While Hollywood’s busy churning out trite romantic comedies and failed celebrity marriages, HowAboutWe daters are defying the silver-screen stereotypes. Their dates are fun, offbeat and stray from the same old formula.

We ran their proposed dates through a word cloud generator to figure out what we can learn from them. Follow these tips for some California-style love.

1. Date like a local.

In addition to its status as a popular tourist destination, L.A’s sparkling streets have attracted millions of transplants, eager to acquire some second-hand shine. We’re guessing that these newly minted locals don’t attempt to impress their love interests with celebrity hunting expeditions or visits to city landmarks.

In other words, if your date location is crawling with paparazzi or tourists in fanny-packs, you’re doing it wrong.

2. Get creative.

Instead of spending so much time on dates talking about your creative outlets, why not take the time to explore them? If your date shares the same interests, wonderful. If not, try introducing one another to a new activity. Better yet, both of you can learn something entirely new, together.

3. Laugh.

Step away from the coffeeshop conversation and go see a show. There’s no such thing as laughing with the wrong person.

Funny, talented people abound in L.A. If you’re not dating one of them, you can at least pay to see one. You’ll get a taste of your date’s sense of humor (or lack thereof). You’ll get to decide which of his or her various giggles, snickers, and cackles you like most. Afterward, you can talk about your favorite bits, and bond over how awkward that one joke was.

4. Kick it old-school

Back in the olden days, singles didn’t have running water or HowAboutWe. They lived their lives in different, fascinating ways you can learn about if you date like a history buff.

Or maybe you want to kick it a newer type of old-school with ’60s music or vintage video games. Have at it. You can tell a lot about a date’s present and future by how he or she views the past. Waxing nostalgic is harmless and fun, so long as you keep it focused on pop-culture and current events (steer clear of heavy personal history).

5. Work the quirk.

We can thank Zooey Deschanel’s for (finally) making quirkiness mainstream. So, let your adorkable (sorry) flag fly. Don’t shy away from proposing dates involving trampolines, ukuleles, or vintage clothes (or a combination of the three). Unique and eccentric interests showcase your individuality, and many find that endearing.

You’ve got the how, now check out where to date in L.A.

 

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