Book Club Discussion Questions for The Mean Bone in Her Body
I'm not sure everyone is aware of this, but the book club discussion questions you see in the backs of your favorite novels are often written by the authors themselves. I think that's sort of funny because my urge in composing questions is to try to encourage a Polly Prissy Pants style conversation:But that's not how book club discussions go, is it? Even when the author is present, the group is usually pretty frank about what they liked, disliked, or flat-out didn't get about your book. That's cool. That kind of feedback has been very influential in my development as a novelist, and I've been working hard at becoming more direct with each book. That said, I'll probably never let go of my love for twisty, weird storytelling. I've come up with a set of questions about The Mean Bone in Her Bodythat I think will drive the conversation into rich areas. I'll create other sets for my other books--and possibly work on adding a book club page to my site, eventually.
If you've read Mean Bone, what do you think of these questions as a staring point? And if you haven't read Mean Bone yet, what do you expect, based on these questions?
If you've read Mean Bone, what do you think of these questions as a staring point? And if you haven't read Mean Bone yet, what do you expect, based on these questions?
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Andrea
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Jun 04, 2018 04:42AM
Laura, First a comment on: be more direct. I'm getting that in critiques too, so I guess it's true, and I can either learn it now or 5 years from now. Thanks, "big sis." (disclaimer: we aren't actually related.) Re: the Qs. I like them--THEY'RE very direct :) and all over the place and it seems to me not only timely but based on comments you've already heard and what you ask yourself about what you read and yourself as a writer (I do too.). I want to hear answers to #2 and the process (did you plan it or was it a "major revision" as they call it?) #1 my first instinct was --the reader, for spending her time reading about murder. ;) All in all, I think they're intriguing thematic questions that will also cover the basic contents of the book (plot, characterization, and setting, as long as readers support their answers haha :) And I got it, felt, that Mean Bone is an idea book with elements of genre; it made me think about the ideas/depictions (now and how they'll hold up in say 10 years) as much as sleuth.
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Hey Andi, you and I got our formal training in oblique technique, so I don't think we can be faulted if we tend to "tell all the truth but tell it slant." Being direct is a whole new skill.
I like that, oblique technique and a skill. I also think sometimes we got more truth out there in our midwestern families by telling it oblique. I got far fewer finger flicks on the forehead. :P
