All Comments on 'One Hour Photo'

but do wish you had expanded on more of their trysts

This is a great story for follow up, what continues with the frind of nicolas. Pls consider.

superb ground work for another chapter with good ol saint nick

Loved the story line, Ann. Talk about a teen-ager's dream scenario!! Keep up the great work.

First let me say that I really enjoy your writing, this one included. You are very talented. One of my concerns in a lot of stories, not just on the site, but in novels as well is timeline of the details. Here your girl is 39, with two adult kids. A son nineteen and an older daughter of unknown age, but who is married with a child of her own. She gave birth to son at twenty, then she conceived him at nineteen most likely. Even if kids were really close together, daughter conceived at 17 at oldest. This would mean a teen pregnancy wedding or maybe just got married at 16 for some reason. Those type of unusual points would usually be mentioned as significant character background.

I know I am probably nitpicking, but these kind of details affect the read for me. From the comments of others on stories, I know I am not alone. My comment here is not big enough even to qualify as minor, just something for you to think about as you outline your story. Some us out here are anal enough to think about those timeline details. Take it as food for thought

I can't answer for other stories, or even novels, but I can address my own story. Let's look at the timeline.

I wrote One Hour Photo in 2003 with the idea that it took place at least a decade earlier when such establishments were still prevalent. So let's round it off and say it takes place in the Fall of 1990 (its mentioned that’s it’s a pleasant Fall day) - which makes Astrid born in 1951 and graduating from High School in 1969. Now, I don't know how old you are, but I was only 4 years younger than Astrid in 1969 and I can tell you that plenty of girls back then came out of high school with marriage very much on their mind. In that year, less than 50% of female graduates went on to college. So lets make Astrid one of them and again lets round off the years and marry her off in 1970 at 19.

Now for the kids. Where did it say that her son was 19? Because she mentioned that he was away at school? School doesn’t necessary mean college and even if it did, I know a number of people who skipped a grade and started freshman year before they were 18. But lets just concentrate on the older daughter, Karen, who is both a wife and mother.

If Astrid is married in 1970, lets give her the traditional June wedding, and assuming the cart didn't come before the horse, the earliest her daughter can be 18 is early 1989, so let's make her a honeymoon baby and use that.

So from her birthday in March 1989, to the time of the story, September 1990, she has 18 months to have gotten married and had a baby. The phrase 'now a mother' implies that the baby is recent, possibly even a newborn.

So the worse either of these women are guilty of is marrying young - which is hardly a crime, moral or otherwise.

Very nice story. You needed the build up to see the dynamics between the players. So glad you desired to published your older stories, I never run out of them.

Lucky Alexander...and really loved Astrid's attitude....

Definite 5

An Ann Douglas tale, which means a story with sex in it, rather than just the sex with a few bits of story tacked on. Which is why I read her. And give her five stars.

I too have a timeline question, though. I’m old enough to remember the era, too— but I don’t remember many people carrying their cell phones with them in 1990. It’s possible, but back then they were pretty much restricted to the wealthy and those with a particular need for one. An ego-struck doctor, maybe (though it would probably have been a pager), the owner of photo developing stores, not so much.

But that’s picking a minor temporal nit. It was an excellent story, well imagined and written.

Very entertaining story. Thanks for sharing.

Ann,I love and have read all your stories about cougars and young men. This one is your best. And Nicholas is a righteous guy.

Thank you Ann, I love your attention to detail and your way of building characters. I struggle to write in anything other than a 1st person voice / point of view. In each of your stories I feel immersed in the characters worlds

Awesome Story! Love your writing!