The Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers — 2018 Edition

How’s everyone doing on their shopping so far this year? Are you ahead because Black Friday and Cyber Monday came early? Or have you not started yet because this year’s calendar—with Christmas falling on a Tuesday—is tricking you into thinking there’s more time than there really is?

Uh… *raises hand to that second one* I haven’t quite gotten serious yet. Get on that, self. *grin*

Need ideas for writing-related gifts? Here's something for everyone... Share on XObviously, I’m not a shopaholic, so I usually need help knowing what gifts to buy for people. That means it’s time to start thinking about what we might want for writerly gifts this year. With that in mind, I updated my Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers, and I included lots of links because I’m a lazy bum who prefers online shopping. *smile*

If you’re a writer, this might help you give suggestions to family or friends. Or you can direct your family to this post for ideas. Something on this list is bound to please every writer out there.

Stocking Stuffers

• New! 2-1 Stylus and writing pens for paper and screens (or if you like a thicker barrel or a flashlight function)
• New! Fingerless compression gloves to help with RSI, arthritis, or carpal tunnel pain while we type
• New! Cleaning brush for laptops and keyboards
• New! Keyboard and screen wipes or screen cleaner spray
• Fingerless gloves (type and have warm fingers) (New! also available in styles with book excerpt designs)
• Pencils/mechanical pencils/New! editing pencils
• Fountain pens and ink (fountain pen fans can be very picky, but Anne Kaelber suggested this pen, New! this pen, or New! this pen (with a left-handed nib), and pen/ink source) (Or go for the full feather quill experience with this one)
• Erasable pens so we’re not tempted to not use our planners or notebooks for fear of “messing them up” *smile*
• Light-up Pens for writing down nighttime inspiration
• “Space” pen that works at any angle, even if we’re lying down (suggested by Jenna Victoria)
• Pens (these are my favorite—multicolor, blue, or black)
• Notepads (various sizes for purse, nightstand, car, etc.)
• Highlighters (for Margie-Lawson-style editing)
• Timer for writing sprints
• AquaNotes waterproof notepads (for shower ideas—yes, these really work!)
• USB Voice Recorder and memory stick (suggested by Kristen) or Voice Recorder pen
• Sticky weekly calendar to put on computer monitor
• Wrist “donut” for better mouse ergonomics
• Gift certificate for a planner or to a planner sticker store (suggested by Alexis Morgan Roark) (Author Roni Loren shares her favorite 2017 planners here.)
• Snack foods for keeping up energy
• Stamps with various messages (suggested by Daniel Swensen)

Inspiration Help

• New! The Amazing Story Generator by Jay Sacher to create thousands of writing prompts
• Story Forge (“tarot-style” deck of cards for storytelling ideas) (suggested by Deb E) or New! Tarot for Writers by Corrine Kenner
• The Coloring Book for Writers: And Inspirational Brainstorming Tool (or if sedate designs bore you… New! Swear Word Adult Coloring Book: Fresh Out of F*cks)
• Storymatic game of story prompts (or the Rememory version for memoir writers)
• Writer’s Toolbox with creative games and exercises for inspiration
• The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus: An Interactive Guide for Developing Ideas for Novels and Short Stories by Fred White
• Writer Emergency Pack (flashcards to help you fix plot holes, beef up characters, and rethink themes)
• Randomizers like Rory’s Story Cubes (suggested by Daniel Swensen)

For Writers Who Outline or Like Organization

• Notebooks (many writers prefer plain spiral or steno pads over fancy, leather-bound books—those are too pretty to use—although I’m lusting over this leather embossed notebook *smile*) or New! Anne Kaelber suggested this notebook for those who like gridded pages
• Planner system, such as the Staples Arc system or the TUL system by Office Depot for easy swapping of pages (suggested by Anne Kaelber, who also pointed out free printable planner pages here)
• Note (index) cards
• Ugly writing journal (so we’re not tempted to “save” it) (suggested by Daniel Swensen)
• Corkboard
• Pushpins/magnets
• Whiteboard
• Dry erase markers and eraser

Technology Helpers

• New! RocketBook, reusable, “smart” notebook that uses erasable pens and a smart phone app to save our notes to Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. (I used this at the RWA conference this past summer—very cool and the pens were super smooth on the pages) (this two-pack includes a mini notebook too)
• New! Mechanical keyboard (here’s one with a retro look)
• New! Bluetooth headphones for wire-free use (suggested by Anne Kaelber, who like Mpow brand, especially the Jaws design)
• New! External battery pack to extend the use of our phone or tablet
• New! Or go even longer with a portable solar charger
• New! Visual timeline software like Aeon Timeline (suggested by Anne Kaelber)
• New! Help productivity with premium access to RescueTime
• Noise-canceling headphones to keep our focus (suggested by Lara Gallin)
• Smartphone apps for writers (some on this list are free, but most have a cost)
• Keyboard for tablets or smartphones (or this compact folding one or this virtual one)
• Adjustable laptop table for typing wherever we find ourselves—in bed, lying down, our favorite chair, etc.
• Wireless/ergonomic keyboard or mouse (I got this keyboard after my previous one died during NaNoWriMo last year, and I found this washable keyboard too for cleaning up all those snacks we eat at our desks! *smile*)
• Programs like Scrivener for organizing and word processing (Scrivener 3 isn’t available for Windows yet, but you can grab version 2 for PC here; don’t get the Mac version through Amazon, as there’s an upgrade charge)
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking (options at Amazon) for voice recognition-driven writing (suggested by Kyla Rucci)
• Latest version of favorite word processing program
• Software for self-publishing (image editing, ebook formatting, etc.)
• Flash drive or external hard drive for backups
• Typing program (learn to type faster!)
• More memory for computer
• Bigger hard drive for computer
• Software for self-publishing (Adobe Photoshop for graphics, Jutoh for formatting, etc.)

Big Ticket/Ergonomic Items

• New! Stand-up desk or treadmill desk
• New! Kneeling desk chair
• New! Balance ball chair
• New! Tilting footrest
• New! High-end tablet-stand keyboard (here’s one with mechanical keys and looks like a typewriter!)
• Updated computer/laptop
• Bigger/second computer monitor
• Printer (or printer ink)
• eReader or eTablet (Kindle/Kindle Fire, iPad, Android tablet, etc.)
• Ergonomic desk chair
• Bookshelves for all our books (suggested by Glynis Jolly)
• Website/blog hosting, upgrades, or design (Note: I use and recommend TechSurgeons for great service, and no, they don’t have an affiliate program, just lots of happy customers. *smile*)
  • *psst* Get a 10% lifetime discount on TechSurgeons hosting with coupon code “JamiGold”
• Registration fee for writing conference or workshop
• Membership fee for a writing group (like RWA—which is open worldwide)
• Cover design, editing, or formatting costs for self-published authors

Writing Craft and Publishing-Related Books & Tools

• New! Writing craft books by Janice Hardy:
  • Plotting Your Novel/Workbook
  • Understanding Show, Don’t Tell (And Really Getting It)
  • Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means)
  • Revising Your Novel
• New! Writing craft books by K.M. Weiland:
  • Outlining Your Novel/Workbook/Computer Program/ebook box set
  • Creating Character Arcs/Workbook
  • Structuring Your Novel/Workbook/ebook box set
  • 5 Secrets of Story Structure,
  • Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration
• New! Classic grammar and style books, such as The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White or The Chicago Manual of Style (known as CMOS), the final word on style rules for most fiction writing (CMOS also has an online subscription or online/book bundle available)
• New! Subscription to editing program, such as Grammarly Premium
• One Stop for Writers gift certificate (online library of writing tools like the Thesaurus books below)
• The Thesaurus books by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi:
  • The Emotion Thesaurus
  • The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Negative Trait Thesaurus
  • The Urban Setting Thesaurus, and The Rural Setting Thesaurus
  • The Emotional Wound Thesaurus
• The Busy Writer’s Guides by Marcy Kennedy (such as Internal Dialogue, which covers a rarely mentioned writing technique extremely well)
• Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
• Story Engineering by Larry Brooks
• Hooked by Les Edgerton
• The Power of Point of View by Alicia Rasley
• My Story Can Beat Up Your Story by Jeffrey Alan Schechter
• Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
• The Observation Deck by Naomi Epel
• Rock Your Plot and Rock Your Revisions by Cathy Yardley (suggested by Anne)
• The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne (suggested by Anne Kaelber)
• etc., etc. *smile*

Writing and Publishing-Related Workshops

• New! Access to MasterClass workshops
• Craft, business, and social media classes (such as one of my workshops)
• Lecture packets for Margie Lawson’s writing courses (suggested by Stina Lindenblatt) (I’ve used her Empowering Characters’ Emotions, and Stina also recommends Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues and Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices, and More.)
• Writing books and classes by Holly Lisle (I’ve purchased a revision workshop and several of the Clinic mini-workshops)

Reader/Writer Themed Gifts

• New! Wall posters and decorations like grammar charts
• New! Keep toes warm with Library Card socks
• New! For those who like interior design, check out this book about room decorations in classic stories
• New! Bubble Wrap Calendar (because who doesn’t like bubble wrap?)
• New! Stack of Books Christmas ornament
• New! Book-related tote bag (like this, this, or this)
• New! “just one more chapter…” throw pillow
• New! Set of vintage-looking book boxes for storage
• New! “I’m not a Book Worm, I’m a Book Dragon” mug (I’ve written dragons, so I couldn’t resist *smile*)
• New! “My Weekend Is All Booked” T-shirt
• New! “I’m Too Emotionally Attached to Fictional Characters T-shirt
• New! Typewriter pencil cup
• New! Literary temporary tattoos
• Magnetic poetry kit (available in tons of specialized themes—from Shakespeare or passion to cat or bacon lover—or New! there’s even one in Haiku, which could help our writing)
• “Slayer of Words” T-shirt
• “Do Not Disturb Writer at Work” door hanger
• “I’m A Writer Not A Serial Killer” mug or T-shirt
• “I Write—What’s Your Superpower” mug
• “Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel” mug
• Decorative bookends (How awesome would it be to display our own books between cool bookends that go with our stories? I’m eyeing these dragons *grin*)
• Book-scented candles
• Literary action figures
• Or check out these collections for more ideas: “gifts for writers,” The Literary Gift Company, Writers Helping Writers gift guide on Pinterest, “Out of Print” literary clothing, literary gifts on Etsy, etc.)

Miscellaneous Suggestions

• New! Travel arrangements for writing conference/retreat or DIY book tour
• New! Sessions with a writing coach or marketing expert
• New! Consultation with Sensitivity or Expertise Reader for their story
• New! Subscription to a meal delivery service, such as Freshly, The Good Kitchen, or Fresh n’ Lean, to free up more writing time
• New! Subscription to Scribbler Box for Writers with motivation, craft, and industry help
• New! Subscription to literary magazine (or Journal of the Month, which sends a different magazine every month for a sampling of options)
• New! Subscription to Kindle Unlimited or Audible
• New! Subscription to monthly snack delivery
• Subscription to music source (Pandora, Spotify, New! Amazon Music Unlimited, etc.)
• Dixit game, Once Upon a Time game, or New! Elegy game (a game about writing fiction) to share our love of storytelling with others
• Way to exercise at our desk, like this under-desk elliptical trainer
• Virtual Assistant
• Subscription to monthly writer-themed box of notebooks and pens
• Premium level of online service (Dropbox for automatic backups, Amazon Prime for free shipping/lending library, etc.)
• Gift basket full of writing-related ideas (pens, notebooks, special beverage and glass, inspirational items or quotes, etc.) (suggested by Theresa Miller)
• Totem for a muse (figurine, stuffed animal, etc.) (suggested by Lisa Hall-Wilson)
• High-quality printer paper for queries/submissions (suggested by Christy Farmer)
• Printer ink (suggested by Shain Brown)
• Entry fee for a writing contest
• Massage gift certificates (suggested by Julie Glover)
• Back or foot massager (suggested by Gene Lempp)
• Shoulder/neck heating pad for desk-bound aches and pains
• Comfy yoga pants (some even have pockets! like these, these, these, or these) to make it less of a hassle to answer the door or leave the house *snicker*
• Comfort clothes (robe and fuzzy slippers) (suggested by Brooklyn Ann)
• Healthy snacks
• Canisters of favorite coffee or hot chocolate (suggested by Angela Quarles)
• Tea or other writing beverage (suggested by Daniel Swensen)
• Gift cards for books (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.)
• Gift cards for office supply stores
• Writing time (anything from babysitting to a writers’ retreat)
• Housecleaning services (especially during deadlines) (suggested by April Bradley)
• And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my own books for those who want entertainment. *grin* (I don’t have a shop set up for it yet, but if anyone wants autographed print copies, let me know.)

What did I miss? What other writing craft or publishing-related books do you recommend? Do you have suggestions for other items to add to the list? Which things would you most like to receive? Is there anything on the list you wouldn’t want? Will you brave the store crowds this year?