My fellow Wickeds, what is the perfect gift for a writer? Aside from more time for revisions, a dependable muse, and more books sales that is.
Sherry: Pens. I love pens, any kind, any color ink. I love them even though I usually write on my computer these days. And I guess some tablets to go with the pens — something basic like a lawyers pads.
Jessie: Note
books! I love, love love Rhodia pads. The high quality paper is smooth and creamy but the notebooks still feel approachable. They are staple bound with a paper cover and don’t look like they are too nice to be written in. I buy them in bulk from Dick Blick and I crack open a new one for each new writing project.
Edith: I love the Murder Ink sticky notepad Barb 
gave us each last year. A perfect gift for a mystery writer, with Dead Fred bleeding out through his pierced heart. Okay, we’re strange, we crime writers. Acknowledged!
In the Wishful Thinking department, I think any writer would love the gift of a weekly or even monthly cleaning service. Right, ladies?
Liz: Okay, I love pens, notebooks and Dead Fred too, but I’m going in a different direction. Etsy has the coolest gifts for writers who love jewelry, from the Banned Books Bracelet to the Nancy Drew bracelet. One of my fave gifts ever is my Whodunnit bracelet. 
Barb: Isn’t it funny the way most writers love stationery and pens? Our friend Ramona DeFelice Long has been on a retreat with both writers and visual artists and she reported, “Visual artists get as excited about Home Depot as writers do about Staples.” I thought for a moment and then realized, “Of course they do.” As for the source of Dead Fred, I heartily recommend the Bas Bleu catalog for those buying for either readers or writers.
Julie: Love these suggestions! I am a Levenger dreamer. Beautiful tools for writers. But honestly, if Staples had a coffee shop, I’d be thrilled. I could spend all day in there. Will say, for beginner writers, classes and books like Plot Perfect are a great gift. Helping them find their community is also a great gift–like pointing them to Sisters in Crime, or RWA, or other writer’s organizations.
Readers: What do you think a writer would like? Do you have any on your “to-give” list?
Reference tools are great. Books on poisons and forensics and police procedure and things like that are fun and practical. Plus every fiction writer should have a good Webster’s dictionary, a thesaurus, and the Chicago Manual of Style, sixteen edition (or an online subscription).
Sixteenth! Darn auto correct.
Great ideas, Barb!
Liz- I love that charm bracelet! How cool!
I’m a fan of the Bas Bleu catalog too, Barb and a proud owner of their Nancy Drew tote bag. It has classic silhouettes of Nancy and friends from early editions printed on it and I carry it proudly to critique group meetings! A gift I’ve given to several writer friends is a book called “Book It” by Maxine Marten and Pat Thomas. it’s made up of 220 mostly blank pages, organized in twenty five sections, room enough to draft a novel or to hold those snippets of information which might come in handy some day. There are occasional inspirational quotes to inspire writers here and there throughout. I’m on my second one and use it a lot. I have a typewriter key bracelet too, but not as fancy as yours, Liz!
Love these ideas. Need to look for the Nancy Drew tote!
I fancy that charm bracelet, too . . . but all of these gifts sound perfect to me! I’ve always loved stationery, and find it a bit sad that the joy of sending notes and cards through the mail has been challenged by the ease and immediacy of e-mail. Best wishes to all of the Wickeds for a happy holiday season!
And happy holidays to you as well!
Thanks guys! The bracelet is on Etsy – they have some fantastically fun things relating to writing/reading!
First on the list: someone to do my filing. Even part time. Once in a while. Anything!
Apart from that I’m addicted to binder clips, including the tiny ones. Something about clipping together related print-outs or notes or clippings helps me organize my own thoughts (not to mention making it possible to find things). So an ongoing supply would be wonderful. Also wacky paperclips, like hands and spirals.
I love binder clips as well. First of all, they really hold on to things. They are also useful for keeping chip bags closed and other household tasks.
Mine is more wishful thinking than a concrete wish: I want glow-in-the-dark Post-Its!
I love it–though waking up to glowing squares would be scary. Bad enough to find scribbled notes on index cards.
I got packets of them in Boston. Truly loved them, but they were so bright they gave me migraines. I’m serious.
I would say, send them plenty of ink for their favorite pen and in different colors to keep it interesting. I am not a writer, but I truly love stationary and my favorite refillable pen. And, I love Jill Inc.
Gel ink. Not Jill Inc….hahahaha!
Funny! I also love gel pens.
I already have online subscriptions to M-W and CMOS, which I use frequently in my editing business and in my own writing, so I can recommend those–plus they’re clutter free! And if you go clutter free with the reference materials, you’ll have more room for the fun stuff from Staples! I also love binder clips and notebooks with pretty covers, and just the right/write pen, but three-ring binders are my no-longer-secret obsession. I love them! I have a dozen in all sizes standing up on my desk right now. One for each series (style sheets, notes for future books, character and setting notes, recipe/pattern ideas); one big one for workshop handouts; one big one for patterns; one for household stuff; you get the idea. I also get to use the label maker for making perfect labels for the dividers and the spines. Ooh, I’m getting all tingly just thinking about it 🙂
I love the mystery jewelry (check out this shop on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ptierneydesigns). Another great gift would be a copy of Stephen King’s On Writing. He really understands genre fiction and writes about in a way that’s applicable to all of us. So many books on writing (and I’m not dissing them, honestly!) focus on finding your muse and creative exercises–sometimes nebulous stuff that doesn’t necessarily help me get the job done when a deadline looms.
And Edith, a weekly cleaning service sounds heavenly!
Such great ideas! Agree about ON WRITING. Also BIRD BY BIRD by Annie Lamott. Thanks for the Etsy link!
Magazine subscriptions to things like Mystery Scene, Crimespree and Writers Digest. Starbucks gift cards (so we can go write there). iTunes gift cards (if they write to music, as I do). Books and gift cards to independent bookstores. And, yes, a cleaning service.
Another great list!! Agree to all–also Trader Joes gift cards for the book jail supplies.
This reader will take a weekly cleaning service, too.
I’m a bad gift giver, but I’m taking notes if I ever have a writer on my list.
Now you’ll be a good gift giver!
Reblogged this on Brand Fearless ~ Kim Fleck.
It seems that all my writing friends keep a journal if only to make notes for their book or ideas for a future book. I just started–today–a journal about getting a new assistance dog. This is my first attempt at putting photos in a written journal which will likely not be legible to anyone except me! But it’s fun, and it’s helping me look ahead… difficult since losing Kendall. <3
What a terrific project. A good way to look forward, while still a space for grieving. Hang in there Reine.
Thank you. 🙂