FIC: Spring Cleaning (The Office, Jim/Pam)

[fearlessfan]

Title: Spring Cleaning
Fandom: The Office, Jim/Pam
Spoilers: Up through the season 2 finale, Casino Night
Summary: A week after Casino Night, a memo comes in over the fax machine from New York: spring cleaning this week in the office.Author's Note: Written for E, only two months after her birthday

Comments

[annakovsky]

Oh my God, this is so incredibly good. One of the best stories in this fandom, easily. Everyone's so in character, and funny, but sad. The awkwardness between Jim and Pam is just exactly right for post-Casino Night, which is really difficult to do - Pam trying to be normal, sort of, Jim trying to get through the day. And the way they feel about each other is so subtle, and sad, but then hopeful. (Jim leaving the cards for her in Free Cell. Oh man, perfect, and so exactly what their relationship is like - and I can actually see this really tiny little gesture on his part being the thing that tips her over.)

And then in the background, Michael trying to find out about Ryan, and a perfect Kelly, and Stanley, and Toby, and Kevin and Phyllis and everybody - and Jan! And the way Roy asked Pam out - just dead on how it must've been.

Seriously, this is just so incredibly fantastic I can't even feedback it adequately. I hope you write more in this fandom!

[fearlessfan]

Your feedback note is so incredibly kind and thoughtful that I'm not sure I'll be able to respond adequately!

Seriously, thank you SO much for your comment. I love Jim and Pam (and Jim/Pam) so much that I was really nervous writing this story that I wouldn't get their dynamic right. I'm so glad it worked for you!

[moireach]

This is so unspeakably perfect I don't even know where to start. I love that it's so ensemble-y and everyone is totally in character and very funny, especially investigating each other's desks. (Creed! Toby! Meredith!) I really love that you haven't skimped on any of the details about actual office life, the kinds of pens people love and budget cutbacks and food in desk drawers. I really really love how your Pam is hyperaware of the awkwardness (Celine Dion tape!) and Jim is so at the end of his rope and yet they have to get through their days and you tease out everything wonderful about their relationship so beautifully with what they find in each other's desks. The saved old notes from her just about killed me with awesomeness.

You've got these lovely turns of phrase (and Jim felt a piece of himself cave in; He has to look away, at the busy road on the other side of the parking lot, partly because it bothers him to think of Pam crying) and I absolutely adore the history of Pam and Roy which I completely believe. How she'd

[moireach]

P.S. Recced you here.

[fearlessfan]

Oh, wow, thank you so much for this comment! The Office is one of those shows that I love so much that I was really scared to write the story because of the fear of hideously messing it up - I'm so glad the characters worked for you!

I really love that you haven't skimped on any of the details about actual office life

I'm glad something good came out of the three years I spent temping! I was always obsessed with good pens.

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this comment, and for saying such kind things about my writing.

[takethewords]

This was awesome! It seemed like a real day in The Office. :D Great work!

[fearlessfan]

Thank you so much!

[lianhanshee]

I have to say, this is easily the best post-Casino Night fic out there and aside from that, an excellent, excellent story. Well done!

You nailed every voice, but I really think you perfectly captured the Jim/Pam dynamic -- both pre- and post-CN. I particularly loved:

And he would look at her and smile in that way that seemed to reach beyond an appreciation for the joke to an appreciation for the person who made it. For Pam herself.

Perfect. Just perfect. And leaving the free cell cards for her to finish. Very Jim.

Awesome. Thanks for sharing, and please write more!

[fearlessfan]

Thank you so much for this feedback! I love the Jim/Pam dynamic on the show to pieces - I'm so glad that it came through in this story. I actually started parts of this fic before Casino Night and had to change it to deal with the big ending (that kiss!!), so I'm really happy to hear that the post-CN dynamic worked.

Also, I love that icon! Thanks again for the kind note.

[zeispunim]

This is quite fabulous. I think it's all the details that really make it, and the way that the entire office (the entire Office?) is brought in on it, which fleshes it all out. (It reminds me a bit of The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.) Great premise, and it was brought out excellently as well.

[fearlessfan]

Oh, The Things They Carried is one of my all-time favorite books! I wasn't consciously trying to use the title story's structure, but I think my love for it seeped into my subconscious and really informed this fic, now that I think about it.

I'm glad the premise and its execution worked - I spent the longest time trying to figure out an idea for an Office fic (I promised a friend I'd write one for her), and finally this came to me. I was so relieved to have an idea that I'm not sure I really examined it all that closely as to whether it was a good one - I'm so glad it worked for you!