What are the best gifts for writers?
Well, when you’re a writer, a thing you’ll often hear people say is that you don’t need much to be a writer, just a simple pen and notebook, or a computer will do.
While this is true on some level--you certainly don’t need tons of equipment to start writing--the fact of the matter is the creative process is hard, and it is so much easier when you have helpful tools by your side to guide you along the way.
As any writer can attest, the muses aren’t always generous with inspiration. And motivation can be hard to come by on many days. And being creative isn’t always a magical experience--you’re often working in solitude, staring down a blank page, dealing with rejection, all while trying to encourage yourself to keep at it.
That’s why the best gifts that you can offer a writer is anything that can support and nurture them on their creative journey.
Below you’ll find fun and inspiring gift ideas for the writers in your life. Whether they’re someone who writes for a living or have always wanted to try their hand at creative writing or just loves any excuse to scribble something down in a notebook, you’ll find the perfect writer gift to suit their needs.
How to choose the best gifts for writers
Here are some things to consider when selecting the perfect gift for a writer.
- Where do they like to write? Do they prefer solitude and cozy environments? Or do they like to be in social settings, and can find inspiration in even the noisiest of coffee shops?
- Do they like to brainstorm? Maybe they’re always jotting things down in a journal or on the backs of receipts?
- Are they more analog or digital? Do they like to keep a well-worn notebook by their side at all times? Or do they prefer to type things into their Notes app when they get hit with inspiration?
- What do they like to read? Writers are also usually voracious readers, and sometimes the biggest source of inspiration can come from the next great read. Maybe they love genre books like fantasy or sci-fi. Or maybe they love to curl up with a good, absorbing memoir or a suspenseful, heart-racing thriller.
Journals
From Virginia Woolf to Henry David Thoreau to Amy Tan to Spike Lee, so many writers through the years have relied on journals for their creative process.
A journal can be used to record observations, make lists of creative ideas, or be used as a refuge to unload your thoughts, which can help you better organize and make sense of them.
A journal also allows a writer to address their fears or anxieties, and by confronting these thoughts, they are able to better relieve their stress and move forward.
Plus, the observational skills that they practice in journal writing can have a helpful impact on their own writing.
So if you're looking for the ideal gift for the writer in your life, you cannot go wrong with a simple but beautiful journal.
This beautiful Pont Neuf William Morris Journal would make a special gift, and any writer would love writing down their thoughts and ideas in the soft, buttery pages, or displaying its decorative cover in their workspace.
Sometimes, the hardest part about being creative is all the freedom. Where do I begin? What do I even write about?
That’s why boundaries are such a helpful part of the creative process. It may sound counterintuitive, but boundaries can actually help you become more creative, by providing a structure to play within. And just like the title promises, this helpful workbook offers 642 story prompts to jumpstart creativity and gives you the parameters to be creative.
Here’s an example prompt: The human race has always had exactly five senses. It’s just that, from time to time, one sense disappears and a new one takes its place.” You recipient can use that as a jumping off point to write their story!
This would be a great gift for all ages and writer types: fiction writers, writing students, or anyone who wants to tap into their creativity and find new ways to tell lots of different stories.
Beautiful pens
Let your writer channel their inner Jane Austen with this special Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen. It’s stunning design, weight, and feel makes it seem like a luxurious fountain pen, while still being functional enough to use every day--which is helpful when a writer’s job is to write and write often!
Calligraphy workbook
Sometimes the best way to tap into the creative writing process is to give your mind a break, and focus on something simple and relaxing. This calligraphy workbook is a fun and low pressure way for your recipient to unwind and learn a new skill--not to mention the myriad benefits that handwriting offers, such as memory retention, stress relief, and improving critical thinking, which can all help unlock creativity for a writer.
If you want to make it extra special, you can also add a brush pen to complete the gift.
Spark Creativity Workbook
A big part of the creative process is just trying to generate ideas. But it can be draining trying to come up with ideas, day after day--especially if being creative is your full-time job. Help your friend get inspired with this fun Spark Creativity book, which offers 50 ways to ignite ideas.
Here are some sample prompts:
- Take 5 minutes and write down as many new ideas as you can
- Find new uses for materials or elements you’d typically toss out
- Execute a single idea 50 different ways
Inspiring books
Is your writer friend looking for inspiration or guidance on the craft of writing? You can’t go wrong with classics like Stephen King’s On Writing or Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird or Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way or the new, soon-to-be classic A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by short story writer George Saunders. Your recipient will treasure having any of these books on their shelf, and will find themselves turning to the wise words, time and time again.
Cute coffee mugs
Any writer will tell you that the secret to their success is lots and lots of caffeine! Whether they’re a coffee addict or a tea lover, make their morning cup feel that much more special with this gorgeous ceramic mug or stunning speckled mug. Or, stick with the writerly theme and give them this darling Jane Austen mug.
