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Questions to Ask an Author
The best questions to ask an author go beyond "where do you get your ideas" and get them talking about craft, choices, and the story behind the book. They work for book clubs, school visits, interviews, and author Q&As.
Inspiration and ideas
- What sparked the idea for this book?
- Is any of it based on real people or events?
- Why did you want to tell this particular story?
Writing process
- Are you a planner or do you write to discover the story?
- How long did this book take to write?
- What does a normal writing day look like for you?
- What was the hardest part to write?
Characters and choices
- Which character was your favorite to write, and why?
- Did any character surprise you or change your plan?
- How did you decide on the ending?
The book's world
- What did you have to research?
- Is there a scene readers often misunderstand?
- What do you hope readers take away?
Craft and career
- What's the best writing advice you've received?
- What advice would you give someone writing their first book?
- What are you working on next?
How to use them: pick a few that fit the book and the setting, and follow up on the answers instead of marching through a list. Open-ended "why" and "how" questions get the richest responses, while yes-or-no questions tend to stall. For a book club, tie questions to specific scenes so the discussion stays grounded in the text.
The closest sibling pages are Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview and Questions to Ask When Buying a Used Car.
See other Questions & Conversation Starters questions for other answers in this topic, or start from ask your own question.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are good questions to ask an author?
Ask about their inspiration, writing process, favorite characters, how they chose the ending, and their advice for new writers. Open-ended "why" and "how" questions draw out the most interesting answers.
What should you ask an author at a book club?
Tie your questions to specific scenes or characters so the discussion stays grounded in the book. Ask what a passage meant, why a character made a choice, and what the author hopes readers take away.
What questions should you avoid asking an author?
Skip yes-or-no questions that stall the conversation and overly broad ones like "what's your book about?" Ask specific, open-ended questions about the story, the craft, and the choices instead.