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In this episode Scott Gates and I discuss:

• Truth in a first-person narrative, especially when the protagonist is unreliable.
• The traditions of travel literature and including Classical structures in modern literature.
• How to balance writing and the research rabbit hole so you can maintain your momentum.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About Scott Gates

Scott Gates is the author of Hard Road South, published by Blue Ink Press. He is a magazine editor and a second-generation communicator for rural electric cooperatives. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Auburn University and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Scott grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and currently lives in North Carolina with his wife and three kids, where he enjoys a slower pace of life and reliable barbecue options. He and his brother share perspectives on Southern culture at incidentalist.com.

You can find him on his website or follow him on Facebook and Instagram. 

Gone, the Redeemer

Thomas Sparkman wasn’t looking for trouble. He never could have imagined being on a wanted poster, let alone becoming a notorious gold robber hunted in two states. But when Thomas sneaks off the Cuban front of the Spanish-American War with his sights set on returning to his pregnant wife in California, his path takes a series of unexpected turns. He’s joined on his journey by a mysterious mercenary, a runaway circus sideshow performer, and an Apache guide and her infant son.

As the group traverses the American West, they cross paths with rogues, loners, and hired guns—some searching for their own form of redemption, some working to stop him dead in his tracks. Thomas and his travel companions must stay two steps ahead of their pursuers, outwitting them at every turn, or Thomas may never see home again.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 414

(Right-click to download.)

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The post Episode 414: The Travel Novel, the Unreliable Narrator, and Forgotten Slices of History – Interview with Scott Gates appeared first on DIY MFA.