Happy December! I haven’t posted on this blog in a while, so I’m going to try something new. Since it is now the season of capitalism – I mean, Christmas – it’s time to think about giving gifts to the people we love. And if someone you love is a writer, this post is for you.
Buying the perfect gift is always a challenge. Writers are particularly hard to buy for, because what could we possibly need besides a computer (or notebook) and a healthy dollop of inspiration. Hah! So, in this post, I thought I thought I would share some of the best writing-related gifts I’ve received (or would like to receive…).
- Books on Writing
Writing is a lifelong journey. Every writer, no matter how advanced, has something they can learn. Give the gift of knowledge by giving them a book on writing. Some of my favorites include Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody, The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas and The Writer’s Guide to Medicine series by me (obviously). Is this whole post a shameless plug for my books? Absolutely not. Did I happen to put my own series as my #1 recommendation for gifts for writers? Absolutely. #sorrynotsorry
2. Inspirational Writing Books
Sometimes, writers are less in need of guidance and more in need of inspiration and motivation. Enter these motivational books. Personally, I love Bird by Bird: Some Instructions of Writing and Life by Anne Lamott and Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. For those of you who are fans of Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is supposed to be both instructional and inspiring.
3. Inspirational Music
If there’s anything writers seem to have in common, it’s our need for some epic music to get us through the day. Nothing says “bang out that word count,” like a rockin’ beat. Every writer is going to have their own taste, obviously, but I find that instrumental tracks – particularly soundtracks and neoclassical music – work best for me. Right now, I’m really into the Dream Worlds album by Immediate Music and Episodes by Florian Christl. I also love anything by Hans Zimmer or Two Steps from Hell. Of course, if you aren’t sure what type of music keeps your writer on track (get it?), you can always get them a subscription to a streaming service.
4. Tea (or coffee) + Writer-themed mug
You know what else keeps writers going? Coffee. Or, in my case, highly caffeinated black tea. Buy them some fancy local teas/coffee beans and a cute, writing-themed mug. Etsy has some really cute ones. Don’t know what writer theme to go with? Try some publication swag!
5. Publication Swag
Getting something – anything – published is a huge step in a writer’s career. Most non-writers have no idea how difficult it can be to get even a short story published. If the writer in your life has had something published – particularly if they’ve achieved this milestone recently – celebrate it! There’s “Published Author” t-shirts, mugs, ornaments – you name it. My husband framed my very first check – f $10 from a small literary magazine – and it sits proudly on my bookcase in the front room. And don’t worry if your writer isn’t published yet – there’s plenty of “Future Published Author” swag as well.
6. Writing Software
While some writers may be able to organize their entire novel in Word (or a notebook!), others of us need help. Personally, I use Scrivener, a writing program that helps me organize my novel – including research, character notes and worldbuilding. It’s not all that expensive and I use it literally every day. I also have a subscription to Grammarly, which not only helps with spelling/grammar, but can also help writers with word choice and clarity. If you’re thinking of going this route, you may want to drop some heavy hints – not every writer loves (or needs) every program. I’ve also heard of writers using programs like Atticus, Plottr, and World Anvil, but I’ve never used them myself.
7. A nice set of pens
Back in medical school, I color coded all of my notes. I had the perfect set of pens, in 42 separate colors, and I knew exactly what each color stood for. Nowadays, I do all my writing on a computer, but when it comes time to for line edits, I go back to pen and paper. And while not every writer is going to be quite so type-A about the color scheme for their edits, most writers won’t turn their nose up at a good set of pens. Even if they do all their edits on the computer, they’ll still need some fancy pens for all those book signings, right?
8. Book of creative writing prompts
I took a class recently that focused on warm-ups for writing, and it blew my mind. Whoever heard of warming up before a writing session? Yet, back when I played violin (who am I kidding – I still play violin!), I would never consider jumping into a practice session – or worse, rehearsal – without warming up. Creative writing prompts can be a great way to jumpstart your creative juices or get over writer’s block.
9. Blank Journal
While lots of us take notes on our phones, there is just something satisfying about pulling out a notebook and scribbling down an errant thought. I keep one beside my bed so I can jot down any genius, middle-of-the-night ideas without leaving the warmth of my covers.
10. Books
Writers are readers, and readers can never get enough books. Seriously, have you ever known a writer who didn’t have a TBR (To Be Read, for those not in the know) pile as long as their arm? Me neither. You can help them out by giving them a gift card to their local bookstore. Want to make the problem worse? Give them a few of your favorite books to add to that TBR pile.
For those writers (like me!) who prefer audiobooks, the options are more limited. You can purchase them a subscription from Audible, Scribd, or other audiobook subscriptions. You can also gift audiobooks directly through the Apple store or Libro.fm.
Now that you’ve gone through this list, I hope you have some good ideas for gifts for that writer in your life.
Note: I don’t make any money off any of these recommendations, besides the books in my own series.
Love this list! Full of usable ideas and timely too.