Successful writers and authors are some of the world’s most creative, talented people. Sadly, they’re also some of the hardest to shop for. Luckily for you, I’ve got a few ideas on what to get them this holiday season!
Find out what they need most
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a writer or author, start by asking them what they need most. You may be surprised by their answer—they might not even realize that they need something until you bring it up. Ask them to lay out their writing goals and then try to find a way to help them reach those goals by buying them something related.
If you are not into asking or they don’t give you an answer, you can work with, read on.
Bookmarks
Writers and authors are also avid readers. Many of them jump from book to book, depending on their mood and what they need at the moment to get inspired. Bookmarks are a great way to keep up with the progress in all your books, and they can inspire if motives are chosen well. They’re also the perfect gift for anyone who’s ever lost their place in a novel. Books need bookmarks, so we highly recommend giving them as gifts!
Bookmarks come in all shapes, sizes and colours – you can choose between hardcover or paperback, palm-sized or full page; red paper or green; glittery gold stars on a black background or plain white paper with nothing but an elastic band around it. And they make excellent stocking stuffers!
Books
As mentioned above, good writers are good readers. Gifting books that help an author’s progress or play well into the topic of the book/articles he is writing are always welcome.
As I don’t know what topics your friend is into, here are some general recommendations about writing.
- “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
- “On Writing” by Stephen King
- “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott
- “Plot & Structure” by James Scott Bell
- “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron
Paraphernalia
Paraphernalia are all the things that your friends need to make the magic happen. These are highly individual. Some people need coffee, some only write with a special pen, some need a specific poster on the wall, and some want to smoke special tobacco in a pipe. This can be everything.
You’ll get an idea of the writing paraphernalia of an author by looking at the space she writes in. Use your detective senses and add to that collection.
Inspirational quotes and role models
Inspirational quotes are an excellent way to inspire writers.
You can shop around for amazing posters with quotes or design your own.
Journals, notepads and notebooks
Journals and notepads are great gifts as well. They can be used as diaries, so if you know someone who’s been meaning to start a diary but hasn’t gotten around to it yet, this would be a fantastic gift idea. Or if you’re looking for something specific like character traits, plot ideas, dialogue or research notes – and let’s face it: all of us need more notebooks.
Hopefully, this list has given you some ideas about what would be a great gift for an author or writer. Even if you do not know exactly what they need, I am sure one of these gifts will be a hit.
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