How to Be Single

Liz Tuccillo's 5 Do's and a Do-Over

Okay, so y'all know that we LOVE Sex and The City. In fact, we were so desperate for a Carrie fix that we chose our fave episodes in celebration of the premiere of SATC2 last year!  So when we discovered that Liz Tuccillo, one of SATC's writers, had written a novel, we knew that we just had to get our hands on it. So we're thrilled that Liz is sharing her 5 Do's and a Do-Over with us today. She was a writer on the two final seasons of Sex and the City.  After that she went on to co-author the bestselling book, He's Just Not That into You, which went on to be a major motion picture produced by New Line Cinema.  She created the television show Related for the WB, before traveling the world and writing her first novel, How to Be Single. She has recently finished writing and producing a new webisode for Warner Brothers titled Paul the Male Matchmaker.

And we LOVED How to be Single.  It's smart and funny and will make you want to call up your best girlfriends for happy hour!  Order it today!

After Julie Jenson, single New Yorker turned anthropologist, has a historically bad night out with her friends, she decides to cash it all in and hit the road. From Paris to Brazil to Sydney, Bali, Beijing, Mumbai and Reykjavik, Julie travels the world to find out if anyone has a better idea how to handle this whole “single” thing. Julie falls in love, gets her heart broken, sees the world, and learns more than she ever dreamed possible.

Back in New York, her friends are grappling with their own issues—bad blind dates, loveless engagements, custody battles, and single motherhood. Through their journeys, each woman fights to redefine their vision of love, happiness and a fulfilled life.

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win one of FIVE copies!  We'll choose the winners on Sunday, April 10th after 6pm PST.

We think you'll love her 5 Do's and a Do-Over.  In fact, we are going to give #2 a try this week!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: LIZ TUCCILLO'S 5 DO'S AND A DO-OVER

5 DO'S

1.  Try to learn something every day. Rent a documentary instead of seeing that romantic comedy one night.  If you travel, make a point to learn a little about the history of where you're going.  If you read something in the paper you don't understand, go online and research it.

2.  Go one day not saying anything nasty about yourself. See if you can do it.  Go about your day as you normally would, but just when you pass that mirror and are about to comment that you're too old, or too fat, or how much you hate your hair... stop it.  At work, if you make a mistake don't call yourself an idiot.  If you eat too much at lunch, give yourself a break and just decide to enjoy it.  Just for educational purposes, try to remember how many times you wanted to be nasty to yourself.  I'm sure it's a lot more than you'd like it to be!

3.  Make a movie. We all have a little Meryl Streep or Martin Scorcese just trying to get out.  So get your video camera or flip cam (or even cellphone at this point) and be a filmmaker!  Get all your friends to act in it.  Or just interview a family member, like your mother, who'd you'd love to capture for posterity.  Edit it on one of the inexpensive programs they have now.  (Many laptops already have one installed.)  Have your own special film festival!

4.  Have a pot luck. Nothing is more fun than a dinner party with friends, but sometimes the thought of it can be overwhelming.  But with a potluck, you share the work and the fun!  Pick a theme, like "tapas" or "Northern Italian" and invite people to cook a dish from that region, (organizing by appetizer, entree, side dishes and dessert.)  For the non-cooks, invite them to bring alcohol from that region or provide the music from that region -- or just a good appetite.  It gives everyone something totalk about, and you'll come away some great recipes and a great time!

5.  Take a child to their first play. Whether it's Broadway or Community theater, there's nothing more fun than watching a child experience their first live performance.  You come off looking all generous and thoughtful, but in the end, you'll have the most fun of all.

DO-OVER

I've lost loved ones to illness, and I am still haunted by feeling like I didn't do enough for them.  I guess I would like to have that time back.  And also to be better in the future.

Thanks Liz! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Liz, head on over to her website.  And is this where we officially beg her to set up a Facebook or Twitter page?  C'mon Liz!  Your fans are dying to "like" you!