10 holiday gift ideas for writers

If you’re like me and subscribe to far too many newsletters, you’ve probably already seen your fair share of holiday gift guides. I hesitate to pile on, but I can’t help but want to share a few ideas for the writer in your life — and/or for you! Here are a few ideas, based on items I’ve purchased and find meaningful as a writer. They’re all reasonably priced (at about $35 or less).

1.) A book-themed vase. I recently fell in love with these book-themed vases. I ordered one from Etsy and now have it displayed on my desk. Each acrylic vase is customizable, and you have the option of adding up to eight book titles. For mine, I added the title of my forthcoming book, along with the titles of seven other books that inspired me during the writing process: Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad; The Invisible Kingdom by Meghan O’Rourke; Illness as Metaphor, by Susan Sontag; The Recovering by Leslie Jamison; The Wounded Storyteller by Arthur Frank; One Hundred Names for Love by Diane Ackerman; and All About Love by bell hooks. I bought some artificial flowers from Michael’s and put the vase on display. It’s a nice reminder of the different books that have helped my own writing blossom.

2.) Target sketchpad. I like brainstorming ideas for my writing — and mapping out these ideas — by hand. I most often do this in large sketchpads that offer me room to roam on the page. My favorite sketchpad is this 9x13 Mondo Llama one, available for $5 at Target. I’ve gone through so many of these over the past few years, along with these ultra fine Sharpie pens. Sometimes, simple gifts are the best.

3.) Kintsugi art. I recently purchased one of these Kintsugi mended butterfly ornaments and now want to recommend them to all my writing friends. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by “mending” it with gold, platinum, or silver. I first fell in love with this art form after seeing it reflected on the cover of Chanel Miller’s memoir, Know My Name. For a long time, I tried covering up the cracks in my life, afraid of shining a light on the darkest parts of my life. But I’ve come to find that good writing isn’t about covering up what’s broken; it’s about finding beauty amid breakage.

4.) Writing-related art. A friend introduced me to Kimothy Joy’s artwork a few years ago, and I’ve been drawn to it ever since. As a writer, I appreciate all that her art embodies: creativity, personal growth, and female empowerment. I have three of Kimothy’s prints, featuring noteworthy quotes from Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, and Virginia Wolf. There’s another one I’ve been wanting to buy — a print that says “trust the process.” This is such a fitting message for writers, who often face rejections and wonder if that memoir, or essay, or poetry collection they’ve been working on will ever get published. (Kimothy has a “40% off everything sale” going on until Dec. 12.)

5.) Hourglasses. If you’re having trouble making time to write, or if you know of another writer who is struggling to do so, consider buying an hourglass. I have two on my desk, and I often use them as visual reminders to carve out time to write each day. You can buy affordable hourglasses for various lengths of time — 15 minutes, a half-hour, an hour, etc. (I like these, as well as this one.) Seeing the hourglass on your desk can be a good reminder to start putting words on the page. When time is up, you may or may not have a lot to show for it. But you can at least feel good about the fact that you made time for it.

6.) Candle warmer lamp. I often use candles when I write. Doing so signifies the start and end of my writing time; I light the candle when I begin, and I blow it out when I’m done. I can light candles in my home office, but not from my work office (because, well, candles are prohibited for good reason)! If you want the same effect of a candle, minus the flame, consider one of these candle warmer lamps. My husband bought me one for my birthday, and I use it almost every time I write.

7.) Personalized T-shirts. A dear friend and colleague (who runs a great podcast called “Talking Movies with My Mom,”) recently gifted me a shirt featuring a quote from my book. She managed to find the same exact colors from my book cover and used those for the font. This was such a thoughtful, creative gift that I never would have thought to order for myself. And it makes for a nice conversation starter when people ask about it. She also made one for my 8-year-old daughter (who recently told me she also wants to be an author when she grows up)!

8.) The gift of genuine curiosity and interest. The same friend who gave me the shirt has also shown genuine interest in my book throughout the writing and publishing process. The book-writing process sometimes felt lonely, long, and grueling, so I was especially grateful when people would ask me how it was going. I needed outlets for talking about it, and I appreciated whenever family members, friends, and colleagues would invite me to share. I still appreciate this; even though my book is mostly done, I’m still making final edits and spending a lot of time on it. This holiday season, ask your writer friends what they’re working on and how it’s going. Show genuine interest and excitement, and offer encouragement.

9.) Purchase/pre-order writers’ books, share their work on social media, etc. When my father recently asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told him I only wanted one thing: pre-orders for my forthcoming book, Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery. I directed him to my local independent bookstore’s website and encouraged him to pre-order the book from there. If you really want to support your writer friends, buy and/or share their work however you can.

10.) Gift a subscription to Write at the Edge. If you like this newsletter and know of other writers who might benefit from it, consider buying them a subscription via this gift link. It’s just $5/month or $50/year to subscribe. Starting in the new year, I’ll be offering perks for paid subscribers, including a chat feature and Q&As with authors. (More to come!)

I’m so grateful you’re part of this community, and I hope these gift ideas help. Have other ideas? Feel free to share them in the comments section.