Book Proposal

[mfan]

Just got this idea for a fiction book. It would be nothing but a list of all the opening messages that the main character, a man, has sent to different women over a 33-year period on a (fictitious) online dating site. No responses are printed (after all; there are never any; this is online dating The main character has, in fact, begun to use these messages as a sort of anonymous journal with very short entries. But each one is addressed to someone's username and makes references to something in her profile (thereby providing some humorous references to the kinds of things people on online dating sites tend to write in their profiles), and ends with a "confident" ending like "Write me back! Look forward to hearing from you."

 

As the book progresses, the guy goes through different "phases" as to the kinds of messages he writes. Sometimes he goes through negative phases and writes insulting messages to people over a period of several weeks. Sometimes he flips the other way and tries to "win them over with kindness". He's always sort of trying to elicit a response, but at the same time knows it will never come and lets loose with the occasional deep personal tidbit.

 

As he tries to be "spontaneous" in his messages, he will naturally mention various things presently going on in his life. The reader can learn about his backstory, interests, family events, triumphs and tragedies; etc.

 

You will see him go through personal phases, life phases and changes of interests. For example, at one point you will realize that he has caught a serious disease, because he starts to include a sentence in all his messages like "In the spirit of honesty, I should inform you that I have cancer, but my doctor believes there is a likely chance that I can beat this. Here's hoping".

 

In future messages you will find out the progression and end result of his struggle against the disease.

 

Of course, over a 33-year period, there will be many changes to the dating website itself: new features, new search mechanisms, some of which he likes and some which he doesn't. You'll find out about them by reading his messages (e.g. "Please respond via email; I have an older computer which does not work with this site's brainwave thing - and I don't think that's real communication anyway.") - or something more realistic.

 

What do you think?

[blueidealist24]

It sounds interesting. Is the ending of the book going to be him getting better, dying, or what? I think there must be a climactic ending.

[Hoagy]

In 33 years does he get any dates at all? Most people would have given up long before then otherwise.

[mfan]

In 33 years does he get any dates at all?

No. He has bad teeth.

[mikelopez]

What race is he, he sounds white, 33 years behind a computer, it's 2013, that means he had internet since 1980. Most minorities did not have internet back then, and how old is he? if he started online dating at 18, that means he is 51 now, is he rich or poor?