5 Gifts for the Writer in Your Life

By: | March 18, 2016 | Tags: , , |

Writers like you and I are sadly a dying breed.

Print media is on its last legs, and artless action movies are becoming the preferred format of any narrative.

Now, more than ever, it’s becoming more important how you promote what you write, rather than your actual words.

If you have a close friend or loved one who shares your passion for writing, make sure to hold onto them! Although you’re a wordsmith yourself, you may find it difficult to buy for other writers.

Here are a few gifts for the writer you might want to consider.

Gifts every writer will like

Source: Pixabay

  1. Clothbound book

I don’t know about you, but I was fascinated with books well before I could read. Even now, when I pass a large bookshelf, I can’t help but smile as I scan the different titles. The writer in your life probably has their own passion for books, so use this to your advantage! Clothbound books are beautiful, and their hardbacks mean they’ll last for a long time. These are mainly classics, but be sure to look around.

Travel writers Couple Travel the World say they absolutely love getting clothbound books as presents from their family and friends at Christmas. They think they are also one of the best gifts for your boyfriend’s family at Christmas when you don’t know what to buy!

  1. Story cubes

I know countless people who have an incredible talent for writing fiction, but always find it difficult to come up with new ideas. Luckily, one clever entrepreneur has come up with a fantastic cure for this kind of block. Rory’s Story Cubes are sets of dice, with different emblems on them designed to inspire narrative ideas. This may be a little more suited to young writers, but I can think of several times I wish I had them!

  1. Gift USB Drive

This is one more for journalists and bloggers. Still, a lot of fiction writers have to make use of USB memory sticks. There are many companies which offer dynamic gift USB drives. These not only serve a purpose, but look great. Unless the writer in your life is as dedicated as I wish I was, they’ll probably have some other hobby or interest you can draw on to make a decision.

  1. Writing-themed clothing

It may be a surprise for you to learn that this even exists! As I mentioned before, writers are an endangered species, and finding clothes themed around them can often feel a little tough. Fortunately, a few select companies are offering clothes geared specifically at writers. You might be able to find a shirt with a picture of the favorite author. This will be a subtle little wink to people who share their passion. Alternatively, there a range of accessories which show their love of words.

  1. Book gift card

I know this seems like a bit of a cop-out. Sometimes it baffles me why people spend money on gift cards which the recipient isn’t going to use. However, if your writer is going through books faster than they can keep up with, this will be much appreciated. E-book vouchers seem to go down particularly well, as it opens the writer’s eyes to emerging new talent. It will also save you from buying a book which they won’t touch!

Wrapping Up: Gifts for the Writer Guaranteed to Make Them Smile

I bet buying for the writer in your life doesn’t seem nearly as hard now! Check out these suggestions, and soon you’ll have the perfect thing!

Whether you need a gift for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion or event, these gifts for the writer are sure to please. Considering bookmarking this post to be able to reference all year round.

Can you suggest any gifts for the writer? I look forward to your views in the comments section.

This post was contributed by Hannah Morris.

  1. Bella Silverstein

    Another idea is to get them something that will drag them away from behind the computer, like a whale-watching boat ride or theater tickets or a trip to Solvang or a membership in a hiking club. Writers need to experience the outside world, especially nature. Any gift that’s more an experience, rather than dry goods, is grist for their writing mill.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Bella,
      Great to hear from you! I love it when you write me here! Then, they can go back and write about those experiences =) Thanks for the comments.
      Janice

  2. Rachel Helberg

    I love your blog. Have saved and used tons of your advice. But I must disagree on this one…I do not believe that print is dead (this statement has been spouted out for decades now – 1st time I heard it was in the early 80’s). I do not think it will ever die – reasons: 1) People like me(us) love to read and write. Even if my writing is typing most of the time, I still love pen and paper best! The feel of actual writing make me feel good. I also do calligraphy, make cards and scrapbooking – which all take a physical talent. The card I do usually have my own “Bad Poets Society” (from my mom) statement in them instead of the general stamp saying.
    And – if you caught the news this morning – the “Anonymous Hackers” group got into Donald Trumps personal life – but the thing that caught my eye is they posted a notice (didn’t catch where – youtube maybe?) which They gave themselves the face of the “Mr. Robot” character (if you have not watched it, you should – its very interesting). Makes you think about the future of the internet.
    Thank you, as always, for the great blog and all the wonderful tips and tricks!

    • Jacqueline

      I agree with you.

      • Janice Wald

        Hi Jacqueline,
        I realize you were writing Rachel, but I wanted to let you know I appreciate you commenting on my blog.
        Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Rachel,
      1. What kind words about my articles and my blog! Thank you!
      2. Although I would love a debate among my readers about whether or not print is dead, in all candor, I did not write the article. Hannah Morris was the guest author.
      3. As far as I go, I agree with you. I like books in print because of the cover. If people are reading a book I’ve read, I can strike up a conversation with them about the book if I can tell by the cover what the name of the book is.
      4. Although I have been following the election pretty closely, I did not hear the story about Donald Trump and the hacking. Thank you for telling me about it and for writing me on Friday.
      Janice

  3. Gary Jefferies

    I think it’s harder getting into print now with the increase in technology that allows anyone to write. Or rather, more people to write. Self publishing with, say Amazon, also makes it available to everyone now too. I guess e-books is where the line print is dead cones from. But more and more I’m seeing self publishing houses starting to roll out POD (print on demand). If print was a dying medium why would they start offering this in addition to electronic formats?

    Personally I’d rather feel a book in my hands than on a screen but equally I see the value in portability of kindle or e-readers and apps. A thick book cone send into a transportable wafer of electronics. Easy for, say, train commuters, with limited bag capacity. On holiday to access your full library and so on. But at home…books…proper tactile books. Some so ancient the pages are yellowing. You just can’t beat a proper book. Unless…there is no space left and storage is in boxes in the attic. A travesty of the hoarding book collector. But hey…what do I know !

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Gary,
      I actually agree with all your comments. I did not write the article. Hannah Morris was the guest author who claimed that print is dead. However, a debate among my readers about whether or not she is right would make an interesting blog!
      I just wrote another commenter that the beauty of print is I can see the cover. I can strike up a conversation about a book I’ve read that someone else is reading if I know what the book is called. I can only do that if I can see the cover.
      I am hoping for an Ipad for my birthday this spring. As you said, it would be convenient for me to load it up with Ebooks instead of carrying them around on my summer vacation.
      As you said, both have merit. Thanks for writing me.
      Janice

  4. Mona AlvaradoFrazier

    Count me in as a person who does not believe print is dead. There are too many recent stats which also support print. There’s room in writing for all delivery systems.

    As far as gifts for writers, I think it’s a great list. I belong to a writer’s group (for last seven years) and we exchange gifts at Christmas. I really liked the USB drives, they come in a lot of colors and character figures. A gift I’ve given is cloth fabric business card holders (from Etsy), they come in a variety of beautiful fabrics and illustrations.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Mona,
      As I have indicated to some of the other commenters, since I didn’t write the article, I can’t defend the contention that print is dead. It was a guest post.
      I was in a Blogger’s Christmas Exchange at the end of 2014. I got a pendant with a symbol of a writer on it. I cherish it. Thanks for your comments.
      Janice

  5. dgkaye

    Great gift ideas here Janice. I love and have them all, lol. 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debbie,
      I have author-themed merchandise and a flash drive. Thanks for sharing the post on your social media. I received the notification. Much appreciated! Great to hear from you. I hope all is well. Back in Canada?
      Janice

  6. Lori

    Good ideas! I especially like the writer themed clothing idea. Writers are usually also readers, and online I saw some beautiful scarves that had images and quotes from classic books like Alice In Wonderland and The Hobbit. They would make nice gifts too, I thought.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Lori,
      I have writer-themed clothes and a To Kill A Mockingbird book bag. I also have USB drives. Thanks for writing. It’s fun to compare what we own from my guest author’s article.
      Janice

  7. gettingthroughanxiety

    These are some cool ideas! The story cubes sound interesting!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi GettingThroughAnxiety,
      Thank you for writing me. Are you a fiction writer? I don’t think they would help a blogging tips writer like myself.
      Thanks for writing me and making a connection.
      Janice

      • gettingthroughanxiety

        I actually write fiction too and hope to one day be a professional author! I think these would be a great way to get ideas!

        • Janice Wald

          I do too! =)

  8. Kellie

    I need to keep this list handy for my daughters birthday. thanks.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Kellie,
      Thank you for writing. Great to see you. I assume your daughter is a writer. What genre? I was interested in the clothing, but others found the inspirational cubes intriguing. I thought that might work for fiction writers.
      Janice

  9. Pam McCormick

    Writing is such a freeing and therapeutic art form! We need to do it every day to find that inner voice we should listen to! Thanks for the wonderful ideas. (Found you via The SITS Girls) 🙂

  10. Holistic Wayfarer

    Creative. I like how how you don’t feel yourself above story cubes. We can always use inspiration – whatever the source.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Holistic Wayfarer, I haven’t seen you in a long time. Thank you for visiting my site today. I agree with your comment about the story cubes. It was a guest post, but I wouldn’t have printed it unless I agreed with the content. I visited your site after seeing your comment, congratulations on such an engaged community.
      Janice

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    At this time it sounds like Expression Engine is
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      Never heard of it.

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