Okay, so I've been slacking for a while. There are good reasons, one of which is writing, another of which is querying (a special kind of hell, let me assure you). But I do have some interesting posts lined up (well, I think they're interesting). In the mean time, for many of us, 'tis the season. So...
What do you get for the writer in your life?
When you have something you’re passionate about, it’s always nice when the people around you acknowledge your passion. Which is why you may want to consider getting a writer close to you something that says, “Hey, I see you’re serious about this writing thing”. As opposed to, say, a sweater.
Of course, gift-giving is one of those personal things, so not all of these suggestions would work for all writers (or all budgets) but, since gift ideas are sometimes hard to come by, here are some things I think would be welcome to the writer in your life. I tried to throw in some things at all levels of spendy-ness.
Books, Books, Books
It may seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it a bad idea.
Writing Books
There are a ton of really excellent and useful writing books out there. I’m tempted to say you can’t have too many, but I’m pretty sure there’s a max-out point, so if your writer has a ton then you may want to look for another type of gift. That said, here is a selection of my favourite books on writing:
- The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. This one is one of those “every writer must have” books; it’s a little thin, and not a ‘read’ the way some others are, but many writers will geek out and read it cover-to-cover as well as reference it repeatedly
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King. Because everybody has to edit.
- The Courage to Write, by Ralph Keyes. This one’s not about the craft of writing, but about the psychological angst that sometimes goes along with it. Lots of anecdotes and great for when you’re feeling… angsty.
- On Writing, by Stephen King. Half autobiography, half book on craft, this one is popular even with non-writers and (dare I say?) non-King fans (but probably not non-writers who also don't like SK's books, that's going a little far).
Reading Books
If you don’t like to read, you’re not really a writer. So books are always fair game. In this category, you’ll have to use your own judgment, since everyone’s reading tastes are different. Take a look at their shelves, which authors they liked. Bonus points if you know their writing well enough to buy them a book and say, “this person’s books remind me of yours”—but if you pull out some Lee Child when they write like Anne Rice, that’s a fail, so don’t try too hard.
This is where gift certificates to bookstores aren’t as lame as they sound. Like I said, writers love to read, but reading choices are personal, so I don’t see this going across badly.
Software for Writers
There is ‘writer software’ out there, but no one I know uses it (there are some software features I wish were tailored for us, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post). The #1 software for writers? Microsoft Word.
Evernote is also useful. You can get it free, but a pay version might be better. I can’t really recommend it, because I don’t use the pay version…
Dragon Dictation is another one that you can get free. I think you can probably buy a fancier version as well, but I use the free app. It’s pretty decent for notes as long as you’re not a total mumbler (I’m pretty mumbly, so sometimes it works for me, sometimes not).
Why am I recommending free apps? If you have more time and tech-sense than money, you could always configure a ‘writing suite’ on an tablet or computer for someone.
And for the techy gift giver: website is key these days. Help your writer set one up, or set it up for them, do the design, hire someone else to, give them a tutorial on how to use WordPress or Squarespace (this site is on Squarespace)… there’s a lot of room for creativity and varying price points to find a gift in here.
Hardware for Writers
Oh, for a sleek slim laptop with decent battery life. Writers don’t need the most intense firepower in terms of speed, since we basically just need a word processing program and a web browser. But I think I speak for many of us when I say the ability to throw the thing in a bag, not have the bag henceforth weigh a ton, and be able to cruise to the sunny porch or a local coffee shop to work is a very nice thing indeed.
Livescribe pen. I have one of these, and it’s a pretty nifty toy, but it’s not cheap. I don’t use it at all for my fiction pursuits, but for someone who has to take notes while interviewing people (that can apply to fiction and non-fiction writers) it’s great. I used it when talking to engineers while doing some technical writing work. You can download your notes to digital format, and it syncs the audio with the notes so that you can record what someone is saying and just write a comment about it without writing down everything they say.
On the reading side of the equation, there’s the ubiquitous Kindle, along with the less-common Nook and whatever other eReaders are out there. I actually really love my Kindle, but I’m conflicted about it too, thanks to that whole Amazon-monopoly-take-over-the-publishing-world thing.
Space
On the free side, try creating a little nook somewhere for someone in your household who likes to write and doesn’t have a good place to do it. Good lighting, comfortable chair, a desk, power supply, cork board, and enough space to spread papers around are all components of a good place to write. Ocean views optional.
A nice desk isn’t a bad idea, if you’re going big. For people strapped for space, one of those knee desks you use with a laptop could be great.
Time
Most writers have day jobs. Some have kids. All want time to write. Setting up a time when you remove distractions from the house, or enable your special writer to remove him/herself from the house to go write, can be a very meaningful gift. Extra points if you set it up on a regular basis—maybe give them a marked-up calendar to unwrap. I don’t have kids, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say this could be the best gift for the writer with little children.
Other Stuff
Never overlook the beauty of an empty notebook. I always have to have one with me, to jot down notes and ideas. The best notebooks are small enough to fit in a bag (i.e. less than 8.5”x11”), not too small to write in comfortably, and have an attached pen so you don’t have to dig around to find one.
Day planners/organizers have fallen out of fashion in the smartphone era, but lots of writers still like them.
A ‘special’ pen, in a colour other than black, could be handy to that writer at the dreaded print-it-and-scribble-on-it phase.
Get Creative
If they’re self-publishing, the gift of professional editing, layout services, or graphics could take their book to the next level.
If you’re an artist, designing a cover for someone, or website graphics, or a business card, could be a pretty awesome gift for the writer in your life.
And for the creme de la creme, check out what this author's husband did for her (hint: it involves a commissioned artwork). It was for her birthday, not Christmas, but let's just say that he upped the ante on gift giving.
And what do I expect, as a writer, this Christmas? A whole three days off from work, to read, and write, and drink some wine and write some more. Yes, that is what I want.
Happy holidays!