Historical Info for Historical Fiction Readers discussion

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Bits and Bobs > How to write a Reading Guide

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message 1: by Deborah (new)

Deborah Swift (deborahswift) | 4 comments I have a post on How to Write a Reading Guide at www.deborahswift.blogspot.com

I would be interested to hear from readers/writers what sort of things they like to see in a Reading Guide, or what they don't like, and whether they think it enhances the book to have one.


message 2: by Robin (new)

Robin (ukamerican) | 12 comments When it comes to the discussion questions, I prefer more specific questions rather than broad ones - I think they provide more insight and makes me think more about the details. I also prefer when questions provide some suggestions too or ask several questions on one topic. Like "Why do you think (X) character did (Y)? Do you think it was because of this or that? Or something else? How would things have been different if (X) had done something different?" Sometimes the suggestions offer something I hadn't thought of and the multiple questions on one issue make me analyze it more. I thought the discussion questions in Helen Hollick's "The Kingmaking" were really good because they were like this.


message 3: by Deborah (new)

Deborah Swift (deborahswift) | 4 comments Hi Robin, thanks for your response. I too prefer the detailed questions with multiple answers when i am reading for myself. But having been in a Book Club, the ones people used to want to discuss most were much more broad than my choices. I guess that the lone reader uses the Reading Guide differently from say a group of friends or a Book Group meeting together for a discussion. Then the broader questions form a good intro into the book in general I suppose. I'll ask Helen if there's a copy of her Reading Guide online and then link to it from my post. Thanks!


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