As a writer, I think about writers. What do we want? What do we need?
If your friend or family member is a writer too, you may be wondering what sort of gift to give that person this holiday season. As a writer myself, I believe I am qualified to give you some suggestions. Whether the writer in your life celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice/Yule, Kwanzaa, or some other winter holiday, you’re sure to find something just right on this list of gift ideas.
Follow the writer on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Good Reads).
Like the writer’s blog posts, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, tweets, etc. Respond to the posts and tweets too.
Retweet the writer’s tweets.
Write positive reviews of the writer’s books on Amazon, Good Reads, Facebook and any other possible place.
Take a photo of the writer’s book and post it to your Instagram feed. Tell your friends and followers why you enjoy the book.
Support the writer by attending their reading and signing events.
Buy the writer’s books for yourself and all the folks on your holiday shopping list.
If the writer is on Patreon, become a patron.
Give coupons for your future services. You can offer to babysit the writer’s kids or walk the dog during crucial times of writing when interruptions are detrimental to the process. Offer to do the laundry, wash the car, vacuum the rug, pick up groceries, make the bed, anything to give the writer a bit more precious time for creation.
Feed the writer. Bring over a meal for the freezer or give a gift card to a favorite restaurant. Take the writer out to dinner or cook a fabulous meal. Snacks and treats are usually a good idea too.
Give gift cards to the writer’s favorite coffee shop, or just give coffee!
To make it easier to get out of the house with the required pens, notebooks, folders, and laptop, give the writer a roomy tote bag or satchel.
Writer’s need to print! Give reams of paper, typewriter ribbon, or ink cartridges.
If your writer likes to write by hand, give comfortable pens, ink refills, blank notebooks, and legal pads.
Reference books still come in handy, especially for people trying to avoid the distraction of the internet. An old-fashioned thesaurus, dictionary, style manual, and grammar reference guide might be appreciated.
Most writers love to read. How about a gift certificate to a bookstore (online or sticks-n-bricks) and a bookmark as a gift? You can also print out and give your writer the Write Life’s list of “26 of the Best Books On Writing.”
If you notice your writer is squinting or holding books at arm’s length, a pair of reading glasses might be appreciated.
Good lighting is important when it comes to seeing too. Read the Hooked to Books article “The Best Reading Lights of 2019 – Buyer’s Guide & Reviews” by Forrest Webber for help deciding what light will best illuminate your writer’s reading and writing.
Give the gift of storage with a thumb drive or external hard drive.
Give the gift of silence with noise-cancelling headphones.
If total silence is too extreme, soothing sounds of nature recordings might be enough of a distraction without being too much a of distraction.
What writer wouldn’t love a vintage typewriter? Even folks committed to their computer can’t argue with the decorative appeal of these old machines.
Here’s a suggestion from the Write Life’s article “50 Gifts for Writers That Are Way Better Than a Boring Old Notebook“: an online course on writing. Their suggestions:
- How to Write, Sell and Publish Your Book, from Chris Guillebeau
- Our ebook 71 Ways to Earn as a Freelance Writer offers tons of ideas for earning money from your craft
For hands-free writing, give dictation software and a digital recorder.
If you want to support a writer year round, read my post “10 Ways to Support a Writer” and follow my suggestions.
Earlier this year I borrowed a video called What Would Jesus Buy? from the public library. It starred 
One thing I learned watching this documentary is that many adults do everything possible to create the illusion that Santa Claus brings Christmas with no effort or monetary output on the part of the parents. In these families, children grow up believing Santa does all the work involved in making the holiday happen in exchange for a few cookies and a glass of lukewarm milk. This is not an illusion my parents felt it necessary to create.