Date: September 13, 2008 07:58 am Title: Sales Call
"Why do you hate America so much, Jim?"
~ priceless ~... keep going, very creative! can't wait for more!
Author's Response: Thanks very much, true. I plan to provide more, as long as reality stays out of my way for a while.
Date: September 13, 2008 04:16 am Title: How It Must Look
Talk about 'filling in gaps'. This pretty much perfectly captures how I imagine Jim's first TH interview must have been - how raw he was with longing yet trying so hard to maintain his cover. Love how you don't have him even mention Pam when asked who his friends are at work. Also liked him getting ahead of himself, thinking how she could quit her hated job and he cold support them...then deflecting it with a joke ( "Well, you're no Dwight," he gestured toward the closed door with his head...) Closed door indeed.
Sweet and aching and full of layers of repressed meaning - just as a fic about Jim's state of mind during that era should be.
Author's Response: Hey, Colette - just picture me running around the canon with a caulk gun. :) I think the biggest, most interesting thing that we fic writers can tackle when getting back into the ealier seasons of the show was how Jim was dealing with the way he felt for Pam, esp. in light of what he's said about it in S4. It does seem like the poor thing was far worse off than he was letting on at the time, so I want to go back and explore that. I'm quite flattered by your review. Thank you so much.
Date: September 12, 2008 09:54 pm Title: Sales Call
Ooh, how lovely to come back from a business trip today and find this waiting! My brain is a bit fried from traveling, but I had to leave you a review anyway, no matter how incoherent it is, because you should know how great this is. I really love the way you artfully weave the poker metaphor throughout. Poor Jim. He can't help himself and he's so transparent. To everyone but Pam, of course.
Also, one detail that I adore is when he is talking about how Pam is a "criminal mastermind" and yet Dwight never sees her coming. I've noticed that too, and have always thought it says a lot about the Dwight and Pam dynamic.
There's so much more, but see above re: brain fry-age. Just know that I really enjoyed this.
Author's Response: It's okay. My brain is fried from teaching today, so we'll match. That aspect of Pam and Dwight's dynamic has always amused me, so I wanted to reference it in one of my stories. Thank you so much for your review. Get some rest.
10 [Report This]Date: September 12, 2008 02:45 pm Title: How It Must Look
There is so much that is great about this chapter. Jim's interview...
Really?"
It was a fast, clumsy response that tried and failed miserably at sounding casual, detached.
And "medium-rare"-- nice preview of things to come. Their descriptions of each other at the end, "everyone'll love you..." Nice.
A real treat, Talkative. What else you got? :D
Author's Response: God, you're demanding! ;) Well, the Boggle timer is up next, things'll get kind of smutty when we hit the yearbook photo, and I've got some plans for that teapot. Sound good?
Date: September 12, 2008 09:38 am Title: How It Must Look
This is so good. So early-seasons Jim and Pam, with her still mostly oblivious and him so smitten he can't see straight. People like romance, happy endings, all that.
Yep. We do, even if it does make us lame. Hee. This is great, can't wait for more!
Author's Response: I find her capacity for denial maddening, even when I'm the one ordering her around. I'll share more with all of you as quickly as I can - the beginning of the semester is beating me up right now.
Date: September 12, 2008 08:21 am Title: Sales Call
My first review! I love this story, as well as everything else that you've written. Please continue this!
Author's Response: WhatAWaste, thank you for reviewing! We authors always appreciate it. I'm glad to hear you like my work.
Date: September 12, 2008 08:17 am Title: How It Must Look
Hot damn am I excited today!!! With the new S5 promos, all the speculation...an an update from Talkative! ::applies second coat of anti-perspirant:: What a tasty Friday surprise. You know I'm beside myself with joy, so I'll move on to some standout passages:
"He called you an insubordinate anarchist." Bwah!!
It was a fast, clumsy response that tried and failed miserably at sounding casual, detached. He was holding great cards, diamonds and hearts, suits that throbbed like his pulse. The smiles on the faces of the reps grew and the man on the left added something else to his notes. Loving these card analogies.
"Medium-rare." She glared at him. Ah, delightful little Beach Games foreshadowing.
"Dunder fucking Mifflin, this is Pam," she used the soft, bored voice he heard every day and he let his laugh go. "Doesn't seem appropriate, does it?" Oh, if only! I can just see the outtake on the S5 DVD.
It was quite possibly the only thing stopping him from kissing the freckles on her shoulders to celebrate the novelty of seeing them bare. Their particular roundness would be a perfect fit for the hollows of his palms. *thud*
That's all for now. I'm going to sit patiently right here and wait while you (and maybe your friend, Annabel???) think up something to do with that Boggle timer. Oh, and by the way, great update : )
Author's Response: Your *thud* just made me choke on a mouthful of water. Are you trying to kill your author when she still has four parts of this story left to finish (plus another - bwahahaha...)? Your reviews are always among the best I receive. Thanks, Tink. The plan for the Boggle timer is already in place and I have zero idea as to what kind of trouble Annabel and I should get up to. Perhaps we should take requests, make it a game? Would that be fun?
9 [Report This]Date: September 11, 2008 09:05 pm Title: How It Must Look
Another fine chapter to this piece about their inside jokes. I think it's a little easier to read these fics about their earlier years when I know it works out and how ;)
Author's Response: Thank you, Jenn, and, yes, I don't think I could have merrily written something like this prior to the end of S3. It would have been too depressing.
10 [Report This]Date: September 11, 2008 07:04 pm Title: How It Must Look
Cool chapter. I've not seen much about the beginnings of the documentary and this really rings true about what it must have been like. Looking forward to the next chapter!
Author's Response: It is something we haven't played around with enough in fic, you're right, but I think that's because we really don't have a ton of information to work with. That's why I tried to keep my interpretation of it very narrow, only addressing things that absolutely would have happened and sticking to known facts about the characters at that point. It was kind of tricky. I'm glad you liked it.
10 [Report This]Date: September 11, 2008 07:03 pm Title: How It Must Look
I love you. Seriously, I want to marry you. Do you accept?
This is the most adorable story in the world and I can't thank you enough for writing it. Oh those two clueless kids. I'd love to know what the rep was writing...has to be juicy. Again, you are great. /Jim
Author's Response: Alas, I cannot. Mr. Talkative would wonder what happened to me. Perhaps we can conduct a torrid affair? Fwiw, I was reading the reviews for "Sales Call" and I realized I should have included you in my thank yous, as continuing this story was, in fact, your idea. So thank you.
10 [Report This]Date: September 11, 2008 06:18 pm Title: How It Must Look
Oh talktative. There is so much to love about this. I love how Jim's feelings for Pam are so evident - it brings back fond memories of early seasons, even with the heartbreak.
I love your take on the hot sauce packet, and Jim's description of Pam "swearing like a Teamster." Pitch perfect. You have them down beautifully.
Love it, as usual. Kudos!
Author's Response: Thank you, kells. Like I've said, the S1 & 2 tension is so tasty - I don't know why I've never written it before. Hope you enjoy what's to come.
9 [Report This]Date: September 11, 2008 06:09 pm Title: How It Must Look
"How's your face, Beesly"
"Medium rare."
HA! I love that you called back to Beach Day. And I loved the whole scene with Jim in front of the production crew for the first time. So, so great.
Author's Response: *bows* Thank you. There's also a callback to what Jenna Fischer said she did when auditioning for Pam in the story. The scene with Jim and the production reps was fun to write. There's no way he wasn't freaked out by the whole prospect from the start.
Date: September 11, 2008 05:59 pm Title: How It Must Look
Yeah, people do like romance, happy endings. All that.
Love the description of that feeling of anxiety when you sense that something is wrong, but you haven't quite figured out what. Argh.
Author's Response: People are such saps, aren't they? :) That description was, for some reason, difficult to write. I would have posted this earlier in the week if not for that description. It required a few rewrites. Thanks for reading and reviewing, Ms. Hoo.
Date: August 29, 2008 06:16 pm Title: Sales Call
Another beautiful story, dear. Love how Pam joking about the young couple snuggling at the windmill gives Jim the courage to get near to her, under the guise of kidding around, of course. And that Pam allows herself to enjoy the slight contact, as well as the accidental? kiss. A really true-to-life glimpse at an early time in their relationship.
Author's Response: Sorry for the delay, but thank you, EverybodyHurts. It was kind reviews like this that encouraged me to return to this and continue the story. Plus, then I can play Fun with Season 1-2 Sexual Tension and drive everyone (myself included) insane.
10 [Report This]Date: August 29, 2008 09:02 am Title: Sales Call
Clap. Clap. I like fluff. :)
This was such a cute story. I loved your take on the origin of the pencil...will we see the boggle timer next?
Author's Response: You know, it didn't occur to me that I should keep digging through the teapot, but... maybe? I could put it to a vote, I guess. I'd have to go find out what else he put in there.
10 [Report This]Date: August 29, 2008 06:50 am Title: Sales Call
Oh man, I so love this. Like someone else said, I love the innocence of early Jim/Pam.
Also, what's this Jim's description of his first kiss with Pam in GT that you speak of in your author's notes?? I don't remember that at all.
Author's Response: Thanks, Puffing. To answer your question: in GT, when Jim is trying to talk Michael out of professing his love for Holly, he says that the first time he and Pam kissed was "right outside." Now, they're in Michael's office when he says it, so, of course, he's referring to the Casino Night kiss, "outside" being over by his desk. I decided to invent another kiss before the cameramen even arrived, one that was literally outside. Fwiw, though, I know he was talking about CN.
Date: August 29, 2008 06:34 am Title: Sales Call
Oh, they really were heartbreakingly cute back then, weren't they? Emphasis on "heartbreaking," of course. I love this. I especially like Pam's flirtation with honesty- how she knows that she's interested but doesn't admit how dangerous that can be. Wonderful.
Author's Response: That early on, I really don't think that Pam did know if she was interested/what she wanted/etc. Denial is an incredible thing. And, God, yes, so cute a few seasons back. I had kind of forgotten that until I wrote this.
Date: August 28, 2008 08:02 pm Title: Sales Call
That was so sweet. I love how you took a tiny little detail and made a story out of it. I also liked how "you're my best friend" sounded like a lot more. Good writing!
Author's Response: Thank you, Strider. I'm pleased that you liked it.
Date: August 28, 2008 07:11 pm Title: Sales Call
Fluffy yes- but enough substance to it that it was really truly Jim and Pam-ish.
Very sweet and it's only fics like this that are helping me get through the hiatus!
Author's Response: We writers will do our best to keep everyone sane and calm for another month. After that, we're turning the lot of you back over to TPTB for a while. Sound good? Thanks for your review.
8 [Report This]Date: August 28, 2008 05:34 pm Title: Sales Call
"He smelled good, tasted better, and she either wanted to forget that immediately or keep it at the very front of her mind for a long time."
Awesome line, awesome story.
Author's Response: Thanks, kaystar. I'm glad you liked it.
10 [Report This]Date: August 28, 2008 05:33 pm Title: Sales Call
That was so beyond adorable, and the last part had me holding my breath. There's a part of me that misses the innocence of early Jim and Pam, when everything came out in simple moments like this, and it was angsty but light.
And this was just too perfect...
She thought, as she often did when she looked at him, that he didn't wear his height very well, seeming almost apologetic about it at times.
I never would have thought of describing him that way, but you hit the nail on the HEAD. That's just so amazingly Jim, its ridiculous.
I still miss looking forward to updates from you every day =P
Author's Response: Flonkerton, I miss having enough ideas to update every day! I *also* miss S1 & 2 Pam and Jim, for the very reason that you mentioned. And Jim (not John) is so slouchy all of the time - he looks like one of those boys who shot up a foot over summer vacation and doesn't quite know what to do about it yet. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Date: August 28, 2008 05:31 pm Title: Sales Call
talkative -- just one more thing. I loved this part: "You'll never get it past Angela."
"Shh. The windmill," he whispered as if they were about to sneak up on it and a small tremor hummed beneath her skin.
Forgot to mention it before. It's just funny and so Jim. That is all for now. ;-)
Author's Response: Can't you just hear him saying it?
Date: August 28, 2008 03:40 pm Title: Sales Call
Hey, can I talk to you about something? I'm in love with your writing.
Seriously, you hit it out of the park every time. How do you do that? All those lovely little details add so much to the story. I didn't want it to end.
I especially liked the beginning, when Pam walks into Michael's office and just instantly knows Jim is up to something and goes right along with it. It's one of the things I love about their dynamic, the way they play and improvise off each other so well.
Oh, and this line was genius:
"Lesson two - It's all about timing."
So, so true.
As far as I'm concerned, this is the official story of the golf pencil. Thanks for explaining it.
Author's Response: Blanca, thanks so much for all of your kind words. I think my favorite part of the story to write was the bit in the office. I'm glad my story could make it into your private canon. :)
Date: August 28, 2008 02:32 pm Title: Sales Call
a-freaking-dorable. Feel free to fill in the blanks of any other 'missing' chapters of the Pam/Jim saga.
Author's Response: I'm working on it, Lisa. It's all about finding those gaps that intrigue me. I noticed that someone on the boards recently compiled a list of moments we'd like to see. I'm working on one of my own that doesn't appear on that list right now, but maybe I'll play around with those options next..
Date: August 28, 2008 02:29 pm Title: Sales Call
*NanReg claps wildly* Talkative, I am pretty dang near euphorically happy right now. I am also in awe that you managed to make mini golf rather scorching ; )
This: "He smelled good, tasted better, and she either wanted to forget that immediately or keep it at the very front of her mind for a long time" and this: "It was insane, but she was thinking about kissing him, to see if she could find out what the look in his eyes had to do with her..." turn me into a puddle. I'm going to take a few minutes to compose myself and then read this again. Thanks for ending my work day on a high note.
Author's Response: What? Didn't you already think mini-golf was sexy? Or was that just me? Happy to hear you liked your story, Tink. :)