I love to write about places I visit – traveling is my muse – and I wanted to share the adventure my husband and I undertook. I thought that perhaps it might propel others to embark on their own journey, or to simply enjoy ours from an overstuffed chair.
Marianne C. Bohr – 6 June 2023
The Back Flap
Marianne Bohr and her husband, about to turn sixty, are restless for adventure. They decide on an extended, desolate trek across the French island of Corsica—the GR20, Europe’s toughest long-distance footpath—to challenge what it means to grow old. Part travelogue, part buddy story, part memoir, The Twenty is a journey across a rugged island of stunning beauty little known outside Europe
From a chubby, non-athletic child, Bohr grew into a fit, athletic person with an “I’ll show them” attitude. But hiking The Twenty forces her to transform a lifetime of hard-won achievements into acceptance of her body and its limitations. The difficult journey across a remote island provides the crucible for exploring what it means to be an aging woman in a youth-focused culture, a physically fit person whose limitations are getting the best of her, and the partner of a husband who is growing old with her. More than a hiking tale, The Twenty is a moving story infused with humor about hiking, aging, accepting life’s finite journey, and the intimacy of a long-term marriage—set against the breathtaking beauty of Corsica’s rugged countryside.
About the book
What is the book about?
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing when we started training in early 2016 and continued taking notes throughout the hike in August of the same year.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took about two years to write and another year to edit.
Where did you get the idea from?
I love to write about places I visit – traveling is my muse – and I wanted to share the adventure my husband and I undertook. I thought that perhaps it might propel others to embark on their own journey, or to simply enjoy ours from an overstuffed chair. I started writing about our training just to capture what we were doing. I’d hoped it would turn into a book, but wasn’t sure when I started that this would happen This is my second travel narrative, and because I’d enjoyed the process of writing my first (Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries), I started on a second. When I write about a journey, I get to relive it many times over and it’s all part of the joy.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
It was definitely difficult to write about the physical challenges that almost did me in and the times I wanted to quit. Reliving those experiences twisted my pride and gave me a profound sense of failure. I actually felt physical pain while getting those scenes down.
What came easily?
Writing about nature, what I see, and how it affects me is fairly easy. I can spend hours writing and rewriting about the outdoors because it makes me so happy and as I said before, allows me to relive experiences.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Because I‘ve only written travel memoir so far, all my characters are real people.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I adore Cheryl Strayed as well as Pam Houston. What I learned from them both is that you have to weave yourself in your stories in between vivid descriptions of the places you visit. I’ve read travel literature since I was a teen and authors like Mary Morris, Paul Theroux, Alice Steinbach, and Jan Morris come to mind as favorites.
Do you have a target reader?
I believe I have three primary groups of target readers, most over forty years old.
The first group is armchair travelers, readers thirsty to share in others’ adventures and to experience a life they may not be able to—the sedentary dreamers who want to squeeze into my duffel and travel along with me. The next group are adventure enthusiasts and avid hikers–risk-taking souls who have traveled extensively and often read about others’ escapades, in part, to get ideas for their next journey. And the final group is aspiring hikers–readers with hiking aspirations who want to be motivated to put a plan into action. This group includes mid-lifers who daydream about pushing their physical boundaries on an outdoor challenge.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I’m one of those people who can write almost anywhere: a coffee shop, a hotel lobby, in a tent, or in a car. I grew up as the eldest of eleven children and I learned how to create my own quiet spaces amidst the chaos. But my favorite places to write are at my desk and sitting up in bed. In terms of a process, when I’m working on a project, be it a book or an essay, it’s all I can think of. It’s like when you’re considering buying an electric car, all you see are electric cars. I see everything through the lens of my story. I try to sit and write for at least an hour a day, but if I can find more time, I take it, wherever I am.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I’m definitely not an outliner. Because I’ve written travel memoirs, and I write them chronologically, my outline is my calendar. I often share flashbacks or memories, but I usually just put those in as they come up organically.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I can’t help doing some editing as I go along but do my best to wait to do substantive edits. Each time I sit down to write, I usually reread what I wrote the day before, make minor changes and then move ahead and write new material. So, I take a step back and then two steps ahead. I have to tell myself the whole story first and then go back to polish.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, I always hire a professional editor and they never fail to have terrific suggestions to make my story tighter and better.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Sometimes. If I do listen, it’s always instrumental, so I don’t stop to listen to lyrics. I often find myself listening to Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies. His music really stirs my imagination.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No, because I know it’s extremely difficult to get an agent and didn’t want to spend that much time searching (I tried with my first book, Gap Year Girl). I was happy to go with She Writes Press for book #2. They did a wonderful job with book #1.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I love Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press, and I’ve met so many brilliant female authors/sisters during and after the publishing process. Authors share in the creative and decision-making process with SWP, and I know this is often not the case with big houses.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Professionally with SWP designers.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Yes, I have a marketing plan and hired a publicity firm.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Connect with other writers via writers’ groups, online classes, and in-person retreats. You’ll be amazed by what other writers and instructors can teach you. They can also give you great feedback and outside validation for your writing. Also, know that doing marketing and publicity is your job. Even the big publishers leave much of it to their authors.
About You
Marianne C. Bohr, published author, award-winning essayist, and former travel blogger for the Huffington Post, married her high school sweetheart and travel partner. She follows her own advice and travels at every opportunity. She wrote her first book, Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries, over the course of the yearlong sabbatical she and her husband took to travel across Europe. The Twenty: The Highs and Lows of Hiking Across Corsica on Europe’s Toughest Footpath, is her second book. Marianne lives in Park City, UT, where after decades in publishing, and then many years teaching middle school French, she skis, hikes, and writes.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Fort Wayne, IN and moved five times across the northeast before I turned twelve. I spent my middle school and high school years on Long Island, NY and went to college in MA and then France.
Where do you live now?
Park City, UT
What would you like readers to know about you?
I didn’t start writing creatively until I was 55 and now I can’t stop. Writing is a new friend that keeps me company when I’m not hiking or skiing.
What are you working on now?
I’ve finished writing a novel and am deep in the editing process. Of course, it takes place in France and is filled with travel adventures.
End of Interview:
For more from Marianne C. Bohr, visit her website and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
