30 Innovative Gifts for Writers

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!