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Dec 1, 2007 · The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an ...
The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust, and often used by modern interviewers. [1] Proust answered the questionnaire in a confession album —a form of parlor game popular among Victorians. [2]
Confessions QuestionsConfidences QuestionsProust's Answers 1886Proust's Answers 1890Your favourite virtueThe principal aspect of my personalityAll virtues that are not limited to a ...The need to be loved; more precisely, the ...Your favourite qualities in a manThe quality that I desire in a manIntelligence, moral sense.Feminine charm.Your favourite qualities in a womanThe quality that I desire in a womanGentleness, naturalness, intelligence.Manly virtues, and the union of ...Your chief characteristic----[left blank]----- The Origin of Proust's Questionnaire
- Example: Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire
- How Creative Writers Can Use Proust's Questionnaire
- The Proust Questionnaire
- Other Characterization Questionnaires
- Knowing Characters (Well) Will Make Your Story Better
In the late nineteenth century, lists of questions were a popular diversion designed to discover new things about old friends. They were similar to the lists of questions that get passed around social media. Marcel Proust, the soon-to-be novelist and essayist, was just fourteen years old when he first filled out the questions in a confession album ...
The Proust Questionnaire has frequently been used as an interview tool, most notably by the magazine Vanity Fair, who interviewed over a hundred celebrities using the questions including authors Joan Didion and Norman Mailer, singers David Bowie andRay Charles, actors Sidney Poitier and Carrie Fischer, and many more. These interviews were even turn...
If you distill a great story down to its most essential elements, you need two things at the very beginning: a great character and a difficult situation (also known as an inciting incident). But how do you come up with interesting characters? Even more, how do you get to know those characters well enough to write a great story about them? That's wh...
Here are the thirty-five questions Proust originally answered in 1890: 1. What is your idea of perfect happiness? 2. What is your greatest fear? 3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 4. What is the trait you most deplore in others? 5. Which living person do you most admire? 6. What is your greatest extravagance? 7. What is your current...
Proust's Questionnaire is by no means the only set of questions you can use. Here are other popular sources of characterization questionnaires: 1. James Lipton's Questionnaire 2. Bernard Pivot Questionnaire If you love some of Proust's questions but also want to find some fresh questions to add to your list, try mixing and matching with these other...
Getting to know lots of different people on a personal level will inevitably make you a better writer. Much of the time, our best creative ideas are inspired by what experiences we've had, and the people we've met along the way. However, in order to really get to know someone—and avoid awkward small talk along the way—it helps to have a handy set o...
Jul 7, 2016 · July 7, 2016. As a teen-ager, Marcel Proust filled out a questionnaire as part of a parlor game. His responses have experienced a startling afterlife. PHOTOGRAPH BY IMAGNO / GETTY. In 1886 ...
- Evan Kindley
- What is your favorite virtue? There’s a famous saying that goes, “Patience is a virtue.” If your character isn’t the most patient person in the world, there’s bound to be at least one virtue they hold in high regard.
- What are your favorite qualities in a man? There are different ways to approach this question. For example, if you’re writing a love story, think about some qualities that your character would want to see if they’re looking for a romantic partner.
- What are your favorite qualities in a woman? Similar to the previous question, this one can be approached in several ways. Consider the different women in your character's life — what would they want from their female friends, for example, as opposed to their aunties?
- What is your favorite occupation? If your character had to choose one thing to occupy their time with, what would it be? Do they have any particular hobbies they excel at, or do they love learning new things in their free time?
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What is the Proust Questionnaire?
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Why do artists ask for a Proust Questionnaire?
In 1890, Proust, still a teenager, took this questionnaire, answering the questions with frank sincerity. The original manuscript was uncovered in 1924, two years after Proust’s death, and in 2003, it was auctioned off for roughly $130,000. You can see the original 1890 manuscript above and, if your ...
Marcel Proust’s Questionnaires At age 13: What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Where would you like to live? What is your idea of earthly happiness? To what faults do you feel most indulgent? Who are your favorite fictional heroes? Who are your favorite characters in history? Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
