Holiday Gifts for Writers

Yule is almost upon us, and I've had little chance to shop. Plus with the lousy economy, I imagine most of you, like me, are holding our pursestrings tighter, making each gift we buy all the more important. Well, the same is true for our friends and family as they shop for us. I start dropping hints around mid-November and hope that my family coordinates with each other, or I might wind up with eighteen pairs of mittens! Yikes! Anyhoo, here are some suggestions you might want to check out for the writer in your life, or if you're the writer, then gifts you can start hinting. ::wink:: Books What could be better than a book for a writer? Here are some suggested titles to check out. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. First Draft in 30 Days and From First Draft to Finished Novel by Karen S. Weisner. On Writing by Stephen King. A Writer's Coach by Jack Hart. GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon. Create A Plot Clinic by Holly Lisle. If the writer you love already has these books, then might I suggest purchasing a gift card from their local bookstore, or perhaps an online retailer like Amazon.com? Bare Bones The following are some 'bare bones' items most writers need and appreciate: Reams of white 20# ink jet paper Printer ink cartridges (make sure you have the correct model numbers) Blank Rewritable CD's (CDRW) for backing up their opus. (Check first to make sure they have a computer that can not only burn CDs, but read CDRW discs) Writer's Software - buy an upgrade for their word processing software (Check their computer system's OS first to make sure they can run the upgrade without compatibility issues!) Java. And I am not talkin' about the computer version, but the real deal–-coffee! Most of the writers I know drink coffee, and if your writer is a night owl like me, then something to keep them alert as they pound out their manuscript is a must have. Fun Stuff Journals, leather bound, or covered with fun and funky fabric. Coffee mug with funny saying or a quote from their favorite author. Inspirational posters to keep them motivated. Organizer and binders for their plotting and story development. Notepads with funny cartoons. Bookmarks Bookends Tote book bag Book light Literary jewelry Mucho Moola Big-ticket items on many a writer's wish list. Neo Alphasmart e-book reader/Kindle Laptop computer Desktop Computer Printer Registration fees and hotel for a writer's conference (paid in full!) I hope these suggestions have given you some ideas for the perfect gift for the writer in your life. And if you are the writer, what are you waiting for? Start hinting! ::grins::