Fic: Witness Protection 25/25 FINAL CHAPTER

[jncar]

I just couldn't wait any longer, so here it is!

Title: Witness Protection, part 25/25
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Characters/Ships: Ben/Leslie, Chris/Ann, Andy/April, Ben/Pawnee, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 8,800
Summary: When corporate whistleblowers Ben Adams and Chris Robinson barely escape an attempt on their lives, they gladly

Comments

[kyrieanne]

Oh gosh, what do I say? There are so many wonderful things I could write - how I still vividly remember the scene with the roadkill in one of the early chapters and how Leslie & Ben playing laser tag is one of my favorite meet-cutes in this fandom.

But two things stand out.

First, your commitment to the character moments is just great. There are a lot of beats to go through to get Ben from where he begins the story to where he ends and you don't short cut any of them. I really do see this as a Ben story. You do a great job with Leslie and your Chris features all the best parts of Chris from the show. But at heart (for me) this was always Ben's story. You walk with him through all of the quiet, but important moments and I think that's so great. Witness protection can sometimes be a trope and you raised it by dedicating the time to what it would really mean to be in such a situation and how it costs people some part of themselves.

Second, your commitment to getting this story done is stunning. It's hard to sustain a narrative over such a long period of time. I hope you toast yourself because it says a lot about your commitment to the stories inside your head. They are going to get done.

:)

[jncar]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments. I really did want to get into the characters' heads in a realistic way given the situation, and I'm so pleased that came across for you. And yes, I agree that the main plot of the story was definitely Ben's. I had way too much fun putting him through hell and then pulling him back out again.

I do feel like I've learned so much from writing such a lengthy story, not the least of which is how to jump back into my characters and scenarios quickly after a lengthy hiatus, which is absolutely something that I've had to apply to my original writing given the fact that my life provides frequent interruptions to my writing schedule. I know I can finish my novel and edit it to sufficient satisfaction to start submitting. It'll happen. One of these days. :)