How to Write a Book Club Discussion Guide

Need to brainstorm discussion questions for your book club's next meeting? We're here to help! In this article, we'll cover the basics of writing a successful book discussion guide.

The approaches below can be used for pretty much any situation and setting where you need discussion questions for a book, whether you’re facilitating an in-person conversation with your book group members, hosting an online discussion, or creating an online reading guide for anyone to use.

And if you need an extra hand, be sure to check out our list of 36 Book Club Discussion Questions for Any Book. 

First, your DIY guide will be easier to produce if you take notes as you read, rather than relying on memory to zero in on topics after the fact.

As you’re putting your guide together, keep in mind that your goal is to foster a positive atmosphere for conversation. You therefore want to avoid questions that people can respond to in just a word or two, such as simple yes/no questions.

Weak: Did you like the book?

Better: What did you like about the book?

You also don’t want to bore people or make them feel like they’re taking a test! To this end, stay away from questions that seem to suggest correct or incorrect answers:

Avoid: In what year did John Doe commit treason?

Weak: Describe the protagonist’s primary motivation for committing treason.

Better: Why do you think John Doe committed treason?

Note that the better question above is personal; using “you” invites participants to express their opinions.

For an even more effective question, pull the reader’s emotions and imagination into the discussion:

Better still: Why do you think John Doe committed treason? Did you approve of his actions? What would you have done in his shoes?

Another way to draw people into conversation is to invite them to compare their experiences of a time, setting, or event to how it’s portrayed in the book:

What do you remember about the 1960s? Did the author’s portrayal of the time period align with your recollections?

Have you ever been to Appalachia? What did you think of the author’s descriptions of the area?

Have you ever tried or wanted to try backpacking? Did the author make it seem more or less appealing to you than before reading the book?

Asking questions about specific experiences may be most appropriate if you’re facilitating a discussion for your own book club. For example, if everyone in your group has lived through the ‘60s, the above question about that era makes perfect sense, but you may want to phrase the question differently if writing a discussion guide for general use or an online club.

Something else that’s important when it comes to identities and experiences is to generally avoid assumptions about people who may be responding to your questions, and avoid questions that position any person or people as the subject of a debate.

Not keeping these things in mind may (however unintentionally) alienate people with a personal stake in a topic and put them in the position of watching others discuss their realities in a casual and theoretical way. Instead, aim your questions towards everyone while also showing deference to those who are closest to a subject:

Avoid: Have you ever met illegal immigrants like those in the story? What do you think our government should do about immigration?

Better: What do you think the author means to convey about the reality of living as an undocumented person? What problems with the current immigration system do the characters’ experiences expose?

Note how the second example asks questions in a way that doesn’t assume participants’ identities (citizenship status or history, in this case) and doesn’t suggest that anyone’s existence may be invalid or itself a topic of discussion open to debate. It also centers the experience that’s being discussed from the point of view of those having that experience.

While book clubs should definitely be a place to share opinions and benefit from the opinions of others, not everyone is on equal ground with all subjects, and how opinions are informed by facts and experience matters. Bearing this in mind will help provide direction and accountability for a productive discussion.

Many readers like to share passages or quotes from the book, so including a question that prompts people to mention their favorite parts can be helpful and spark further conversation:

Is there a specific quote or passage in the book that spoke to you? What about it stood out, and why do you feel it resonated with you?

If you’re writing a guide for general use, providing a specific quote to discuss is even better, as it gives groups a question unique to the book:

Oran tells Sarah that “Grief is a dark labyrinth.” What do you suppose he means? Do you agree?

We hope these ideas and considerations help get you started! More suggestions and resources can be found on our Book Club Central page, where we’ve got books recommended for book groups, hundreds of reading guides, book group advice, and much more.