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Sunday, December 25, 2011

What's Under Your Tree?

by wolfsavard flickr.com
You've probably already opened your Christmas presents this morning if you're on the computer now. If you celebrate Hanukkah, you may have already received some gifts--but you still have more to go. So, as a writer, what are some hot gifts you might have gotten this season, or you might still be able to buy yourself with that holiday cash? Read on for some ideas:

E-reader: Many writers are now investing in an e-reader. Why? You would think we would be the last people to succumb to this technology pressure. After all, many of us are writers because we love to curl up with our favorite books when we aren't writing our own. But e-books are here; and as a writer, you need to stay up on current market trends. Many books are only available in e-books. If you are a book reviewer, this is often the preferred way for authors and publishers to send reviewers books. So, you may just have to start imagining yourself curling up with your Kindle or Nook, instead of a good, old paperback. For a look at what type of e-reader you will need, check out this link on CNET News that compares them for you. At WOW!, we are looking into ways to bring you more information than our bimonthly issues and blog, and make it available for e-readers. So stay tuned--it's just one more reason for an e-reader.

Journals: We are in the middle of Mari L. McCarthy's blog tour for her book, Dark Chocolate for the Journaler's Soul. If you are a journaler or you want to be one, you must check out Mari's website for many great products to get you started or to keep you journaling. If you are one of those people who wake up in the middle of the night with great story ideas and you can't sleep until you write them down, try this: Can't Sleep, Write Now: A Nocturnal Journal for Tireless Thinkers by Lucien Edwards.  
Pens: To go with the journal, you need a cool pen to write with. Well, it doesn't get much cooler than the pen selection they are offering at ThinkGeek.com. Who won't be more inspired if they have a Star Wars Lightsaber pen? And if Star Wars isn't your thing, they've got a Harry Potter wand pen, too. . .
Classes and Conferences:  A great gift to receive (or give to a fellow writing friend--if you haven't bought he or she anything yet) is tuition to a writing conference or an online class! I'm sure you're familiar with the fact that WOW! offers online classes. Our 2012 class listings cover everything from writing YA novels to picture books, from finding your muse to getting an agent. If you can't take the time to go to a writing conference or afford all the costs associated with one, then consider an online class.

Hopefully, you've also been supplied during the holiday season with a year's supply of coffee, a mug with an inspirational quote, a bottle of wine if the muse is hard to find one night, and plenty of your favorite writing snack. 

Happy holidays from WOW! We hope you have a fantastic day; and if you have time, share with us your favorite present you received and gave this holiday season--writing related or not. 

Margo L. Dill blogs about children's books and how to use them at her blog, Read These Books and Use Them. She also teaches the WOW! blogging, social networking, and children's middle-grade novel and magazine writing courses. Go to the WOW! classroom for more information on the classes she teaches.
 




5 comments:

  1. An update from me! My husband got me a tablet for Christmas (e-reader). I am so excited to finally be able to use Kindle and Nook both to read e-books instead of trying to read them on my laptop or on my little bitty iPod touch. Now that calendar with our kids on it that I made him and the Tron ornament that lights up which I gave him today kind of pales in comparison! :) LOL

    Merry Christmas everyone!

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  2. What a great list, Margo! Great gift, there!
    I use my iPad for reading a lot of e-material, works well for me.
    FYI, thrilled to say that I have an entry in the Dark Chocolate book. Mari has so many great publications!

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  3. No cool Kindle under my tree but someone gave me "The Handy Book of Knots"--an instruction manual on knots that comes with a piece of rope for practicing. Gotta wonder about the message behind that one. LOL!

    Happy Holidays everyone!

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  4. @Patricia--you can get another entry into Mari's tour on my blog Thursday (http://margodill.com/blog) if you want! I can't wait to get 27 days of journaling book from Mari's website after the 1st of the year (and another paycheck! :)

    @Robyn: Interesting gift. . .

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  5. I was so stubbornly against going ebook as a reader and writer but my husband bought me one as I've been reading a lot of review copies on the computer and my phone. The Kindle is much better for this, although I'm still hesitant with being seen using it in public I never leave home without it.

    And how do us writer's expect readers to show up at book signings now??!!

    That and a bonus I gave myself to enter writing competitions this year!

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