Word Count: 656

Great Beginnings by Barbara Carr Phillips

A birth. First day of school. A new job. A wedding. Beginnings are hopeful times. A clean slate with infinite possibilities. Yes, beginnings are awesome.

Unless you're a writer staring at a blank page.

When I type beginning of a new story, it sounds something like this:

Tap, tap, tap, delete, delete, delete; Tap, tap, tap, click, block text, right click, cut; Tap backspace, tap, tap ; Tap, tap, , ctrl-A, delete. Sound poetic? It is in a tragic sort of way because soon my mind is on other things, like how I will move all of my furniture and family into a cardboard box under a dark and lonely bridge. I don't know any publications that pay writers for a blank piece of paper. If you do, please e-mail me and put me out of my misery.

I keep thinking that writing an exciting opening will just happen first time I try, but it hasn't so far. Why? Because it's too much pressure. If my reader doesn't get involved in first paragraph, she or he is on to next story. No matter how much I toil and sweat over middle and end, I'm keenly aware that I'll lose my audience without an interesting lead.

And of course, I'm being optimistic even saying that, because in beginning I must hook my editor. If I don't, my story is not even going to appear in print for a reader to ignore.

Your profile is key to meeting your perfect match at online dating and personals services so it’s surprising that many profiles are mediocre at best. With a little extra time, thought and effort, and help of these tips, you can make yours a winner and attract a large pool of admirers to take your pick from.

Invent a distinctive username:

Your username (nickname) is first hint at what kind of person you are. It needs to be original and memorable, while somehow summing you up - not easy in a dozen letters or so!

For ideas, think about your interests, background, location and personality. For instance, an outgoing person from Phoenix might choose PhoenixSparkler, an avid skier with a wild streak might be SnowTiger. Humor’s great (I recently spotted MissBehaving) but overly sentimental (LetMeBeTheOne), meaningless (Vyc2DX) or desperate sounding (SoLonelyInOhio) names are a turn off.

Give yourself time: think of a name before sitting down to complete your profile, as well as a couple of backup options. It’s amazing how many “original” names are in use already. Most services spit out alternatives but they’re usually unimaginative and full of numbers.

Write a compelling headline:

Your opening line, or headline, is like first thing you see on an ad: it should compel people to read on and find out more about you. Don’t be apologetic about being there - “I don’t normally do this sort of thing” - and don’t begin (as thousands do) with “My name’s Bob, I’m 25 and live in Boise.” This isn’t compelling. It’s not even interesting. “Born in Boise, Heading for Barbados” is more thing. It’s intriguing without being confusing, and raises questions: is Bob a traveler, a dreamer or working for an international company? Only one way to find out – read on!

Again, it’s not easy. If you get stuck, a favorite line from a song, book or movie can say lot about you – who you like and/or what you believe in - and stands out to other people who love it too.

Post at least one photo:

For 75% of online daters, photo is first thing they look for when browsing through profiles. Not surprisingly, profiles with photos get ten to fifteen times response of those without. Including a photo is a must! But beware, some photos do more harm than good. Big offenders are photos that show you with someone else, or even worse, part of someone else. (It might not be your ex, or your ex’s body part, but people have no way of knowing.)

If you don’t have a suitable photo, get one taken, and keep it real - glamour shots could come back to haunt you. Think about asking a friend to pick out a photo that they think looks most like you. Make sure people don’t have to squint at screen to see what you look like, and be sure to smile!

Check right boxes:

Most profiles have a hefty component of check boxes – age group, sex, and so on. It’s a basic thing but when researching sites I do it a lot myself: check wrong boxes or forget to change them from a default setting that isn’t right for me. And I’m not alone. Believe it or not, a common mistake among online daters is choosing wrong sex of their ideal partner. So, take care over these basic but important details.

Check your grammar and spelling:

You might be most intelligent person on planet but if you rush your profile and don’t check your spelling and grammar you’re not going to come across well to anyone who values intelligence. You might like to prepare your freestyle entries using a program with spelling and grammar checkers, then paste them into your profile.

Avoid clichés:

Unfortunately, a lot of people say same thing in same way as everyone else. It’s boring at best and unbelievable at worst. Can we really believe that so many people “exercise regularly and keep in good shape”? Also, use a thesaurus to replace well-worn words like “good” and “nice” with more interesting, meaningful alternatives that add spice and sparkle to your profile.

Make your meaning clear:

Your spelling and grammar might be perfect but sometimes your words can convey a completely different meaning from what you intended. Give your profile a thorough reading to avoid potentially embarrassing or damaging misinterpretations!

Stick to your own style:

Many online dating profiles include sections where you can express yourself in your own words. It’s a chance to make yourself more human and “real,” and other members can pick up lots of interesting information about you – clues they might find appealing - from way you express yourself. Don’t block process by suddenly adopting a style and tone that isn’t really you.

Focus on your unique qualities:

It’s our unique qualities that make us attractive - and to some, very attractive! When you have a chance to describe yourself, let these qualities shine. Skip things that people take for granted (and have in common) and focus on things that make you, “you.”