With Christmas around the corner I thought I’d suggest some gifts for the writer in your life, gifts to suggest to others as something to get for you, or some gifts to give to yourself.
Books
We can all use some excellent craft books. Here are just a few I’d encourage you to have in your library:
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk, jr. and E. B. White
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser
- Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster
- Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King
- On Writing by Stephen King
- The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
- Story by Robert McKee
- Chicago Manual of Style
- And, of course, any research books that pertain to your subject or to your era
Tools, Comfy Gifts and More
There are so many tools and doodads the writer can use, some very expensive, some not so much.
- Writing implements—Who doesn’t love the feel of the perfect pen in the hand or a bundle of perfectly sharpened #2 pencils?
- Electronic tools—These can be expensive like computers, software, laptops, iPads, eReaders, smartphones, etc. These are IRS deductible but probably a stretch as a gift for writers at Christmastime, but unless you’ve been especially good this year.
- Electronic accessories— Think AirPods, chargers, headphones, etc. All the little things at our fingertips that help get the work done.
- Paper— whether a child gifts you with a ream of paper or someone gifts you a beautiful journal of handmade paper, we writers tend to love paper of all kinds.
- Comfort gifts— How about cozy socks for writing days, a soft throw, special writerly PJs, an electric mug that keeps our cup of coffee warm for hours or even gifts of favorite coffees and teas?
- Gifts related to favorite writers— some from my own collection include art dolls depicting favorite children’s literature, sculptures of famous authors, even Christmas ornaments of my favorites.
Gifts to Give Yourself— Time
- Quiet time to soak in the story of the incarnation
- Enough time to enjoy the people around you
- Time to do what you love outside of writing, be it cooking, painting, going to concerts or events, coffee with friends.
- This is also the time of the year we need to connect, even when we may be connecting with difficult once-a-year-people. Think of it as fodder for the outrageous stories you’ll write. 🙂
Gifts to Give Yourself—Place
- If at all possible carve out a comfortable place to write for the coming year if you don’t already have one. It can be as simple as a milk crate of resources and a comfortable chair in a corner or as complicated as an atelier overlooking a forest scene, but a dedicated place can be the perfect inspiration for writing.
- Speaking of dedicated spaces, I’ve always had a different place for quiet time and prayer. I find the “theology of place” fascinating— a temple for worship, a room for cooking, a well for water, a threshing floor. . .
- You may want to find a new place for walking or exercising this year— something to inspire you to move more.
Gifts to Give Yourself— Dreaming Space
Maybe the most important of all, at the end of another year, we need space to dream, to reflect and to plan.
- Setting goals—Our Books & Such agents have done this for almost two decades. Tomorrow is our deadline for turning in our 2024 goals to our fearless leader, Janet Kobobel Grant. We include financial goals, sales goals, goals with regard to colleagues, editors, clients and publishers. We also talk about our goals for educational growth, organization and all other aspects of our work. You might find it useful to do the same.
- Read— get inspired about what you will explore in your own writing in the coming years.
- Take some time to quiet all the competing voices and write four or five dreams or goals for your career. At this point, silence the internal critics. There will be time enough to refine and rethink later but for now, what things would you like to see happen to you as a writer? C. S. Lewis wrote: “You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.”
- Listen to your life— As Frederick Buechner wrote in Listening to Your Life: “There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not to recognize him….Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is…because in the last analysis, all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”
What are your dreams and plans for the coming year?
What Good is a Library?
I’ve asked Barb for a present,
a real ‘to me, from you’,
something that will represent
what I can no longer do,
and that is to hie away
to Albuquerque town,
eat at Route 66 cafe,
and jot experience down
in photos on her cellphone,
a record of good life;
and so she doesn’t eat alone,
she’ll be with our Pastor’s wife,
and that I may taste, and not just see,
she’ll bring home French fries for me.
A beautifully inspiring post! Thank you, Wendy. I was especially blessed by the Frederick Buechner quote.
Thank you so much for this lovely post, Wendy! The reminder to give the gift of permission to dream is especially relevant right now. Also, just this last year I finally have my own writing space (after 21 years of using the corner of the room approach) since inheriting my grandparents’ home. I have a loft in a log cabin that looks through the forest to a mountain meadow! Now that is a view worth waiting twenty-one years for! Some of my favorite writing gifts my husband has given me have been soft, long-sleeved t-shirts from Costco for writing on cold mornings and a lovely miniature rolltop desk. So special. Thank you for your encouragement!
Dreaming a bit big this year. Overwhelmed that childhood friends have forgiven me for my playground behaviour of years past and still want to be friends, I am travelling back to America to be parts of a “girls week.” We’re all grandmothers now. Thankfully we’re fit and healthy grandmothers and we need to gather to gossip about our families and faith and new adventures in what the French call “ la troiseme etape.” Sounds so much better in French.