Engagement in Social Media: $0

This is free AND easy! Make a commitment to like/share a certain number of your writer’s social media posts.

Beta Reading: $0

A free and precious gift you can give is your response to your writer friend’s work. Offer to read a blog post, article, or query letter before she sends it off. If you’re feeling super generous with your time, offer to beta read my—erm, her—novel.

Babysitting: $0

Back when I had willpower, one of my favorite things to do was to get up at 4:30 a.m. and write for an hour before getting ready for work. I loved it because I felt alone. My housies were still asleep, as were the dogs, and it felt like I was the only person in the world. I don’t have kids (you’re welcome), but I imagine if I did, I would LOVE it if a friend took them out of the house for a few hours to just let me write.

Story Cubes: $8 – $35

I picked up a set of these at a toy store when I was looking for something for my niece. (I did not get her anything.) I use them for warm up writing, and I have fun. I’ve only got one set and would not say no to more!

Coffee Gift Card: $5 – $50,000

Most writers consume coffee like it’s oxygen or crack (you pick the simile that works best for you). The old adage is something like, “Wine to outline, coffee to draft.” Or the other way around. Both work. A nice touch here would be to find a cute, cozy coffee shop near your writer’s home. That way she can go write in a different space and enjoy a cup (or six) of coffee without having to pay for it.

Anything from here: $5 – $25

Obvious State

Snacks: $5 – $25

Put together a thoughtful basket full of snacks that are easy to eat and won’t get her keyboard all messy. Think: nuts, m&ms, gummy bears, baby carrots (that would be kinda weird). This is a non-Cheetos, non-soup situation. There are also a bunch of Snack of the Month Clubs you can check out.

PENS: $8 – $25

I have two favorite brands of pens: Pentel EnerGel RTX Retractable Liquid Gel Pen in .7mm for all-purpose penning. Soooo many delightful colors (my students love them, too, as evidenced by the amount of times they have been stolen), and they write like silk! Caveat: I’ve had a few decide to leak. I don’t mind because it just makes everything more colorful. But you might mind. For Bullet Journaling, I like the Pilot V5 Rollerball pens in .5mm. They also have brilliant colors. You can go super fancy with pens, but these guys are simple, cost-effective, and as enchanting as a pen can be. Also, really and truly, you can never have too many pens.

Subscription to Spotify: $10/mo

I personally hate writing to music, preferring white noise. But there are a lot of writers who love it, and I can’t get enough of it when I’m NOT writing. Give the gift of ad-free listening!

Wine. $12 – $55

Pick up a themed bottle of wine. Does your friend write mysteries? I love 19 Crimes. There’s also the Storyteller wines that are delicious. Pick something by the label because all wine is good wine, except for that one bottle we had in Paris.

DECORATIVE MAPS: $20 – $200

There are so many really cool maps out there. Hop onto Etsy and search for ‘Literature Map’ or ‘Literary Map.’ Or just order this one from England because it is so freaking cool.

The one pictured is from the Etsy shop Bibliotography

Journal: $25

I randomly got into Bullet Journaling. And yes, I did spend several hours going down a YouTube rabbit hole. And no, my end product is not pretty. But, as a Gen Xer straddling the analog/digital divide, I have found journaling a nice addition to my arsenal of increasingly-weird-ideas trackers. My favorite journals are Leuchtturms. (I have three!) For bullet journaling, I recommend the softcover, dotted B5. It’s large enough for wonderful spreads, and slides nicely into a laptop bag. I also have the smaller A5, lined, also soft cover, that I use as a regular journal. This fits into your purse (or smaller bag or whatever), so you can easily bring it to therapy and read it out loud to your therapist, provided you can read your own writing.

Pretty Copper French Press: $25-$50+

Remember that whole thing about writers loving coffee? Still true. While going downstairs to refill my coffee mug is a good reason to stand up, it’s also quite the treat to bring my press to my office and refill my writing mug as needed. I’m no expert on French Presses, but these copper ones are so dramatic and fancy that I will dare to call them swoon-worthy.

Confidence “Cloak”: $Varies Wildly

This doesn’t have to be a cloak. It’s basically a garment, trinket, or other object that a writer uses to say (maybe just to herself), “Hey, I’m writing right now!” I don’t have an actual cloak, but I do have my Chip coffee cup that I ONLY use when I’m writing.

Subscription to Writer’s Digest: $20/Yr or $30/2 Yrs

From the people behind Writer’s Market, this is a monthly magazine that helps all types of writers stay abreast of the market. It also offers genre-specific tips, profiles, and other fun stuff that helps writers navigate the daunting world of publishing.

Subscription to Publishers Marketplace: $25/mo or $275/yr

So this is a nuts-and-bolts type gift that is indispensable if your writer friend is trying to get a book published. Even a one-month subscription would be pretty magical, with access to market research and databases, agent listings, and job boards. The website is super boring to look at (it’s like the CSPAN of the writing world), which is why I found a cute photo of a dog reading a magazine for this block.

Standing desk: $200 – $1200

Sometimes when I am working on a novel, I will write for more than 10 hours in a day. Apparently, sitting for that long can be terrible for your health. A standing desk can help your writer friend stay healthy enough to keep on truckin’! I haven’t actually tried any personally, but after a ton of research, the two on my wish list are the ApexDesk EDR-3612-BLACK ZT Series Height Adjustable Sit to Stand Electric Desk Converter and the Skarsta Sit/Stand desk from Ikea.

Writing Class: $250 – $a lot

Of everything on this list, I’d say this is my number one suggestion. I’ve only taken one writing class outside of college, and I can honestly say it changed my writing life. The class was great, and it offered me more than content—I felt part of a writing community. It really changed my perspective on calling myself a writer. Plus, I met some brilliant writers who started a critique group with me and introduced me to even more writers. I love them all, and I love all of their work, and I never would have met them if I hadn’t signed up for that class. To get started, just google ‘Local Writing Classes.’

A Room of One’s Own

Okay, so I admit, Virginia Woolf’s lovely feminist book doesn’t quite stand the test of time in that it reeks of privilege. Plus, I don’t agree with her that women should keep women’s issues out of their writing. But but but but BUT! I still think every writer should read this book. Her prose is so delicious it will make you want to walk into a river out of envy (too soon?), and she offers an insightful feminist perspective on the writing life.

Traveling Literary America

This book is fun.

The Right to Write

I have gifted this book several times, and recommended it even more. This performs a similar function that a writing class does—it gives you permission to be a writer. It’s inspiring and brimming with fun and interesting writing prompts. I use one of her techniques frequently during teaching, too, which helps kids to bypass their ‘I’m not a writer’ mindset.

This is THE BOOK. It lists information for publishers, agents, contests, etc, and it has been around for almost a century. Writer’s Market spans genres–your writer friend can find people looking for articles, novels, copy, and more. They used to have an online subscription service similar to Publishers Marketplace, but it looks like they are transitioning, and that is no longer available. Will it return?