Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-27838637-20160707143147/@comment-28266772-20160708151448

I don't think he was unsympathetic - horror has a ground-in tradition of showing pricks getting karmic retribution, and to layer it in even further dogs and cats are considered the ultimate 'innocents'. It's easier to find films where children die than it is to find films where dogs die. So no - I don't think this story suffers as a result of this guy being unsympathetic. I mean - obviously there's no justifiable real-life scenario where someone kills children, but in the context of a fictional narrative you do more than enough to make this guy's behaviour seem justified and sympathetic.

And I like that the twist was animal-based. I did actually suspect these kids to be rapists or killers at first, so when I realized they had killed dogs it was a legitimate surprise. But it made sense - from letting the snake go, to the way he handles animals, it all ties into the way this guy places a higher premium on animal life than he does on human life.

Also I think it's paced well but I can't help but think you might be able to work the final twist in without have to do a flashback. For example - perhaps the killer could rescue the boys' own abused dogs from their house after killing them, revealing the killer's intentions, and the boy's violent behaviour, in one place without the need to move the narrative to another time/location? This is only me floating ideas - it's not even a recommendation - just something that went through my head that I thought I'd vocalize. But no matter what, I don't think this story needs any additional writing tacked on - I think it works well with its current length.