in their best and purest form. I come along and want to put funny hats on them and make them dance and I look to you to say whether they can or not. Also, I always want to please you with whatever I'm writing. I trust that reaction from you so much and even though, at this point, I can almost predict it, I still want it and you always surprise me with something I hadn't thought of. I know this made you crazy because I posted chapter 1 without having rewritten chapter 2 and then after I posted 2 and said "I really don't have any idea where this can go, but let's go crazy - what do you think?" Talk about testing your nerves and mine! But it was good to get the blood going, wasn't it? :-)
So glad we keep trying to write something together - someday! Love and thanks and a big smooch.
Date: October 27, 2008 08:43 pm Title: Epilogue
Whoa, I helped make this chapter happen? Then I have done my part to make the universe a better place.
Seriously, you thunk it up, I just followed orders. Thanks for taking me along for the ride. It was worth feeding my kids chicken nuggets, again.
BTW -- you make me want to attempt Infinite Jest.
Cannot wait to see what your warped & wonderful mind comes up with next.
Author's Response:
Look, those little girls are just going to have to suck it up and eat the nuggets once in awhile if their mom is an Artiste! I can't thank you enough for all your time and effort. I could have just written about the book but this takes 'show don't tell' to a different dimension. As long as we're in cyberspace and we have hypertext and graphics and all those cool toys to play with - why not?
There is no way I can put you and EH off any longer. My warped mind is going straight to the gutter. See you there, my friend! And thank you so much!
10 [Report This]Date: October 27, 2008 07:58 pm Title: Epilogue
You have to be the most unique writer on here. This story is so captivating and you've brought these characters - in a way that doesn't feel forced, it's just REAL - into an entirely different world but kept everything that makes us love them. This was just wonderful to read, and so gorgeous, and God just that John interview in itself makes me swoon and seeing it all fleshed out... coherency isn't one of my strong points in my reviews, obviously. Just know that this story is perfect in about ten different ways.
Author's Response:
The JK interview is indeed swoonworthy, isn't it, flonkerton? It's easy to imagine him like this after he pretty much laid the character out for me! Thanks, John! Call me!
All your comments here, wow. They make me feel great. This is the first real AU story for me, so I wasn't sure at all if it was going to work - taking the characters completely out of their context and creating a new one? But the picture I had of Jim as a teacher was so clear in my mind - I just wanted to make it real. So when I read this, yeah, that's a big smile on my face.
I've not written a ton of stories, but I'm trying to challenge myself. I'm evolving! Well, maybe not so much. I'll be back in the smut saddle after this. :-) Thank you for such a great review!
10 [Report This]Date: October 27, 2008 07:22 pm Title: Epilogue
DFW's writing style has not been one that appeals to me (I couldn't get through Brief Interviews for my JK book club last year), but I have really enjoyed your fic. I really loved this epilogue and the multimedia with it. Really great work!
Author's Response: He's not everybody's cup of tea, that's for sure Jenn and he doesn't leave much room for a middle ground - either love or hate. Given that you don't care for him, I'm thrilled you gave this fic a go and actually enjoyed it! I loved doing the epilogue and ending this on a happy note. Plus! I got Lisahoo to put JKras in a pair of glasses! Nice! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Date: October 27, 2008 06:47 pm Title: Epilogue
I enjoyed this story but I wish we would have gotten to read more about their life, proposal, etc. Very cute though.
Author's Response: Glad you liked this, Bayjb. I'll leave the proposal to your imagination! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.
10 [Report This]Date: October 27, 2008 06:32 pm Title: Epilogue
Wow... I'm really not much of a reviewer because I rarely know what to say and "Good job" seems so trite. That being said since this story reached into some long forgotten hollow in my soul and twisted I feel the need to say something. So thank you for awakening parts long forgotten, even the dark scary ones. Few have the ability to draw out raw emotion and you and Neruda seem to be among them.
Author's Response:
Wow - I know about awakening parts, Small Tuna. That's what reading DFW and then writing this story did for me. I'm the same with reviews - sometimes all I can really think to say sounds dumb in my head, but I should know better. Just knowing that someone read a story and enjoyed it is just unbelievable. There's a fine line between writing something emotional that makes someone feel something and manipulating emotions. I think I've always tended to have a heavy hand and I hope I'm learning to refine that. I'm so pleased you enjoyed this and thank you so much for letting me know!
10 [Report This]Date: October 27, 2008 06:10 pm Title: Epilogue
Wow. I read the epilogue and I was like – that's it? I want more! THen I clicked the LJ link. Amazing, amazing, amazing. Talk about something being more than the sum of its parts. The little notes would be just that, post-it notes, without the book. The book is so much more meaningful because of the interchange that precedes it.
Amazing. Did I mention that I really love this?!?!?
And the poem was great ... and lisahoo's graphics were great. Love the choice of photo of Jenna in the grass. It's perfect for your two characters. Great job on the glasses.
Did I mention that I LOOOOVE this??
Author's Response:
VB, it's so nice to see you and to read this! Just exactly the kind of reaction I was hoping for when I cooked up the idea for the book. Thank goodness for Lisahoo or else I would have probably ended with the last chapter, which I guess would have been fine, but I really, really wanted to do this. It was great fun - the whole story was a lot of fun to write - but it is fun to get a little help from your friends! I love that pic of Jenna, too, and that is just how I imagined her (when she isn't being naughty in the kitchen) and I'm glad you think so too. Thrilled you liked this and thanks for letting me know!
10 [Report This]Date: October 27, 2008 05:29 pm Title: Epilogue
Sweetpea. I don't know what to say. Jim's poem? The jounal entries? The photos? Guh. No words. You (and your posse) are without equal. My only complaint? I'm still hungry for more. You have so piqued my interest in these characters that I just don't want to leave them. I had no idea that this was what you had in store as the epilogue of this amazing fic. I'm rambling, I know, but I just had to get this out while it's fresh in my mind. I will most definitely revisit this story again and again and will look forward to whatever that amazing mind of yours settles on next. I only wish I could rate you higher than a 10.
Author's Response:
Nan, when you asked me if I was going to return to the interview format for the epilogue, I was dying to tell you what I had in mind, but surprises are good things, right? I think this was so much fun! Of course, lisahoo did all the graphic work, so I'm not sure if she'd agree with me or not. I DO know she loved putting those glasses on our boyfriend - and I wouldn't mind taking them off!
I'm going to miss these folks, too! I'd like to tackle a different challenge next time, but first: I owe some people some smutcakes! Thank you so much for the wonderful comments! This was a challenge and great fun and I'm so glad you enjoyed. Til next time. :-*
10 [Report This]Date: October 27, 2008 05:22 pm Title: Epilogue
I love this story so much. I know I tell you that in every review but it's true. I love the intricate details you weaved into this story and you are truly talented. This story has made me go back and read all of your work and leave the reviews you so deserve. I will definitely read this again. I may not trust Phyllis, but I trust you with whatever you choose to write. I'm all for a Sweetpea, Lisahoo, Colette, and Lovefool joint project and I hope this isn't the last one I see!
P.S. Who's the guy in the drawing? I feel like I'm missing something vital to the story!
Author's Response: elly, or should I say E-money? Thank you so much for being such a faithful reader and reviewer - it means the world to me and I'm so glad you enjoyed this. I would like nothing better than a joint project with those fabulous women! What a blast that would be! The guy in the drawing is DFW himself. :-*
Date: October 27, 2008 05:20 pm Title: Epilogue
That last chapter was the most creative thing I have seen. Your notes to your friends at the end brought a lump to my throat. Congratulations on a masterpiece!
Author's Response:
This last chapter was a truly collaborative effort, kh. I'm so glad you enjoyed this and thank you so much for letting me know!
Date: October 23, 2008 10:37 am Title: This is Water
Don't feel pressured- this is your vision and your gift to us. We must accept it gratefully. And I am grateful, because this chapter, too, is beautiful.
Author's Response: You put a lump in my throat, nqllisi! Thank you so much for this sweet comment. It's reassuring and gratifying to know you're reading and enjoying and I'm grateful to you for saying so! :-*