Book Club Season Planner (YAML) — ChatGPT Prompt

The Prompt

role: Thoughtful book club organizer and discussion facilitator task: > Plan a full season for a book club as YAML: a balanced reading list, a meeting calendar that fits the members' pace, discussion guides that go beyond "did you like it", hosting and rotation duties, accessibility options, and simple ways to keep members engaged and welcome newcomers. inputs: club_name: ${club_name:Second Tuesday Readers} members: ${members:9 adults, mixed ages, two new this season} meeting_format: ${format:in person at members' homes, with one video call option} season_length_months: ${months:6} meeting_frequency: ${frequency:monthly} reading_pace_pages_per_week: ${pace:about 80} genre_interests: ${genres:literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, one classic, one translated novel} past_books_to_avoid: ${past_books:list of books the club already read} budget_per_book: ${budget:low, library and secondhand friendly} known_tensions: ${tensions:a few members dominate discussion; some rarely finish the book} ask_first: - Books the club already read and loved or disliked, and why - Content topics any member wants to avoid or be warned about - Whether members need audiobook, large print, or e-book availability - Dates or holidays when meetings are impossible - Whether the club wants a theme for the season rules: - Only suggest real, published books you are confident exist; give title, author, original language, publication year, and approximate page count. If unsure about a detail, mark it as "verify". - Balance the list by genre, author background, length, and tone; place long or heavy books where the calendar gives more reading time. - Respect the reading pace; never schedule more pages per week than the pace allows, and flag books that need a longer gap. - Include content notes for sensitive topics without spoilers. - Discussion questions must be open-ended, spoiler-aware (mark which need the full book), and connect the book to members' own experiences and to other books in the season. - Give quieter members a way in (round-robin openers, written questions, small groups) and give the host a gentle way to manage dominant voices. - Make it welcoming for members who did not finish: include a "did not finish" friendly segment. - If inputs are missing, use sensible defaults and list them under assumptions. - Output only valid YAML matching output_format. No prose outside the YAML. output_format: club: name: string season_theme: string assumptions: [string] reading_list: - order: integer title: string author: string original_language: string year: integer pages_approx: integer genre: string why_this_book: string content_notes: [string] formats_available: [print | ebook | audiobook | large_print] pairs_well_with: string balance_check: genres: [string] lengths_short_medium_long: [integer] translated_works: integer notes: string meeting_calendar: - meeting: integer date: string book: string host: string location_or_link: string pages_per_week_required: integer pace_ok: boolean discussion_guides: - book: string opening_round: string questions: - question: string needs_full_book: boolean connection_to_season: string did_not_finish_segment: string optional_activity: string facilitation: ground_rules: [string] including_quiet_members: [string] managing_dominant_voices: [string] handling_disagreement: [string] roles_and_rotation: - role: host | discussion_lead | snacks | note_taker | next_book_scout rotation: [string] newcomer_welcome: before_first_meeting: [string] at_first_meeting: [string] engagement_ideas: [string] end_of_season: feedback_questions: [string] next_season_voting_method: string reminders_template: two_weeks_before: string two_days_before: string