You keep giving the writer in your life the same thing? Books, journals, pencil sets--all great gifts to show you mean well, but buying the same thing year after year can get a little...tiresome. You might not have thought about these gifts for writers this Christmas, but they're actually essential!
The following list offers some unconventional, out-of-the-box ideas that are just what writers need--without breaking the bank! Including drinkware, headphones, candles, and more! Better yet, you'll find these suggestions divided between stocking stuffers and under-the-tree gifts. This list has all kinds of suggestions, so if you're looking for one of each, this is the list for you.
Let the listing of unique and unexpected Christmas gifts for writers commence!
Know what category you want to browse first? Click the link below and get brainstorming!
The Stocking Stuffers
Bookish Candle
When writers write, they like to get in the zone. They want to be in a state of focus that allows them to work on their projects for as long as possible. Most writers accomplish this by shutting the office door, lighting a candle (or heating up a wax melt), and playing some music. Bonus points if the candle has a bookish theme that inspires a writer. Bookish candles are rather popular, so much so that websites likeIn The Wick of Time and Spireside Candles (to name the ones I personally shop) create all kinds of bookish scents that are to die for!
Insulated Water Bottle
Here's one you may not have expected. It's yet another gift perfect for uninterrupted writing sessions. There's nothing more frustrating to a writer than a good writing session being interrupted by the bitter taste of a cool drink gone tepid. What follows one's neglected iced tea warming to room temperature? Getting up from the keyboard for a refill. A forty ounce cup means a cool drink for hours at a time. Gifts that keep a writer at their keyboard longer are bliss! Nowadays there's a big range of insulated bottles and you don't have to purchase expensive brands unless you want to. You needn't look any further than Amazon for a good quality cup full of brand and off-brand options.
Mug Warmer
Similar to the insulated water bottle, a good mug warmer for your writer's desk means less trips to refill a hot beverage. Mug warmers can be found literally everywhere and bonus points if you find one that offers the feature to adjust the temperature. Again, Amazon is a surefire destination to find your writer a simple plug-in mug warmer but don't forget to take a peak at your local Target and other stores around the holidays and check their stocking stuffer sections--the item's a popular one every year!
Magazine Subscription
Magazines may sound like a thing of the past so that's why digital subscriptions exist. If your writer frequents a tablet or ereader, chances are you can gift them a digital version of a writing magazine. If they're like me and prefer the physical copies, receiving a year's subscription in the mail always comes with an issue at year's end that allows them to take over the membership payments from there. Writing magazines are great sources of inspiration that also offer listings for writing conferences, contests and submissions your writers could take advantage of. It's a great gift if you want to show the writer in your life your enthusiasm for their talents!
Writing Guild Membership
There are a ton of writing guilds out there and most of them are online. I personally subscribe to the Houston Writers Guild who offer a neat feature for people to gift memberships to loved ones. Writing guilds tend to offer members benefits like critique groups, conferences, publishing opportunities and--most importantly--opportunities for writers to connect with communities that will push their writing to the next level.
Stuffing stockings is all fine and good but inevitably our Christmas shopping swivels our heads towards the bottom of that beautiful tree. You've got the gift bags, boxes and wrapping paper but what to fill them with?
Not a book! Not a journal! So let's explore more unexpected and unique ideas! Whether you're a writer's Secret Santa or sign your name on the gift tag, these gifts are sure to please!
For Under the Christmas Tree
Air B&B Writing Getaway
You read this one right. If you're up for a quiet weekend getaway with the writer in your life--and don't mind their possibly locking themselves up to write while you're there this gift may be just what you need as well. Sometimes getting away is the best way to make some much needed progress on their current project while having a lovely break from the usual routine. Where you get away to and how long is entirely up to you but this gift can be as elaborate or simple as you want it to be.
Book Stand
This is an interesting gift that may not be obvious. Book stands can be found in any home decor store (Michael's, Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, etc.). Usually these simple little contraptions are for displaying cook books in a kitchen or a boutique's go-to for books they may sell in their shop. As a writer who outlines and takes notes in a physical journal whenever she can, I can't tell you how useful it's been to be able to prop up my notes directly next to my computer screen. Sometimes the simplest of gifts are the best ones to give and if you constantly catch the writer in your life scratching notes in a journal's pages, I guarantee you they need a stand for it.
Leather Carrier
This is the age of technology and chances are your writer lugs a laptop around. I also guarantee they also lug around their notebook, pencil pouch, reading book, headphones, wallets, etc. Believe it or not, writers need to carry a lot with them, even if they're going to somewhere as simple as a coffee shop. A good, sturdy case tends to have pockets designed for those very specific items you'll catch a writer hauling around. Amazon is a great place to start comparing brands if you don't have a place in mind to find a quality carrier. Backpacks work fine, too but a carrier or case made of materials that will last a long time go a long way.
Photoshoot
You know what every publishing writer needs but always leaves on the back burner? Their author picture. You know what they end up doing much to their own dissatisfaction? Take one with their cellphone and hate it. I'm guilty of this myself and never really know where to look for a professional picture that doesn't scare me away with the price tag. Getting your writer a photoshoot session with a photographer's a special gift that every writer actually needs.
Wireless Headphones
Either the writer in your life has a pair or they don't. If they do, a nice and secure headphone case is a must. If they don't, a decent brand is a great Christmas gift. Headphones with wires are quickly becoming a thing of the past because of the way cellphones are now being designed without headphone jacks as part of their hardware. No need to purchase a top-of-the-line brand for this reason. Amazon or your local electronic store will have plenty of good quality brands available for purchase.
Shopping for the writer in your life doesn't have to be so hard if you look beyond what typically populates the gift section in your local bookstore. Whether you're stuffing a stocking or adding a present under the tree--this year it'll be a unique one!