gifts for writers

Gifts for Writers under $20.00

‘Tis the season, isn’t it? When the last day of the year rolls around, many of us around the globe think about gift-giving, gift-receiving, and the joy of the holidays. It can be such a warm and fuzzy time of year, and I hope you enjoy every moment of it you can.

I’m the kind of person who likes to give gifts because I enjoy seeing the surprise (and hopefully delight) on the other person’s face when they open the gift I selected especially for them. But that’s just me. It might also be that I enjoy shopping…..but we won’t talk about that right now!

Writers can be difficult to buy for. Besides the requisite pens and journals, maybe you want to be a little more creative for your writer-in-residence. Well, as a writer myself, I picked out a few choice gifts which will make your writer friend smile…..a change from our usual dour expression. (It’s not personal folks, it’s just the writing life.)

Please note, this post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission when you purchase through these links.

Happy shopping!

First, we writers need something to wear. Yes, we might be satisfied to lounge around in an old hoodie and our favorite jeans, but this shirt will not only give us something new to wear, but a brand new outlook on life. Yes, we write and we also know things. Too many things:

The next gift on the list is a classic. A writer looks for inspiration in daily things, whether it be nature, television, or even the progress of the microwave as it reheats a cup of coffee for the millionth time. Stephen King is a prolific writer, world-famous, etc, but it’s nice to read about his thoughts on writing years ago. If your writer doesn’t already have this book , then they should.

Writer’s Block. If you’ve been within fifty feet of a writer, you’ll know the term writer’s block. Fact is, it’s been a virus around the writing community for years, and no one has been able to cure it. However, this awesome little card set just might do the trick. At least, your writer can add it to their arsenal of weapons.

This is one of my favorite gifts, and if no one buys it for me, I’m going to pick it up for myself. While I am a coffee drinker by rule, I have nothing against a steaming hot cup of tea. It make me feel super classy and if you get these teas with literary quotes, you’ll feel like a high-class author too!

Like some sort of prehistoric beast, we hunch over our keyboard or journals, typing/scribbling words as fast as our feverish minds can churn the stuff out. No interruptions, please! Or our creative flow may come to a screeching halt. Try this on for size:

I have a lot of pencils. Pens. Markers. Highlighters. And I’m sure a lot of writers out there have the same overflow of writing implements. It’s just that we’re all in search of the magic pen which will make the words flow. Shhhh! Don’t tell us it’s a myth. While we search, in the meantime, we can store our pens in this:

This one is a wee bit over the twenty dollar limit, but it was so cool, I had to include it. I’m a bit of a sucker for inspirational art….I don’t like it too cheesy, but this is a print that is great to stare at while my brain raced to fill in the next paragraph, or sentence, or word.

Happy shopping and if you’re a writer reading this, don’t be afraid to treat yourself!

xo Dahlia

Digital Gifts for Writers under $10.00

Are you a last minute shopper? Do you not like waiting for things to arrive on your doorstep? Who doesn’t like instant gratification every once in a while?

Most of us have writers in their lives, heck, I am one. I know it’s hard to shop for us, because most of the time we’re hidden away in our caves. However, I’m here to assist you in getting a quick and dirty gift for your writer-loves.

Please, be aware that your writer (or you) must have access to a Kindle or E-Book reader app to take advantage of these gifts. Once you get to the buy page, look underneath the “One Click” button and you will see “Buy for Others” . Clicking this button will allow you to purchase these digital books for others.

Disclaimer: Please note, this post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission when you purchase through these links.

Happy shopping!

First up: The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

I absolutely love this book. The entire book is a reference list as to how to describe emotions and how certain emotional issues your characters may have are expressed in their actions. Just reading the book can spark ideas that you probably wouldn’t have otherwise.

Click below to gift writer-love this gem of a reference book.

Next up is 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love….and who doesn’t want that? This is a little book I discovered when I was looking for a way write faster. If you have ideas on where you think your story may go, but when you sit down at the keyboard or with your journal, you feel stagnated, try this book. In addition, any writer will appreciate some tips and tricks on how to write faster, and at 2.99, it’s an inexpensive gift that keeps on giving.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Doesn’t really matter, does it, as long as you’re getting those words down on paper. The key to writing and keeping on writing is to understand and internalize the essence of story structure and world-building. This book: Plot Gardening: Write Faster, Write Smarter by Chris Fox can give you the tools to kick your writing up a level. Click below to purchase:

Any romance writers in your life? Do you want to become a romance writer? Not only should you be reading in your genre, but picking up Gwen Hayes’ Romancing the Beat, will definitely help you get those romance beats just right. She even dissects one of her own stories as an example, and the eighties song references add some fun to the book.

Click below to purchase/gift:

At 99 cents (at the time of this blog post, please check prices before you click), Libbie Hawker’s “Take Off Your Pants” is both a fun and informative read. Learn how to create a character arc, plot, theme, antagonists and allies for your book, no matter the genre.

There you go! Don’t worry if you’ve waited until the last minute. These digital gifts are high in content and information. I’m sure your writer-love (or you) will use these book way beyond the holidays.

Until next time,

Dahlia

5 Gifts for Writers

It’s that time of year again. Shoppers are hitting the stores and the Internet to look for the perfect gift for that special someone. Some of you lucky dogs out there have some stellar writers in your lives. I’m going to tell you what writers REALLY want for Christmas. Well, at least me.

Pens and Journals: Most writers love pens. Though we tend to dither between our beloved writing software, a writer almost always comes back to the pen and the paper, especially if experiencing a bout of writer’s block. Pens make us feel like REAL writers, with a cigarette clenched between our teeth and a glass of bourbon at hand. Debauchery aside, the physical aspect of forming letters and words often is a trigger for ideas. Often, we get more words flowing on paper than we do sitting in front of the screen. In addition, pen/paper keeps us from the distractions of the Internet, and is portable. Sure, we can compose on the phone in our car, but it’s so much more lovely to write in a beautiful journal with a great pen.

Some of my favorites:

InkJoy Pens – The name says it all. I simply love these pens.
Leatherette Journal with Magnet – Doesn’t have to be fancy to be useful.
Cherish You Journal – Pretty and practical
Moleskine Journals – Can’t go wrong with these.

Beverage Containers: Not all writers drink coffee, true, some of us have Coca-Cola as their breakfast beverage (not me, of course, I have both!) However a beverage container is the writer’s true friend. We don’t have to get up to get our hydration/fuel/liquid courage to keep pushing forward in our work. Plus, the little sayings make us feel important.

Heat Activated Banned Books Mug – You can’t get any more writerly than this.

Inspiration Assistance: Sometimes our best ideas come to us when we’re in the shower, seriously! Well, yes, we DO get ideas OTHER places, but let’s keep it PG and simply suggest Aqua Notes, a little doodad that sticks to the wall in the shower. Handy note taking at it’s finest, for sure! The pencil is also included. When I saw this little cool thing, I couldn’t resist putting it on my list. Writers will love this! Aqua Notes

Totes, T-shirts, and Hoodies: Working from home doesn’t afford us much chance to flex our fashion muscles. We do, however, enjoy cool accessories related to writing. And those accessories include T-shirts and hoodies, so we don’t get too cold as we hunch over our keyboards in the basement. Visit Out of Print for more goodies.

Where the Wild Things are Tote

Organizational Software: Next to writing, the biggest task is research. How far can an eagle see? How much blood is in the human body? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? We search every day for answers to these types of questions in order to make our writing as realistic as possible. Well, some writers do. (Yes, I’m throwing shade.) How do we keep all those links and cool websites in one place? Why Evernote, of course! Evernote has two levels – free and premium. Be a doll and gift your writer person a year of premium. They’ll have a year to figure out if they like using it, and if they do ,then they can pay for it themselves!

Evernote Premium

With a list like this, there’s no way you can go wrong with your writer gift giving this year. Order early!

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