Thanks to all those filled out my survey! I’ll be announcing prize winners when I’ve finished posting the list. Also see my archived Gifts For Writers posts.
Here are some of your suggestions…
Steve Almond’s newest book, “This Won’t Take But a Minute, Honey,” is a must-read for beginning writers. It’s “a quirky resource for budding writers, a sort of freaky Strunk and White. Read through in one direction to find tiny little short stories of a page each. Flip the book over and find mini essays on the psychology and practice of writing.” You can purchase it here. – Suggested by Julie Bogart
A cool fountain pen from Hisnibs.com. “The side has a wide selection of great pens in a broad price range.” – Suggested by Robert A. Sloan
Gift cards to the writer’s favorite office supply store. – Suggested by Carol Anne Wall
“A Moleskine notebook .”The little pocket one is really nice for writers because it can go with you when you’re not home at the keyboard, along with a nice pen (which if you’re low budget could just be a good fine point rollerball or the low end fountain pens.) They come lined or blank or storyboard version. There’s even a music staves one if your writer friend is also a composer doing an opera or musical.” – Suggested by Robert A. Sloan
A home-made “Sanity care package” inspired by care packages that I see online. Perfect for starting a new writing project: 1. Coffee – for keeping those words flowing 2.Chocolate bars – when the protagonist is killed off, and the writer can’t stop crying 3.Microwave popcorn – that’s lunch, right? 4.Nutrition bars – “heavier” lunch 5.This amazing mousepad 6. This cool coffee mug 7. This poster 8. This badge on the writer’s door, for others to know why he/she is not replying. – Suggested by Sudeshna
“At the top of my list is the video camera pen. I spotted it in a Hammacher Schlemmer catalog. You might can locate it by going to hammacher.com. I write for a local magazine and would love this for interviewing and capturing video too. It can capture 2 1/2 hours of video at 640 X 480 resolution and store in the pen’s integrated 4 GB memory as an AVI file. Can download to XP, Vista and Windows 7. $129.95 This may be a gimmick, but it sounds fun. 
” – Suggested by Jessica
“Also from Blick, the Bienfang Notesketch sketchbook for a stocking stuffer or friend-gift: http://www.dickblick.com/products/bienfang-notesketch/ — this sketchbook has lines and some blank space on each page and rocks for storyboarding, for research and sketching pics of something you’re writing about, or just self-illustrating your story notes. I like mine.” – Suggested by Robert A. Sloan
“A year’s subscription to Writersmarket.com which is $39.99 for a year or $54.99 for two years. That is the gift that tells your writer loved one “I believe in you. I think you’ll need this.” It is about the ultimate support gift. If they’re already members, you could always extend their subscription.” – Suggested by Robert A. Sloan
Fingerless gloves for winter typing ($11), Flower Pens for a garden on your desk ($18), Typewriter key coasters ($7-8), or a briefcase.- – Suggested by Zoe
A laptop or netbook. “If they don’t have a netbook, then check out http://www.pricewatch.com or http://www.tigerdirect.com and pick up a good refurbished one between $250 to $350 or so, not quite the laptop range. I love my Acer Aspire One. I bought it as a laptop replacement when I drove my last laptop into the ground on heavy use and it stood up well to a 400,000 word Nanowrimo. It is refurbished. You get more bang for the buck with refurbished electronics and they’ve been shaken down — in all the years I’ve had new or refurbed computers, the refurbished ones have had NO hardware problems and fewer software troubles while for some reason the factory-fresh new ones all had some issues, sometimes multiple issues, and wore out faster.” – Suggested by Robert A. Sloan
NaNoWriMo merchandise for those who participated. — Suggested by Robert A. Sloan
More holiday gift ideas coming in Part 2!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
The fingerless gloves for winter typing are a definite must. It is hard to keep typing when your fingers have turned blue but impossible when wearing full gloves.
Some great gift ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Great ideas! That sanity care package is so awesome, I’d cry if someone put that much thought into a gift for me!
Those typewriter coasters look awesome!
Great ideas! Another good one for those writers who get ideas in the shower is a scuba slate, or AquaNotes (waterproof paper).
I’m the last person on the planet to have discovered the wonder of the Moleskine journal this year and I’m totally hooked. Its the only one I’ll use now.
For those who want to write quickly, and take a break from the keyboard, I vote for the old fashioned fountain pen. You can sometimes find them in better paper stores or office supply stores. I like the ones with different coloured vials of ink.
If you’re ever suffering from a bit of writer’s block, or need a break, buy five funky postcards, find your fountain pen and write five short notes to friends you have not seen in a long time. Quick, fast, painless and gets the fingers moving! It’s a great warm-up exercise.
I never promised you wouldn’t have inky fingers.
Lesley