Writing Your Over 60 Dating Profile

A dating profile is really just a friendly hello in writing. It is not a job application, and nobody is marking it. Yet plenty of capable people who have run homes, businesses and committees freeze the moment the cursor starts blinking in that empty box. If that sounds familiar, take heart. A few simple prompts will get you from blank to done in an afternoon, with time left over for a cup of tea.

Open With Something Specific

Lines like "I enjoy travel and good food" describe almost everyone in the country. Swap them for a detail only you could write. Not "I like the beach" but "I swim at the same beach most mornings from November to April and complain about the water temperature every single time." Detail gives readers a picture of you, and a picture is far easier to reply to than a list of hobbies.

Prompts for When You Are Stuck

Pick two or three of these and answer them honestly. What does a good Sunday look like for you? What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment? What have you taken up since you stopped working, or what are you planning to start? Do you follow the AFL or the NRL, and how much do you suffer for it? What would your friends say you are good at?

Write the answers the way you would say them out loud. Short sentences are fine. So is a bit of humour, as long as it is kind.

Plans Beat History

Plenty of Australians over 60 have a road trip in mind, whether that is the Big Lap with a caravan or a long weekend somewhere quiet. Mention it. Writing about what you would like to do next, rather than only what you have already done, lets a reader imagine joining you, and that makes the first message much easier to write.

Keep a Little Back

One line about being widowed, divorced or newly single is plenty. A long account of a past marriage can leave readers wondering whether you are ready to move on. Firm views on politics or religion are also better saved for real conversation, once you know each other.

Leave your email address, phone number and home address out of your profile too. Your email and phone are kept private by the site, so you can share them only when you choose.

Read It Aloud, Then Press Save

Read your draft out loud once. If a line sounds like something you would never actually say, change it. Fix any typos, add a clear and recent picture (our dating photo tips can help) and publish. You can edit it whenever you like. A finished profile that sounds like you will do far more than a perfect one sitting in draft for a month.

When someone catches your eye, these first message tips are worth a look. It is free to join, and members near you are shown first.