Unpopular opinion: those 'guided' book club questions are doing us a disservice

I used to think having a list of pre-made discussion questions was the only way to keep a book club on track. Our group in Austin tried them for almost a year, and every meeting felt like we were just checking boxes instead of actually talking. Then one night our facilitator forgot the printout, and we just started with 'so what did everyone think?' That conversation ran for two hours and was way more honest. Now we skip the questions entirely and just let people bring up whatever stood out to them. Has anyone else found that dropping the structure leads to better debates?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy82026d ago

So you're saying "just let people bring up whatever stood out to them." And that works great for some groups, sure. But for a lot of people, that open ended question is terrifying. Not everyone is quick on their feet or feels safe enough to just blurt out what they think. Those guided questions give shy people a place to start. They give someone like my friend Maria a chance to gather her thoughts before speaking instead of being put on the spot. Plus, without some kind of direction, you end up with the loudest person talking about the same thing for 20 minutes while everyone else zones out. Structure is a tool, not a cage, and some groups need that tool to actually have a good conversation.

hill.david26d ago

Whoa, wait... Maria's terrified of open ended questions?

nathan19326d agoMost Upvoted

So does Maria just freeze up when someone asks what she thought of the movie?