1 [Report This]Date: January 17, 2021 10:59 pm Title: Love Bears All Things
Yeah, this is interesting, seeing this moment happen at a time when Jim and Pam are still in conflict and how the context totally changes it - Pam's fear of resentment feels a lot harder to dispel here.
I love this moment on the couch. I feel like we needed the reminder that these two people are both heartbroken by where things are right now.
Author's Response:
Thank you!
One aspect of Pam that I touched on was that she was proud of speaking up at the beach because she ended up getting the guy. But she suddenly stops believing in herself again due to the troubles in their marriage. It remains to be seen if she'll find the courage again.
I wrote Jim in the couch scene in a way that he really does put his family over anything else. He's made mistakes definitely, particularly with the dance recital which is why I brought it back. Even with the fight, Pam was trapping Jim in a corner so he deserved to get mad. But with the couch scene, he still manages to come through for her.
1 [Report This]Date: January 17, 2021 09:44 pm Title: Love Suffers Long
...woah.
Every chapter is like a stab through my heart. But in a good way, because I thrive on angst. Both of their thoughts are very true to the characters and the callbacks are a delight. Can’t wait to see your take on Michael!
Author's Response:
Thank you! I have achieved my goal if people feel uncomfortable reading this because it's like watching a "will they or won't they story" except the question is will they get a divorce?
I try as much as possible to bring nostalgia because I need the two of them to realize they've had really great moments together. As far as Michael is concerned, well Jim should know what he signed up for. He is Michael Scott after all.
1 [Report This]Date: January 17, 2021 05:28 pm Title: Love Believes All Things
Now that's a real interesting turn of events. I'm very surprised and I like it. To seek out Micheal is a spot of genius. "Never, ever, ever give up." If there's one person in their lives has always been rooting for the two of them it's Micheal. Really looking forward to seeing where we go with this.
Also all of Pam's thoughts about everything ring true as well. She's still got a lot of emotial content to get through, but it fits.
Looking forward to seeing where we go from here.
Author's Response:
Thank you!
Jim and Michael were my favorite tandem from the show and I feel like Jim looks up to him more than he could admit. So it was always my plan to bring Jim to Colorado, but I had to make it seem realistic. I don't think Jim would have left if things were looking like they were getting better so I had to bring in the fight from the previous chapter.
Pam's inner struggle for me is always about trying to be more honest. I think what's preventing her from doing it is her fear of losing Jim in the process but she doesn't know that it is what's destroying them. We'll see in the next chapters how they'll deal with this communication problem especially since Jim is away.
Date: January 17, 2021 05:22 pm Title: Love Bears All Things
Yeah that's a bit of a hit for sure. Though from how you've been writing this story it's also right where Jim and Pam are. They're not on the same page and it shows. Jim sees a problem and he's tring to fix it. However I don't think Pam want the problem fixed, she just wants him. Though I get why he'd be frustrated. He's trying to give her that and she still snaps at him. So he feels like damned if I do, damned if I don't. Anything I do will be wrong.
But then Cece appears. In her little Cece way she show wat it means to really be a family. Loved the image of them curled up on the couch like that. Jim with his girls on him. There's still a lot of heartbreak, but even with the fight there's still a glimmer of hope. Great writing to bring that out.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the review! I've been writing it in such a way that Jim wants to give everything to Pam but she doesn't believe he will come through for him. So the underlying question then would be, will Jim eventually give it up? It was really intense for me to have Pam accuse that he's only doing it to save face which was a gigantic slap in the face to Jim.
I knew it had to lead to an even bigger fight so I ended it with the scene with Cece. I remember the episode 'Safety Training' and I heard they wrote it in a way that Jim and Pam were this divorced couple (They were at odds during that time since Jim was with Karen), but they had to team up together to keep their child (Michael) from doing something stupid. That was my inspiration for bringing Cece in the fold because they still had to keep the illusion that everything was okay for their child.
Date: January 17, 2021 06:34 am Title: Love is Not Proud
Don't be an idiot - that was the perfect thing for Dwight to say - he's not really a sentimentalist but his hearts there.
Author's Response: Yup! I try to retain the actual personalities in the show so as much as I want Jim and Dwight to be best friends, I don't expect them to do insane heart to heart conversations (at least not yet)
Date: January 17, 2021 06:30 am Title: Love is Kind
Of course he didn't leave - I'm so glad but all the talk of divorce must have him really freaked out.
Sweet scene with Nelly. And I like how you flipped the Dwight/Jim scene.
But at the heart it's a tough situation for both of them, Jim thinking he's doing something that will benefit the family not realizing how she doesn't need it or want it and just wants him to be there for the now. Pam not seeing that he is trying to make a change for their future, and that they (her and the kids) are the reason he's doing it.
They have fallen back into their days of miscommunication and that's when things go bad for them. TALK you fools.
Author's Response:
Thank you!
Yes, I'm writing it in a way that Jim refuses to give up on Pam but Pam is unintentionally making it hard for him. It's really a communication breakdown at its finest.
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 02:24 pm Title: Love is Not Proud
I love the life-changing advice from Dwight here. Michael's legacy lives on!
I love the echoes of Casino Night here from an older, wiser Jim who knows that he needs to give Pam some space.
Author's Response:
Thank you! Yes, I don't like going too mushy on Dwight and Jim because I know that's not what their relationship is like. So I really thought hard about what advice Dwight would give Jim that would make the most sense. That, and "Don't be an idiot" is too classic of a line to not use.
As far as Jim is concerned, I took it back to when Pam told Nellie that he shouldn't always be rewarded for the big decisions that he makes without telling her. I'm pretty sure they already started airing out problems when they started marriage counseling so Jim should know that she should listen to what Pam wants this time.
Date: January 15, 2021 01:22 pm Title: Love is Not Proud
This seems to be progress. Still really liking the Jim and Dwight friendship. It seems very in keeping with them at the end there. I do like that Jim came home. There's still a lot of love between the two of them. That she enjoys the kiss shows that.
Jim having difficulties being vulnerable, especially considering his past when hard time with Pam showed up does feel about right. But with his earlier hug and his telling her he'll give her time, it seems like he's getting a better handle on that.
The glimmer of hope has me feeling optomistic. Remains to be seen what kinds of decisions they'll both make going forward.
Author's Response:
Thank you for the review!
I remember watching a video explaining how Jim uses his wit and humor as a defense mechanism for masking his insecurities so I wanted to incorporate that. I try not to deviate too much from their actual personalities because I want to remain faithful to the way they were developed in the show.
We'll see how it goes moving forward. I have a lot of content in my mind.
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 05:24 am Title: Love is Kind
OUCH AGAIN!
I like that Dwight’s now consoling Jim rather than Pam. It’s a nice change.
But OOF my heart! I loved this so much. Can’t wait for the next chapter!
Author's Response:
Thanks!
Yeah, I really planned the chapter to turn out in a way that Jim would end up in the stairwell with Dwight so it took me a while to plan out how it would occur.
I'm writing the third chapter as I respond to this review so it shouldn't take long.
1 [Report This]Date: January 14, 2021 06:25 pm Title: Love is Kind
He needs to make her understand. Please let him make her understand. I can’t watch them get divorced.
I wish I had more to say, but I can only say that. There’s nothing else to say. This is amazing. Too many emotions.
BlindManCassidy
Author's Response:
Thank you! In terms of how this will end, it's literally a work in progress. I also have no idea how this will end up.
It's a lot of emotions. I actually have to go to straight to bed after writing because it is emotionally taxing.
1 [Report This]Date: January 14, 2021 12:00 pm Title: Love is Kind
Again, I really like you making the connection between this and the failure of Pam's relationship with Roy, not to mention her parents' divorce. It's very good context to remind us that Pam *knows* that relationships that people are committed to and badly want to succeed fail anyways - so of course she's not quite as confident that love is enough to get them through as Jim is. The idea of him changing his mind seems very plausible to her.
And the choice of having Dwight offer him the support Jim gave Dwight in Money was a nice touch.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much! The divorce especially, I remember what Pam's father said about Jim telling him that she was the woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with. It's definitely love. But she now has that internal struggle on how far that love can take them.
I know the last two seasons get a lot of hate but they got the closure on Jim and Dwight perfectly. Wouldn't have it any other way.
1 [Report This]Date: January 14, 2021 10:59 am Title: Love is Kind
Nice to get Pam's perspective to be sure. Really glad Jim didn't leave for Philly. However I get why he's freaked out based on what he heard in the hallway. Nellie talking to Pam and Dwight talking to Jim rings true to me. Pam has gone to Nellie in the past so they have some history there. It's a nice way to show the friendship that Jim and Dwight have at this point with Dwight being there for Jim.
Still not sure where we're going to go from here, but your writing is very compelling.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much!
Yes, I wanted to touch more on the relationships that the show had already developed so it would seem more genuine. Jim and Dwight, definitely towards the end, had that brotherly connection so it was something I wanted to incorporate.
I have a written down plan already for the next two chapters, but as for how the rest of the story will go, it's really up in the air at moment. I thought I had an idea of how I wanted it to end but it's constant back and forth. We shall see.
Date: January 14, 2021 12:23 am Title: Love Suffers Long
I personally look forward for any fic that is about S9. The turn you did to my favorite scene is a real pain, but I get it.
I'm excited to see more of this story
Author's Response: I feel you. I actually look for more Season 9 stories but since I can't really find a lot, I decided to write one. Thanks!
1 [Report This]Date: January 13, 2021 08:41 pm Title: Love Suffers Long
You know, this moment in canon IS a little tropey. I mean, they're Jim and Pam and we know they love each other, but they've got some real conflicts here, and one desperate hug and one flashback aren't necessarily going to cut it as far as setting them back on the right path. I like that you're exploring how it would've looked if Pam hadn't been ready to accept whatever Jim is offering in that scene.
I also thought the callback to Pam's history with Roy was important - it does feel like useful context that Pam has been in a relationship where she felt "blocked" before, and ended up moving on from it because it didn't work for her.
Interested to see where you go with this next.
Congrats on posting your first story! Welcome to MTT!
Author's Response:
Yeah! I completely agree to this. I really wanted this storyline to be expanded to 2 seasons instead of one. That would've totally blown me away!
Thanks for the review!! Similar to Pam, I just needed some courage to post my first story.
1 [Report This]Date: January 13, 2021 08:26 pm Title: Love Suffers Long
Ooh, I love angst and I love season 9 for it. I can't wait to see where you take this!
Author's Response: Yes! Season 9 was not bad and I stand by it. Thanks!!
1 [Report This]Date: January 13, 2021 05:32 pm Title: Love Suffers Long
Oof that's a heart breaker- Jim out of words, but how could she not respond to that hug.
But I'm intrigued - and wondering if he is still heading to Philly, if he still can after that.
And very interested in Pam's side of things.
Good job bringing the angst.
Author's Response: We'll see. I'm currently writing Chapter 2, hopefully I can upload it soon. Thanks for the review!
Date: January 13, 2021 12:16 pm Title: Love Suffers Long
Wonderful angst though that's too soft a word for it. "I need time." has now equaled "I can't." as the most painful sentence in Office writing.
Good onya
Author's Response: It pained me to write Jim putting himself out there again and Pam rejecting him...again. I was afraid I wasn't gonna finish the chapter with how much hurting was involved.
1 [Report This]Date: January 13, 2021 12:14 pm Title: Love Suffers Long
Well, this just broke my heart into a million pieces. Paper Airplanes is one of my top episodes because of the hug and kiss after this scene, so I'm not ready to face a reality where that doesn't happen, but I'm also so interested in where this is going to go. Great job!!
Author's Response: I know! It's a really unpopular opinion but Season 9 was one of my favorite seasons because of how it tackled Jim and Pam's relationship. The hug is definitely one of my top 5 scenes in the show. So it was hard for me to rewrite it. Thanks for the review!
1 [Report This]Date: January 13, 2021 12:02 pm Title: Love Suffers Long
OUCH! Talk about angst and feels!
This is really good, just hits the heartstrings a bit (more like a lot).
Can't wait to see what comes of this, hoping for that happy ending though
Author's Response: Thanks!! I've always been itching to write about their marriage troubles lasting for more than one season. I haven't decided on the ending yet but don't worry. I'm not sadistic enough to break them up...or am I?
Date: January 13, 2021 11:53 am Title: Love Suffers Long
Oof, yeah that one was hard to read. You really did a good job of getting into their thoughts. Really curious as to where you're going to take this.
Author's Response: Thanks! It was pure emotional torture writing this since Jim and Pam are my favorite TV couple. I'll see how far I can take this.