The Artful Dodger, a character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, was very good at dodging trouble. He did what he had to do to survive. I think our stories need to be as crafty in order to dodge the negative aura which can add up to their demise.
Fred and Barney also had a way of dodging trouble which came their way. Self-destructive criticism, poor writing skills, and weak characters are the bullets that shoot holes through our stories. What could have been a great story dies a slow death because writers either don't know how to salvage the story or they allow others' negativity to get in the way of a great recovery.
I promise myself to diligently watch over my works in progress. To artfully dodge anything that stands between myself and publication. I want to be crafty in my writing and creative with my words to prevent them falling by the wayside. Only then can I call myself the Artful Dodger...
