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So in my new story I'm making, it involves a dog death early in the game and has blood, blood, and more blood. Is there anything to watch out for or is it all free rein?

Dude, just read the descriptions of the maturity ratings on the site. One is literally "anything goes". There are some stories that are definitely worse than dog death and blood, like Love Sick. I also want to point out that blood is generally not a big deal to most readers.

EDIT: I keep seeing newbs making threads with random questions that are easy to answer. Please look through the site, at least at a surface level, to find the answer before you make a random post.

I know about the whole rating system, I was just wondering if I needed to put a discloser or something in the description, most other sites I visit use that stuff which is part of the reason I left them and stayed here. I haven't been on here in a while (a year?) and only just got back on around Christmas.

You can put a disclaimer if you want, but generally that's only necessary if you're writing something that can be offensive.

Also, I agree with mizal. It's important that this actually fits your story. Blood and guts for no reason doesn't add anything, it has to be tasteful violence.

Can't you make it a baby instead of a dog?

Lol. Never met a baby who likes to pee outside.

Babies don't tend to care.

The question you should actually be asking is if it fits the tone of the rest of your story or if there's any point to it in the first place. This isn't a movie, you're not going to impress anyone by just geysering enough descriptions of blood around.

Yeah my thought process was that it destroys the Protagonist's mental state and sets him up for the rest of the story where he has to make cold-hearted decisions, seeing as you can kill the dog or leave it.

You should make it a child instead, it'll have more impact that way.

I mean... is he wrong?

No, I'm never wrong.

Do it.

Should I post the final result here?

Wouldn't that spoil the story?

Yeah true, but most of it wouldn't make sense. I guess End really never is wrong...

Make sure to be very detailed and analogous with the texture and smells of the entrails. Make us feel it more than see it. Remember that if the animal child seized up upon death the muscles will be a different texture and if it relaxed the smell of shit might fill the air.

People have said it, but I will say it again. Before you kill anything make sure the reader cares about it.

Also think about the tone of your story. Lots of blood gives you a splatter movie feel, that's not a subgenre that is known for being able to evoke a deep sense of loss, and for good reasons it doesn't have a literary analogue.

What you want to make it sting is the moment of connection. The moment when you look in the dog's eyes and the dog looks back at you. You know the dog is going to die, and the dog knows you know, and then it's over.

that's why you have to kill two babies 

Bonus Points if you force them to fight each other to the death with chainsaws.

But dont focus on the blood too much. Make sure to mention the smell of gasoline and the sound of 12,000 rpm hooks digging into the soft gelatenous flesh, flinging it onto nearby surfaces creating ad hoc rorschach tests.

This reminds me that StrykerL had it mandatory in his storygame to kill the dog in the beginning. By burning it alive.

The player has a gun too, but the game isn't interested in letting you use it. That just wouldn't be sad enough.