Like most people, I used to wear clothing off the rack. But having them fitted to me makes a really big difference, especially with pieces like a cocktail dress. Little nips and tucks can take 10 pounds off you.

Sometimes, you just have to take a step back and realise what's important in your life, what you can live with, and more importantly, what you can't live without.

I think the level of criticism you're under is never healthy. I think that's why lots of people in Hollywood end up in rehab. There are the ups and downs. I was never a fan of the attention.

The first series I wrote, 'L.A. Candy,' was always meant to be a three-book series, so when I started out it was all outlined that way and by the time I was done with the third book, I had become so involved and the process and the stories, I was a little bit sad to be done.

I felt bad about myself because certain people were relentlessly attacking me and my reputation. My mom kept saying 'Let it go, Lauren, It doesn't matter' ... [I] realized I had to stop worrying about what other people think. The next day I got a tattoo on my lower back that says 'sticks and stones', because they may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

I grew up always knowing what I wanted to do, and I'm starting to see how rare that is. All of my friends are just figuring it out. It's a process of elimination until you find what you love.

You can waste so much energy trying to make everyone happy, but at the end of the day it's impossible to please everyone, so you just need to focus on what makes you happy.