Size matters: answering the question of profile length
The old adage about skirts, "short enough to interest, long enough to cover" applies to profile lengths--so deciding how much to write can be a bit tricky. Daters want to show they have spent time on their profiles, but not overwhelm potential mates with too many detailed stories.
"Make your paragraphs very short. I've seen too many women's profiles that look like romance novels," writes Wygant. He recommends writing paragraphs that are easily digestible by the reader. Dave M. agrees, cautioning men against writing long-winded self-descriptions because it gives the impression they are needy. Most women want a challenge. Needy men are not challenging.
Perusing profiles of people similar to you will give you an idea what is expected. Choose a profile you like and figure out why it appeals to you. Some sites tend to have longer profiles than others, so make sure yours fits in with the site, unless you deliberately want to stand out--as some people do on sites with typically short, not-well-thought-out profiles, hoping to cash in on the paucity of interesting, fleshed out people. One man we know was inundated with messages from women on a site renown for extremely short (often one paragraph) profiles after writing about himself in a fresh, honest and genuinely romantic way.
Another tip is to write down the titles of five "30-second stories" that you would tell about yourself on a date. These stories should highlight an achievement you are proud of--in only 30 seconds. When you finish with your profile, at least three of the stories should be included.
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