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• Dynamics Book Discussion Club (Overview)
  
  
• Get Ready: Steps for Start-up
  
  
• Get Set: Suggestions for Success
  
  
• Go!!: Tips on Leading the Discussion
  
  
• Discussion Packets
  • The Bean Trees
  • The Bridges of Madison County
  • Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend
  • Cold Mountain
  • Bibliography
  • Additional Resources

Dynamics Book Discussion Club

Get Set: Suggestions for Success

1. Be flexible! Every Dynamics group is unique, so feel free to change or omit anything in this packet.

2. Spend several meetings discussing a single book-do not try to cover the entire guide in one session. The questions have been grouped to make dividing up the discussion simple.

3. Make the club meetings fun and social. At the beginning of a meeting, include extra time for socializing; draw more reserved members into the spirit by asking about their grandkids, quilt-project, soap opera, etc.

4. Serve a snack and beverages-coffee, tea, and baked goodies are inexpensive and always popular. This will spark interest in your new group and ensure participants keep coming back, as well as give the occasion a social atmosphere. Provide a different snack each time, or let members sign-up to bring the treats.

5. Facilitate communication. If members do not know one another, use nametags and getting-to-know-you games for the first few sessions. To promote discussion and eye-contact, arrange chairs in a circle.

6. Establish a basic meeting schedule. Many clubs use a "one-month-off, one-month-on" plan: members read the upcoming book selection during the "off" month, then meet once or twice a week during the "on" month to discuss the novel. For the "on" month, members should set a time and day for the Dynamics club to meet, and stick to it. A length of one to two hours usually works well, depending on the group's general attention span.

7. As an alternative to the "off" month, a club could choose to continue the regular meetings and use them as group listening sessions to read the next book-on-tape; this can be scheduled using the total listening times provided with each guide. Then the club moves on to discussion sessions when finished listening to the novel. If your group decides upon this format, be sure to provide a specific schedule for each book-some members may choose to attend only the discussion sessions, or some may need to catch-up on reading if they miss a listening session.

8. To help everyone stay organized, distribute schedules to each participant and post a few in convenient places. This will be especially helpful if members are taking turns bringing refreshments.