It’s that time again – time to think up the perfect gift for that writer in your life. Here are some great ideas for you, along with some interesting websites to explore.

1. A Sherlock Holmes Tote: but look more closely. The background is composed of text from a Holmes story (written in teeny-tiny print)! You can find lots more items from many different classic books over at Litographs 
2. Moleskine Notebooks: some of the very best for writing, drawing, or even mapping!
3. A Literary T-Shirt: This one says “When in Doubt, Go to the Library” but you can find lots of other shirts, as well as additional merchandise, over at Out of Print
4. Matchbooks that look like real books: Pride & Prejudice, Salome, The Oddysey of Homer, Fairy Tales, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Five matchbooks with metallic gold foil stamping. 
5. 100 Literary Postcards: these showcase “bold graphic interpretations of 50 of the greatest literary quotes of all time.”
6. A Banned Books Mug: this one is heat reactive – as you fill the mug, the blacked-out book titles are revealed. 
7. Aqua Notes: Write down that idea – even if you’re in the shower!
8. The Writer’s Toolbox: “Creative Games and Exercises for Inspiring the ‘Write’ Side of your Brain.”
9. Scrabble Refrigerator Tiles: 120 vintage tiles to rearrange on your fridge
10. An Audible Subscription: $6.95 a month for 3 months – download audio books, magazines and newspapers to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
11. Typewriter Jewelry: here’s a page of different ideas for you
12. Bananagrams: a crossword-building game similar to Scrabble, but without the need of paper or pencil to keep score. It’s portable and very addictive.
13. “Write Like a Mother-F**ker” Mug: Just what it sounds like.
14. “Reading is Sexy” Bottle Opener: would make a great stocking stuffer
15. A Literary Poster: this one’s “The Cocktail Chart of Film & Literature” – a catalog of 49 different drinks from great works of film and literature, from Philip Marlowe’s Gin Gimlet to Fredo Corleone’s Banana Daiquiri
16. Books for Writers: there are so many to choose from! Here are a few to think about – On Writing, by Stephen King; Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott;  The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White
17. The Writer’s Emergency Kit: 26 idea cards and 26 detail cards, plus instructions in their use
18. 100 Postcards from Penguin: more postcards, this time 100 book covers from Penguin Books. Inspire your writer to communicate more!
19. A Space-Age Pen: writes at any angle, even upside-down.
20. Writing Games: Storymatic is a great game – 540 unique cards in various categories to tell a story with.
21. Bookends: this bicycle bookend is great because it’s made of iron, so you can hold even your heaviest books
22. Masterclass: Give the gift of a writing class – Malcolm Gladwell (writing nonfiction), James Patterson (fiction with surprising plots), Shonda Rhymes (screenplays), R.L Stine (edgy fiction for younger readers), Judy Blume (writing characters your readers will love), Margaret Atwood (Creative Writing)
23. The Triangle Method of Character Creation: if Masterclass is out of your price range, what about this course? 12 videos with PDFs, 2 hours of instruction and a step-by-step guide to creating characters
24. Freedom: this is software that blocks websites on your computer so you have to write instead of wasting time on Facebook or Instagram! Buy your writer a copy.
25. Scrivener: this is writing software for both Mac and PC – helps you to organize your ideas, research, and characters and has templates for nonfiction, fiction, and screenplays.
26. Business Cards: Vistaprint is running a sale for the next two days!
27. Writer’s Relief: this is a submission service that can help you submit your work to publishers or agents.
28. Candles that Smell Like Books: Just like it sounds 
29. A Magazine Subscription: try Writer’s Digest or Poets & Writers 
30. Scribe Delivery: a monthly service that delivers a goody box of pens and journals to your writer!

It’s the holiday season already. We’re all rushing around, trying to find the perfect gifts, cooking the best meals and going to party after party.

For those of us who are writers, the holidays can be quite stressful. You feel obligated to attend those parties and shop for those gifts and cook those meals. But where’s the time to write? Especially if you have a day job, like I do, it’s difficult to get anything done on your manuscript.

Here are some tips for the writer over the holidays:

• Stay focused. Remember that the holiday season is actually a fairly short one, and that you’ll be back to your normal writing schedule soon. Focus on what’s most important, and get back to the rest when you can.
• Carve out moments of time. Write, but don’t plan on meeting your regular word count goal. Jot down a few thoughts while the turkey is baking, or sit down at the computer for a few minutes before leaving for that party.
• De-stress. Take a little time to breathe. Meditate or practice yoga. Take a warm bubble bath. Get a massage. Even going for a short walk around the block can help you de-stress.
• Stay healthy. Sure, it’s a temptation to throw healthy eating and drinking to the wind and over-indulge at those parties. You’ll feel better if you limit your drinking and add some healthy choices to the party snacks. Have a healthy salad before the party, so you won’t be so hungry. Fill up on (flavored) carbonated water instead of alcohol. And, of course, don’t drive if you’ve been drinking!
• Keep that notebook handy. Even if you’re not writing as much as usual, have your notebook ready for those ideas that will pop up at odd times over the holidays. Come January, you’ll be ready to jump right back in and flesh those out into scenes or stories.

This is my favorite time of the year! I love the weather – not too hot, not too cold – and I love that feeling in the air, the one that makes the wild geese take to the skies in search of new landings. The world is gearing down for the long sleep of winter, tucking itself in with blankets of fallen leaves.

 

I love the colors of Fall: reds and oranges and yellows and rich browns. If you see me in person, I’m likely to be wearing some variation of those colors at any given moment.

I love dressing up at Halloween parties, too. Like writing, costumes are a way to get out of “the real world” and play around in an imaginary one for awhile. Go as your favorite literary character, or just be as spooky as you want to.

Halloween is a rip-roaring farewell party for summer, and a welcome back party for Fall. Hot cider and pumpkin pie, leaf piles and trees lacing the bright blue sky with bare branches …

What’s your favorite Fall memory – or your favorite Halloween character?