Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-27012445-20150923201343/@comment-25980905-20151003013123

My apologies, it would appear that I may have mis-communicated.

I completely agree with you.

The dog is symbolic and shouldn't be removed. It is a key turning point in the story and a strong point of connection between the protagonist and the protagonist's father. In the end it's almost as though the protagonist's father is there with him, fighting his child's fears, through the presence of the dog. What I actually meant by overly affectionate lines was really just this: '...I knelt down and put my forehead against Artemis’ and wept as I said goodbye. She put her paw on my shoulder and licked my face...'. It just seems a tad too 'Hollywood' (in my opinion, which does not reflect the overall opinion of other readers), which can damage the realism your story has been portraying quite well.

Also, another minor correction that I forgot to add in the review:

Paragraph Nine: '...words FBI...' => either '...word FBI...' Or '...letters FBI...'.

Anyway, that's all from me. I'm glad I could help and I hope to see you around!