Gail Anderson-Dargatz

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Gail Anderson-Dargatz

Resources for writers

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Dinner With AlienA lot of writing guides and other writers will tell you that you should decide who your character is before you sit down to write. That's good advice, but when it comes down to it, the way to really get to know your characters is the same way a reader will get to know them: by what they say or do on the page.

After I’ve done research on my subject and brainstormed on it, I sit down and write scene, starting with just dialogue, action and beats. Instead of writing exposition, where I tell the characters what they’re up to, I let go of the reins and allow my characters to tell me who they are by how they interact with other characters and how they respond to the situation I throw them into.
 
Apprentice writers often think a reader needs to know a character before the story can get underway. We often stuff our openings with a character's history and flashbacks in an attempt to offer a psychological profile, say, or provide motivation. But we don't need to get to know a character all at once. In fact, I suggest it’s best that we don't. Imagine going out on a date with that person who won't stop talking about themselves. Yeah, that.
 
Instead, in that opening, and as we introduce a character, we generally want to get to know who that character is now, within their scene of conflict, rather than who that character was in the past. It may be very useful to build a character history for yourself and get to know your character that way. But you don't need to give it all to the reader. If you do, you may end up with a classic information dump, an exposition-heavy opening. We're back to the old show, don’t tell.
 
In short, you want to allow a character to grow over the course of the story, as much for yourself as for the reader. If you provide the character history and personality profile up front, you'll find that your character becomes defined by it. You may even run into the problem where the exposition or explanation you give about the character doesn’t match how the character actually acts. It's sort of like how people's social media profiles rarely reflect who they are in real life.

If, on the other hand, you allow your characters to reveal themselves to you, the author, in scenes of action and dialogue that you write, then you'll have a much more dynamic and rich character who evolves.

Testimonials

Jessica Waite

"Gail is the total package: brilliant writer, keen-eyed editor, ace story architect, and warm genuine human. The structural foundation she taught saved me years of floundering in the dark. Thank you Gail!"

-- Jessica Waite, author of the Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards,  one of The Globe and Mail's best 100 books of 2024.

Jessica Waite

Darcy Friesen Hossack

"By the end of the first draft, I'd rediscovered colour in a world that had faded to black and white. I can not thank Gail enough."

-- Darcy Friesen Hossack, Danuta Gleed runner-up and Commonwealth Prize-shortlisted author of Mennonites Don't Dance  and Stillwater.

Darcy Friesen Hossack

Kelly S. Thompson

"Not only did Gail help me to polish my prose, but she also showed my how to believe in my own work, how to play, how to explore language with the writer's tools. What a gift, to have someone champion your work in a way that makes you, the writer, feel seen."

-- Kelly S. Thompson, national bestselling author of Girls Need Not Apply: Field Notes from the Forces.

Kelly S. Thompson

Lise Mayne

"Time Enough became the novel I longed to create thanks to Gail’s expert advice and encouragement. Gail helps writers find the heart of their own story, the mark of the very best teachers. I highly recommend her as a professional mentor and a sincere guide."

-- Lise Mayne, author of Time Enough.

Lise Mayne

Maia Caron

"Perhaps there's no greater proof of a manuscript editor's work than when the writer they mentor gets a publishing contract, but what I found most valuable was applying Gail's insightful comments when I began to plot a new book."

-- Maia Caron, author of Song of Batoche

Maia Caron

Elle Wild

"Gails fiction course was the best class I have ever taken. Full stop. Her notes and analysis were invaluable and I still use the creative exercises she shared with us."

-- Elle Wild. #1 bestselling author of Strange Things Done and winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Unpublished First Crime Novel.

Elle Wild

Daniel Griffin

"Gail has been a great help to me for many years, reading my novels and stories and providing practical, clear and meaningful feedback. Her focus on the structure of a story, its arc, the conflict that drives it and the development of characters and their transformation has been invaluable."

-- Daniel Griffin is the author of Stopping for Strangers and Two Roads Home.

Daniel Griffin

Leila Marshy

"I've been writing my whole life, but in the past two years I can say that Gail has pretty much taught me everything I now know. I am convinced that without Gail's ministrations, my novel The Philistine would not be enjoying its current success"

-- Leila Marshy, author of The Philistine.

Leila Marshy

Nerys Parry

"(Gail's) greatest gift is her passion. She truly loves the craft and throws her heart into her work as not only a teacher but also as a coach and inspiration to aspiring writers. She always knows just how far to push you without breaking you, and if you let her, she can help you become a far better writer than you ever imagined..."

-- Nerys Parry, author of Man & Other Natural Disasters, a finalist for the Colophon Prize and tied for seventh in the Giller Prize Reader’s Choice Awards.

Nerys Parry

Jennifer Manuel

"Gail has a firm grasp on what effective mentorship looks like: supportive, challenging, fully engaged. Immediately Gail got to the heart of my novel’s problem and then worked with me to find possible solutions, pushing my craft to a higher level and deepening my understanding of narrative structure. It was nothing short of a shattering breakthrough.”

-- Jennifer Manuel, author of The Heaviness of Things That Float

Jennifer Manuel

Liisa Kovala

"Working with Gail during an early stage of my historical fiction manuscript was like taking a masterclass. Both my novel and my skills as a writer improved through her guidance. Best of all, Gail is not only knowledgeable about everything to do with writing, she is also delightful to work with."

-- Liisa Kovala, author of Surviving Stutthof: My Father's Memories Behind the Death Gate and Sisu's Winter War.

Liisa Kovala

Emily De Angelis

"Gail was knowledgeable, thoughtful, and kind as she coached me through the process. Her feedback validated my journey and help me to move forward with my story in countless meaningful ways..."

-- Emily De Angelis, author of The Stones of Burren Bay.

Emily De Angelis

Maggi Feehan

"Gail is nothing short of an editing genius. She has the rare ability to give feedback laced with compassion, appreciation and respect... that will inspire you to go back to the page and transform your narrative, words and characters in truly remarkable ways."

-- Maggi Feehan, author of The Serpent's Veil

Maggi Feehan

Kimmy Beach

"I'm so happy I chose Gail as my first foray into the world of hiring an outside eye. I've loved her work for ages, and hoped her insight would take my new project where it needed to go. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude (and work!). Thank you, Gail. You 'get' me."

-- Kimmy Beach, author of The Last Temptation of Bond.

Kimmy Beach

Chris Tarry

"Working with Gail has become the measure by which I rate every workshop I've taken, or will ever take. And she has set the bar impossibly high. To study with Gail is to understand the plight of the Apprentice Writer, to take solace in her direction, and to witness one's growth in virtually real time."

-- Chris Tarry, four-time Juno Award winner and author of How to Carry a Bigfoot Home.

Chris Tarry