Have one volunteer pretend that he or she is the author of a story or book that a reading group has just finished.
Other class members can be literary critics who question the author about various aspects of the work.

Typical questions include "Why did you select that title?"
                                      "Did you consider any other ending for your story?"
                                        "Did you ever know anyone like the main character?"
                                        "Why did you choose that setting?"
                                        "What part of the story was the most fun to write?"
                                        "Who was your own favorite character?"

After the question and answer session, critics can give the author their own assessments of the story.
They explain how they felt while reading it, citing parts they enjoyed or disliked.
They can relate how the author's style enhanced or weakened the plot and character development.

Variation:
This activity can be an informal, spur-of-the-moment experience or planned in advance.
Critics can jot down their questions beforehand and the"pretend" author can research the real author's life and other works in case some questions involve those areas.
For an upbeat ending, the "author" can autograph each critic's question list.