Man, you should write a book!

I can’t tell you how many times I heard that after hiking the AT! I was almost convinced to write – almost! My question was, first of all, I am a great reader! Huge as in a good year, more than 120 books. Paperbacks, hardcovers or kindle books, I don’t really care. I had read at least 16 AT books before hitting the road, not counting Bill Bryson and Dixie books at least twice. Sorry, not sorry, but I’m firmly on Bryson’s side. I love her wit and how she weaves interesting facts into each story! I have read everything you have written. Dixie, I love your writing and how specific and concise it is and the videos that accompany your book are top notch. I would personally recommend the Kindle version just for that! The sheer number of books already dedicated to this path seemed overwhelming! So I wonder about the reasons why people wanted me to write. Were they tired of me reliving my stories and wanted to keep me busy writing? You never know?

To start, I cannot recommend Zach Badger Davis’ book. Appalachian Trials enough! Zach covers what I think is the most important part of trail prep: your mental outlook! All other logistical elements and trail preparation will be in vain if you don’t have the mental toughness and positive frame of mind!

My writing fear that finally changed my mind about not writing about AT was that there were simply too many great books already written! I could walk you through a book covering the trail’s unique flora and fauna, but is that likely to only attract a dozen people?

I blogged and mostly posted pictures of all the trails between the AT and CDT! When I started researching CDT, there just weren’t many books out there, especially updated «how to» versions! So I decided then and there to write about my hike and include all the details when I finished it!

When I walk I take daily notes, until the CDT, I just used the notes section of my iPhone. Now I discovered an app called Day One. I used the free app, but the other offers may be valuable to you as well. The app will import videos and photos to Instagram, it will also keep your gps points of where you camped and points of interest. You can dictate notes too! I usually log this information every day: mileage, elevation gain/loss, weather, points of interest, hikers I met, neros, zeros, details about cities, places to eat, stay, etc.

I mention these tools because if you ever decide to write a blog or a book, you can go back and refer to a multitude of details! Since I’m an avid botanist, I also list new plants, shrubs and trees I see, as well as wildlife too! I also have a tendency to count everything, so whether it’s pikas, marmots or hikers, I record it too! I know I may be a nerd, but we have a lot of free time for our brains to wander! On the PCT we reached the bubble and one day I counted 118 hikers. I would say “Happy Trails number 88”! I was amused that some hikers were a little upset!

If you decide that writing a book is something you want to do, great! Having your detailed notes will be a great start and a foundation to begin with. The next decision is do I find a publisher or publish myself? Why am I writing a book? Who is my audience? Will I be the next Bill Bryson or Cheryl Strayed? (Best Sellers) Ironically, none of them walked their perspective trails in their entirety! Is it for self-preservation: a biography? Is it an inspiring story to encourage others? Will it provide primary or auxiliary income? All this influences!

If it is to provide pertinent information that will help hikers and tell the story of their adventures! (My reason) That’s great too! Maybe you just want to write a book! For me, self-publishing fits my goals of: writing my first book and providing information for future CDT hikers.

Whatever your motivation, do it. Research the writing platform that works best with who you publish! I found that a lot of people used the word, so I used it. I don’t think I would use it again! I found Pro Writer and I loved it! I watched a ton of YouTube videos on platforms, writing programs, etc. In fact, the practical use was the best for me! One or two highly hyped favorites that I absolutely hated. Luckily, most programs have a free trial or money back period! take advantage of that!

My next blog will be the process of writing a book! It’s time to go out anyway!

Happy trails!

Cat

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