A Simple Holiday Gift Guide for Writers 

If you’re a holiday gift giver, it can be hard to know what to get for the writer in your life . . . and this can be true even if you’re a writer yourself! Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be hard–there are a lot of things that writers need (or at least that we really, really want) to aid us in our craft, at all ends of the price spectrum. Here are just a few ideas for things your writer would love this season!

Small Gift Ideas

A fancy notebook – This one’s pretty self-explanatory, and I’ve never known a writer to turn one down.

Multicolored pens or markers – Gel pens or fine-tipped markers in multiple hues make great small gifts for writers who live to color-code their revisions. (Pair them with a set of multicolored index cards or sticky notes and watch your writer dance with glee and begin to dream of edits-to-come!)

Document Holder or document stand – These nifty little gadgets hold up a page of text so that writers can more easily see and transpose their handwritten notes into type–making this a small gift with a potentially big impact, if your writer likes to write notes or draft by hand.

Mid-Range

Writing-related software – Writing and word processing programs like Scrivener, plotting tools such as Story Planner, and speech-to-text translation like Dragon Naturally Speaking are used by many writers to help make the process of capturing stories easier…your writer might like to give them a try as well! Other useful software might include focus and productivity tools, such as Freedom, or Pomodoro timer apps that offer premium versions with enhanced features and ad-free use. 

A gift certificate for books – Because just about every writer is also a reader, gift certificates to your local brick-and-mortar bookstore will never go out of style. If you don’t have a local bookstore, there are a number of independent sellers like Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts or Powell’s in Portland, Oregon who will ship books across the continental US!

A fuzzy robe or blanket–or maybe some nice wool socks! – Writers like to be cozy, so a warm robe or blanket to wrap ourselves in, or warm wool socks to put on our feet while we write would be a perfect present for the cold weather season!

High-End

A lap desk – a lap desk is a great gift for writers who like to get cozy on the couch or in a favorite armchair while writing, rather than sitting at a desk or table. There are options that stand on legs, so the desk is elevated above the lap, or others (like mine from LapGear) that are filled with foam or another type of stuffing and sit directly on the lap.

A hand massager – if your writer spends a lot of hours each week at the keyboard, there’s a good chance their hands will appreciate the TLC an electric hand massager can deliver. A small electric hand massager can provide relief for writers who are prone to cramps, aches, and more painful issues like ulnar pains and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Of course, gifts should never be the focus of the holiday season–-but presenting a loved one with just the right present can make you feel a little warmer inside when the weather is cold. Maybe the writer in your life would like something from this list?

Do you have any other ideas–big or small–that would make great writer gifts? Share your thoughts below!