Christmas gift ideas for writers

Do you have a writer in your life? If you do, chances are that person is introverted and possibly difficult to shop for (or perhaps I’m just describing myself). In the list below, I’ve provided some Christmas gift ideas for writers to help you get started finding that special something for your special someone (who probably avoids real pants like the plague, or again, perhaps that’s just me).

My dad loved the holidays, so this time of year is bittersweet for me. I have many wonderful memories of baking, cooking and decorating with him, and it made my heart happy to see him light up over all things festive. My mom and I were never “Christmas people,” but he was able to get us into the holiday spirit. James has taken the baton now and is our Chief Christmas Officer.

Gifts are not my love language and I could really care less for the materialistic aspects of the holidays. I’m not an extravagant person and if there’s something I need, then I buy it. I would much prefer to have uninterrupted family time (meaning no cell phones, work, or intrusions) than any kind of newfangled gadget that advertising has convinced us we must have (despite not knowing it existed 10 minutes ago).

However, since I live in society and not in the woods (yet…it’s coming), I’m forced into the holiday gift exchange tradition. To make it easier for folks who are looking for the perfect gift, I hope my Christmas gift ideas for writers is helpful!

Christmas gift ideas for writers 

A nice pen is the perfect gift for a writer. While I don’t write my books by hand, I do take notes on any scrap of paper that I can find (this leads to the next gift).

A journal will help a writer keep all of their ideas in one place, especially if they want to start an inspiration notebook, which is something I’m going to do in the new year. I’ll share a post on what categories I’ll be using soon!

A book of writing prompts is a good way to help a writer get their creative juices flowing. I personally don’t use any writing exercises, but many of my fellow authors swear by them.

I adore craft books and they are the only thing I read when I’m writing. I don’t read genre fiction when I’m busy creating, but I do try to constantly improve. My favourite craft books are listed below and you can read my post to learn more about each one:

• The boy who was raised as a dog
• Write naked: A Bestseller’s Secrets to Writing Romance & Navigating the Path to Success
• Story genius
• Wired for story
• On writing 
• How to write your first novel
• The art of character
• Plotting the character driven novel
• The no-plot plotting method for character-driven novels
• Creating character arcs
• Character development
• Write great fiction: plot & structure
• Save the cat writes a novel
• The secrets of story
• Bird by bird: some instructions of writing and life
• The emotional craft of fiction

The best writers are readers themselves and in my downtime, I love to jump into the worlds my colleagues have created (I recommend Colleen Hoover, Jennifer Probst, Sarina Bowen, Christina Lauren, Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown to name a few). Find out what genre your writer writes (or simply enjoys reading) and then buy him or her a book (or gift card so they can choose their own book). If you really love this person, you can even get him or her a first edition of their favourite book.

Many writers are fueled by caffeine, so a unique mug about writing will likely be a hit. If your writer friend isn’t easily offended, this mug made me laugh.

If your writer drinks wine, how about some cool wine glasses to add to their collection? I’ve never seen any like these ones before. Of course, you can also opt to get the actual alcohol to pour into the glasses too.

If your writer friend is like me, they are probably happy indoors where they can (hopefully) write in peace. However, every once in awhile, it’s nice to actually leave the house and do something other than get more caffeine. Take your writer somewhere because in my opinion, experiences > things.

What gifts have you given the writer in your life?

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