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Abstract

a handy list of questions already stacked in your “what to ask” list.</p><p id="45a7">Here’s the request from a challenge posted in Illumination’s Slack channel. Tree asked writers to complete a simplified version of the Proust Questionnaire.</p><div id="69d8" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/a-challenge-to-all-writers-on-our-illumination-slack-channel-83fa34a749ee"> <div> <div> <h2>A Challenge to All Writers On Our Illumination Slack Channel</h2> <div><h3>Join the Conversation</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*WX_FWeevz_bPyY0exqQkoA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="91b9">You won’t get disappointed, as this was extracted from the full-scale form of the Proust Questionnaire.</p><div id="9d03" class="link-block"> <a href="https://thewritepractice.com/proust-questionnaire/"> <div> <div> <h2>Proust Questionnaire: 35 Questions To Ask Your Characters From Marcel Proust</h2> <div><h3>How do you get to know someone? But really get to know them, beyond the surface level things like where they grew up…</h3></div> <div><p>thewritepractice.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*EQVzmsJDrwNb7jZN)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="85a7">Here are my responses to Proust's Questionnaire:</p><ol><li><b>What is your idea of perfect happiness?</b></li></ol><ul><li>Gazing up at the stars, huddling around a bonfire, laughing with my kids, though they are not kids anymore</li></ul><p id="dea1"><b>2. What is your greatest fear?</b></p><ul><li>Having regrets in my mind as I lay dying</li></ul><p id="2e66"><b>3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?</b></p><ul><li>Acting as though everything is okay even when it’s not</li></ul><p id="a085">4. <b>Which living person do you most admire?</b></p><ul><li>Our 2018 Miss Universe, my townmate, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catriona_Gray">Catriona Gray</a>. She embodies true Filipina beauty.</li></ul><p id="d91c">5. <b>What do you consider the most overrated virtue?</b></p><ul><li>Love for someone. One's love is not on display for others to see, like showing too much affection publicly when you care about him or her.</li></ul><p id="359a">6. <b>On what occasion do you lie?</b></p><ul><li>As far as I know, the first time I have ever lied is now. (Kidding aside, I don't intentionally lie. It's when times I am forced to protect a loved one from feeling hurt, more so if I can save one's life.)</li></ul><p id="c20c">7. <b>Which words or phrases do you most overuse?</b></p><ul><li>I can’t think of any, maybe it is, “I am fine, don’t worry.”</li></ul><p id="4d04">8. <b>What or who is the greatest love of your life?</b></p><ul><li>Writing</li></ul><p id="80c7">9. <b>When and where were you happiest?</b></p><ul><li>When I am with my kids being able to give them what their h

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earts desire most.</li></ul><p id="0868">10. <b>Which talent would you most like to have?</b></p><ul><li>The ability to speak varied languages</li></ul><p id="e0ce">11. <b>If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?</b></p><ul><li>Allowing myself to take risks and make mistakes.</li></ul><p id="457d">12. <b>What do you consider your greatest achievement?</b></p><ul><li>Being brave enough to stand on my own and support my four kids as a sole mom-dad.</li></ul><p id="5b63">13. <b>Where would you most like to live?</b></p><ul><li>If I could I’d love to, in Switzerland, but of course, nothing compares with living in your own place of birth.</li></ul><p id="45c3">14. <b>What do you most value in your friends?</b></p><ul><li>Their unflinching emotional honesty makes me laugh.</li></ul><p id="4cfd">15. <b>Which historical figure do you most identify with?</b></p><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein">Albert Einstein</a>, aside from the fact we were born on the same date.</li></ul><p id="6495">16. <b>Who are your heroes in real life?</b></p><ul><li>I don’t have a specific hero in real life, but I do remember my mom when she was still alive, she managed to help others without disclosing herself. She said then, that the help you give to others is most rewarding when given, especially to those who can’t afford to give it back to you, furtherly if that person does not know who you are.</li></ul><p id="109f">17. <b>What is your greatest regret?</b></p><ul><li>Not writing early in life. Go for your passion the moment you dreamt of it. The earlier the better, and the faster you’ll achieve it in no time at all.</li></ul><p id="b55a">18. <b>What is your motto?</b></p><p id="5ad9" type="7">“How we think about others unmask more about ourselves than anything else.” - Josh Balerite Acol</p><p id="3dbb"><b>About the Author</b></p><div id="25a2" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/meet-josh-balerite-acol-29691f682f7c"> <div> <div> <h2>Meet Josh Balerite Acol</h2> <div><h3>Senior editor at ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on Medium</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*OEphtVt6haQ369L6IMvWPw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="b9da">My posts should appear in your inbox right away. <a href="https://joshbaleriteacol.medium.com/subscribe"><b>Here’s how. </b></a>In addition, I highly recommend <a href="https://joshbaleriteacol.medium.com/membership"><b>becoming a member of Medium</b></a> if you’d like to explore my writing and the writing of thousands of other writers. With it, you can even earn money with your writing, too. It merely costs $5 per month. <a href="https://joshbaleriteacol.medium.com/membership"><b>Through this link</b></a>, you’ll directly support me with a portion of your fee, at no extra charge to you. I appreciate your kindness a million times over!</p><p id="31be">Thanks so much for reading! Stay well ever.</p><p id="2fde">©2023 <a href="undefined">Josh Balerite Acol</a> All Rights Reserved</p></article></body>

WRITING | PROMPTS | SELF

The Proust Questionnaire Answered by Josh Balerite Acol

Join the challenge, unravel your pure, authentic self

Getting a hard time searching for ideas on what to write?

Worry no more. Here’s a little something to lighten up your day.

I was searching everywhere for inspiration and I haven’t realized, that there’s no need to hunt far and wide but just here around the corners of Medium.

It seems natural to begin here in our Team Illumination’s gem garden. Guess what I have found?

I unearthed something that you too, might be afflicted with after reading this piece of gold.

I happened to read a write-up from a vibrant co-ed, Tree Langdon.

The Proust Questionnaire answered by Tree Langdon, CPA, CGA

The Proust Questionnaire Answered by Tree Langdon, CPA, CGA

Join the Conversation

medium.com

As Tree observes,

“Sometimes your answers reveal more about you than you realize.” — Tree Langdon

You see, the Proust Questionnaire is a well-tested method to better understand someone. It was used and circulated by French novelist Marcel Proust twice and can be applied to quickly identify a friend or anyone you want to meet.

If you are planning to write a great story, you need a great character and a difficult situation at the very beginning. The Proust Questionnaire can help you with both.

To use the Proust Questionnaire, of course, you must answer the questions for your characters as a way to understand them more deeply.

Here’s a tip, dear. Getting to know lots of different people will make you a better writer.

However, in order to avoid awkward small talk, it helps to have a handy list of questions already stacked in your “what to ask” list.

Here’s the request from a challenge posted in Illumination’s Slack channel. Tree asked writers to complete a simplified version of the Proust Questionnaire.

A Challenge to All Writers On Our Illumination Slack Channel

Join the Conversation

medium.com

You won’t get disappointed, as this was extracted from the full-scale form of the Proust Questionnaire.

Proust Questionnaire: 35 Questions To Ask Your Characters From Marcel Proust

How do you get to know someone? But really get to know them, beyond the surface level things like where they grew up…

thewritepractice.com

Here are my responses to Proust's Questionnaire:

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Gazing up at the stars, huddling around a bonfire, laughing with my kids, though they are not kids anymore

2. What is your greatest fear?

Having regrets in my mind as I lay dying

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Acting as though everything is okay even when it’s not

4. Which living person do you most admire?

Our 2018 Miss Universe, my townmate, Catriona Gray. She embodies true Filipina beauty.

5. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Love for someone. One's love is not on display for others to see, like showing too much affection publicly when you care about him or her.

6. On what occasion do you lie?

As far as I know, the first time I have ever lied is now. (Kidding aside, I don't intentionally lie. It's when times I am forced to protect a loved one from feeling hurt, more so if I can save one's life.)

7. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I can’t think of any, maybe it is, “I am fine, don’t worry.”

8. What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Writing

9. When and where were you happiest?

When I am with my kids being able to give them what their hearts desire most.

10. Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to speak varied languages

11. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Allowing myself to take risks and make mistakes.

12. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being brave enough to stand on my own and support my four kids as a sole mom-dad.

13. Where would you most like to live?

If I could I’d love to, in Switzerland, but of course, nothing compares with living in your own place of birth.

14. What do you most value in your friends?

Their unflinching emotional honesty makes me laugh.

15. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Albert Einstein, aside from the fact we were born on the same date.

16. Who are your heroes in real life?

I don’t have a specific hero in real life, but I do remember my mom when she was still alive, she managed to help others without disclosing herself. She said then, that the help you give to others is most rewarding when given, especially to those who can’t afford to give it back to you, furtherly if that person does not know who you are.

17. What is your greatest regret?

Not writing early in life. Go for your passion the moment you dreamt of it. The earlier the better, and the faster you’ll achieve it in no time at all.

18. What is your motto?

“How we think about others unmask more about ourselves than anything else.” - Josh Balerite Acol

About the Author

Meet Josh Balerite Acol

Senior editor at ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on Medium

medium.com

My posts should appear in your inbox right away. Here’s how. In addition, I highly recommend becoming a member of Medium if you’d like to explore my writing and the writing of thousands of other writers. With it, you can even earn money with your writing, too. It merely costs $5 per month. Through this link, you’ll directly support me with a portion of your fee, at no extra charge to you. I appreciate your kindness a million times over!

Thanks so much for reading! Stay well ever.