10 Gifts to Give Your Favorite Writer (I Mean You)

This past week I’ve been exchanging messages with several of my writer friends. Some have recently experienced health scares. Others are trying to get projects completed by the end of the year. (In case you haven’t noticed, we are 2/3 of the way through 2023.) Still others are smarting from a caustic rejection.

If you fit any of these categories, it may be time to celebrate your writerly self with a little gift. Or a big gift. Who am I to judge? Here are 10 things I’ve been eying or already own. 

1. Ampersand Earrings. If, like me, you are into typography, a pair of ampersand earrings can really make your day. And, unlike typewriter key earrings, no vintage typewriters were harmed in the creation of these little beauties. 

2. Typewriter Book Ends. If you’ve got books on your shelves, there’s a good chance that you love bookends. Me? I use them to keep books from scooting off the end of my desk. My favorites are shaped like typewriters and came from my nieces. 

3. Writer at Work. Your family will know when you are powering through the day’s word count when you hang this on the door. Just remember to take it down when you are accepting visitors. 

4. I’m with the Banned. I love book shirts, but I especially like the ones that include wordplay and are just a bit sassy. The fact that this one is anti-banning is just all that much better for me. 

5. Bamboo Book Stand. Technically it’s a cookbook stand, but I adore my book stand. I use it when I’m keying in edits and when I’m working from a reference book. And when I must send copies of a reference to my editor? The stand holds it open while I snap photos with my phone. I also use it with cookbooks so it is a solid multipurpose tool.

6. Digital Notebook. My son just recommended this to me. He said that all his classmates who have them love them. It is a WACOM tablet with a stylus. You can write by hand, sketch diagrams, and keep your notes digitally. 

7. Waterproof Notepad. Every writer I know has ideas when they are in the shower. Help! With this waterproof notepad you don’t have to run dripping to your desk. You simply take notes, finish your shower, and then take the handwritten note with you. 

8. Hardcover Journal. Whether you use it to take notes or keep track of things you need to get done, a nice, bulleted journal is a godsend. I keep my weekly to-do list in mine. I also write micro essays and draw in it. 

9. Fountain Pen. Every writer I know has a favorite pen. Although I still adore my Eco Uniball, I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a fountain pen ever since I saw an ad for one with a retractable nib. Reviews for that one were not good, but this one may soon make its way to my desk. 

10. Gaming Keyboard. Why does a writer need a gaming keyboard? Well, you can use it to game (duh), but it is also gloriously fancy with spiffy colored lights. What isn’t to love? I’ve coveted my son’s ever since he unboxed it. 

I’m not a big shopper but occasionally, even I feel the need to get myself a little something. Or a gaming keyboard. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of 40 books for young readers.  

• To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.  
• Click here to find her newsletter.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin again on September 4, 2023.  She teaches:

• Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work 
• Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 
• Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults