1. Amazon gift cards. Believe me, most writers already have a copy of On Writing (I have two). By all means, get us books, but best to make them random books, books that are ‘I read this in 5th grade and it makes me think of you’ more than ‘this is #1 on the best-selling books for writers.’
2. A Saturday night in a hotel room. It doesn’t have to be so specific — you might even do a ‘redeem this for one hotel stay’ coupon. The point, however, is that you would like to give your writer friend about 18 hours distraction-free to help them get some writing done. The change in atmosphere can really get the creative juices flowing.
3. A massage. While we’re on the subject of giving writers time away, why not treat them to some pampering? Other acceptable alternatives could be certificates for movies, restaurants, fun things in the city…you can tailor things like this to your writer’s interest and give them something fun to do away from the keyboard.
4. A personalized moleskin journal. Everybody loves these things, but you know what would make them better? A collage on the cover of their favorite writers. A picture of a moment of fun you’ve shared. A doodle of their ideal bookshelf. The gift of a journal is a good start for a writer, but it’s nice to show you put effort into the idea.
5. Soundtracks. Not to movies. Give them soundtracks to their writing. Think about the type of music that comes to mind when you read their stuff. Is it epic? Is it sappy? Is it retro? Put it together on a CD for them. Trust me, even if it’s the worst stuff on the planet, your writer will get a kick out of it.
What are you buying your writer for Christmas?
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