It's December. Time for the annual roundup of writer-ly gift ideas from people whose romanticized idea of a writer comes from movies or legends handed down from the Edwardian age. Even Writer's Digest is guilty this year. A notebook? Really? Where is the creativity? Where's the sensitivity? Give a writer an expensive moleskin notebook and you might as well have gifted him a crippling case of writer's block. A 15-cent spiral on clearance from a big box store after the back-to-school rush? Now you're talking. Three hundred pages of permission to write crap with a cartoon turtle on the front equals productivity. And the gift of a subscription to Writer's Digest? Wow.
Have no fear, Vortexers. Straight from the 20-year trenches, I present what the writer on your list really wants for a gift.
Time
Time is one of the hardest gifts to give, but it's the gift most writers need. There is never enough of it, and sometimes we fritter it away when the ideas aren't flowing and the prose isn't sliding into place. Figure out the have-to-do chores on your writer's list and select ones you can do. Multiple times. Like a week or a month's worth. Something the writer in your life can count on consistently. The best part? This gift is absolutely free.
Space
If your writer doesn't have a dedicated space to devote to her craft, make one. It doesn't have to be a glammed up she-shed in the backyard or a Hemingway-themed treehouse (though both of these sound amazing). It doesn't even have to be a dedicated room. A corner or desk in a quiet space will do nicely. If space is at a premium in your world, an AirBnB gift card at a local spot for a nice stretch of time would be heaven.
Craft Books
Do not purchase a Writer's Market tome or a Guide to Literary Agents for the current year. By the time the book goes to print, the information is already outdated. A Google search will score the writer in your life the most current information when it comes to getting published. And please no books with writing prompts. Every writer I know already has enough ideas to fill 20 lifetimes. Instead, investigate the best how-to plotting/writing resources that fit your writer's genre. If you're unsure, lean on screenwriting technique-oriented plotting books. Look up the most recent bestsellers in the category of writing. Ask your writer's critique partners or mentor for suggestions.
Knowledge
An extension of craft books, why not purchase an online workshop for the writer in your life? A few hours with a reputable writing coach or developmental editor? A writing retreat or conference? Beyond enhancing his craft, he will make connections, find his tribe of like-minded people, build his network. So much of the great things in this industry are the relationships and the who-you-know along the way.
Tools
Step away from the fancy pens and textured paper. Serious writers today need an arsenal of technology. If a laptop isn't in your budget, consider writing software like Scrivener or programs for editing, productivity, or note-taking. Check around before purchasing. Almost always, online discounts abound.
A Website
This is a deeply personal but necessary part of a writer's personal brand, so unless you have knowledge of exactly how your writer wants to present herself to readers, give the gift of a site consult, an initial design, a hosting/domain package or a mini-course on how to set up a site. If you have design talent and wish to do the work for your writer, sit with her for a few hours and listen to her website needs. Read her work. Get a feel for the colors and textures and tones of other successful writers in her lane. Create it and then gift her the autonomy to run with it.
Books
The greatest teacher for any writer are the greats who have come before. If he writes horror, don't gift him the latest NY Times Bestselling memoir. Dig deep. Find out what critics and readers consider to be the BEST in that genre then hit the discount bookstore and bundle them all up together. If you're unsure, a gift card to his favorite bookstore is always a win.
Experience
Let's say the writer in your life is trying to capture WWII. Why not give her a tour inside the cockpit of a vintage aircraft? If he's writing a police procedural, how about a citizen ride-along or a day at the shooting range? Writers already have to stretch to capture what we do not know on the page. Anything to help with that stretch is most welcome. Experiences spark creativity and create lasting memories.
Apparel
One of the best writer-ly gifts I ever received was a T-shirt imprinted with my entire story. Yes, it gets awkward when I'm wearing it in a long check out line and I can feel people's eyes on it, but writers love wearing things that put us squarely inside our niche culture. Edgar Allan Poe pajama bottoms. Little Women slippers. Just remember, we don't dress in our Neiman Marcus best when we write. Out of necessity, we write dressed comfortably. It's impossible to slip into an alternate universe in a tweed coat and loafers that pinch.
If you have other suggestions, we'd love to read them in the comments below. Happy shopping!
Thanks for this! It is so true!!!
This is still my favorite Christmas list for writers.