People that write are one of the most creative people you will know in your life. Since they are so creative, it may be difficult to think of a gift that would suit them. However, we did some research to help you find a gift for your friend that is a writer. Below is a list of the best gifts for writers that we selected to help writers create their best creations.
Top 24 Best Gifts for Writers
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1.On Writing by Stephen King
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Even if your writer isn’t a horror or Stephen King fan, his book On Writing combines ideas and writing tips into an insightful read. Most people know Stephen King for his more popular works, but most don’t know about the vast collection that King has written over the decades. From short stories to 1000 page novels, King has experience unmatched by most famous authors.
Sample customer review…As good of a book as you will read on what it’s like to be a writer. The format of merging memoir with advice on the craft of writing makes the content more energetic than a typical book like “Elements of Style” (which is a great book in its own right, just a little more tedious). I found myself several times laughing out loud at his stories and analogies.
It’s a must read if you are a writer. While I didn’t agree with all of his advice, he breaks down some very basic rules that all crucial for all writers (that way we can know when to break them). It’s also always fun to get in the head of another writer and see his process and how it differs from your own. While there’s no right or wrong way to write, King provides excellent recommendations on what works for him. Who am I to argue with one of the most prolific writers of our times.
“On Writing” is also a good read if you’re just a fan of Stephen King’s work. He goes into some detail on the writing process and the themes of some of his greats, such as “The Stand,” “Misery,” and “Carrie,” just to name a few.
Overall, it’s a fun and informative book from a supremely talented and disciplined writer.
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2. Dixit Board Game
Practice your story-telling in a fun, picture-based board game. You will be amazed at the great (and terrible) stories you and your friends will come up with in this easy, no-stress story making game.
Sample customer review…Dixit has become one of my favorite games. It’s easy to teach, the artwork is gorgeous and it’s extremely fun to play. In each round, one player is the “active player”. She looks through her hand of cards, selects one and gives a clue to the other players about the image on the card. The other players must then find a card in his own hand that matches the clue.
Every player puts their card down and the cards are shuffled around and placed faced up. The non-active players must now guess which was the active player’s original card. The goal of the active player is to have some but not all the non-active players guess which was her card in order to maximize her points that round.
The point system doesn’t reward you for being quite obvious about your clues. For example, if you see a card with a tornado on it, you’d be better of giving a clue like “alley” for tornado alley or “Oz” for the Wizard of Oz, rather than just “swirling windstorm”. Non-active players are rewarded for using their creativity to throw off other players.
The artwork provides a lot of material to work with it and is subject to a lot of interpretation. Sometimes the game might be subject to analysis paralysis – when the game is stalled because one player is taking a lot of time to choose a card but i haven’t seen this as a problem in the game as usually players are enthralled with the artwork and trying to come up with clues for future turns.
The game will probably get old fast after repeat plays, especially if its played routinely. Luckily, Dixit has numerous expansions that are worth looking in to.
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3. 100 Books Poster
I’m willing to bet that your writer is making their way through the classics. If they aren’t, they can start now! This fun poster makes a lovely office decoration and progress tracker as they make their way through the best books of all time.
Sample customer review…My girlfriend bought this for me for my birthday. I am a huge reading fan, and I love it! The selection of books is really great. So is quality of paper, golden scratch cover and sturdy modern package. I just saw that this company also has Top 100 movies poster. Great for movie date night!
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4. Bath Book Caddy
Why not enjoy those books in a nice relaxing bath? Grab a glass of wine and a book or tablet and get reading in the most private place in the house: The Bath! Once they try this caddy out, they look forward to coming home and reading as the best part of their day.
Sample customer review…I was worried, based on the cost, that the product would be flimsy or fall apart, it hasn’t. I really love everything about it. The finish, durability, design, and its user friendliness. Came fully assembled and has all the components that you would want for your baths. I highly recommend as a must have in your home!
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5. Colorful Pen Set
I used to edit all my own papers with one red pen, just like everyone else. Unti a professor made us write different parts of a paper with different colors, and I’ll never go back to using one color. Using different colors to indicate things like intos, thesis statements, supporting evidence, or even character development has personally helped me tremendously with clarity and organization in my writing.
Sample customer review…I had bought a small pack of these Paper Mate Profile ink pens from the dollar store. I was looking for replacements for the stick type ink pens I was using in my office at work. I love these pens so much!!!! Wanted more then a couple and found Amazon had them in bigger count packages and would be less cost per pen. I was in!!! I bought two 12 count packages. I have replaced all my pens at work and use these new ones at home as well.
I would love to see this pen in day different colors like metallic ones such as rose gold, hot pink, or anything metallic really.
All in all these are a keeper. The black ink is professional for my job.
The medium point glides smoothly and is enjoyable to write with.
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6. Whiteboard
I would make every wall in my house a whiteboard if I could; writers really can’t get enough of them. There’s just something about standing up and scrawling on a whiteboard that is so satisfying. Tracking ideas, visualizing, doodling, planning and hanging inspiration can all be done with a large whiteboard for their home or office.
Sample customer review…High quality board at a great price. It’s sturdy (around 3/4′ thick) and love that it can mount into the wall with drill holes (and hardware included) at all 4 corners.
Customer service from Dexboard is incredible as well. There was a slight defect in the board from the shipping, and customer service responded on a weekend, vastly exceeding my expectations. I’d recommend this board to anyone.
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7. Espresso Machine
Early bird or late night owl, a convenient espresso is sure to get the creative juices flowing. This mini espresso machine is low profile and perfect for the office or home office.
Sample customer review…For such a small machine, WOW. Beautifully made espresso every time, crema perfection. It’s less than half the size of my Keurig to which has been put on the side and barely use because coffee from this espresso machine is heavenly. Also love that it came with a decent sampler of legit Nespresso pods and not some third party crap. I’ve tried the Moka, the French press style, nothing compares to this, and it’s th mini version!!! I use it about 2-4 times a day, and have had it for a couple months now. No problems at all, super easy to use.
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8. Coloring Book for Writers
Creativity comes in many forms, and it’s important to practice different forms of creativity in order to be successful, feel confident, and gather inspiration. This is why I recommend this stress-free coloring book made especially for writers. Give them the gift of not writing, but expressing creativity in a different way.
Sample customer review…I just did the first “project” in this book, and it did open up my mind. I’m a busy nonprofit leader and journalist, while also working on my plays and web shows. I’ve had stress-related creative blockage for months on end, and this relaxed me and opened my mind to the point I outlined a good portion of the first act of a play for an important competition. I am not a natural visual artist or “colorer” and I wondered if I was doing it right at first, then I sank into it and it was amazing. Can’t wait for next time.
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9. Fabric Pin Board
Fabric pin boards are an adorable addition to any office space. Pin memos, ideas, doodles, love notes or pictures to make their space personal and positive.
Sample customer review…Awesome pin board. Jut the right size for me. I mounted it vertically next to the magnetic calendar by DesignOvation, and my home office is organized and stylish, with a country farmhouse look. (It can be mounted horizontally as well. The back has hardware already mounted for hanging either way.
Note: I covered the two hardware mounts I wasn’t using with masking tape so they don’t scratch my wall.) The wood frame is rustic looking but not rough, so it can be dusted without catching on my dust cloth, which I find so annoying. The linen fabric covering the board adds to the style. Love it.
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10. Bird by Bird
This light-hearted book about writing is a fun read that is sure to get anyone inspired and excited about writing and life.
Sample customer review…If you are a writer, or think you might be, or even afraid you might be, this is a good book to sit down with, have a beer or three, and get to know yourself a little better. Anne Lamott doesn’t cut corners or pull punches, but she is gentle with your soul. Lamott isn’t going to hit you over the head with a lot of rules or grammar Nazi stuff, but she’s going to remind you this isn’t going to be easy and it isn’t going to be bestowed upon you through anything but hard work and a lot of rewriting.
It’s philosophy wrapped in difficult experiences with a lot of humor. I recommend this book over most of those I’ve read simply because Lamott is very honest about what it takes and how long it takes to be a writer. Read it once, put it down, come back after you’ve thought about what you’re doing to do about it, and then come back and read it again. It will be different the second time around. Good luck and write well.
Read more reviews on Amazon.com
11. Kindle Paperwhite
There are many versions of the Kindle out there, but this one is the most highly recommended, most convenient one out there. Perfect for anyone reading on the go. The crystal clear text rivals that of a real paperwhite page. This one is also durable and waterproof so they can take it anywhere with no worries.
Sample customer review…I am an avid reader and adore the new paperwhite! To me, it’s the perfect reader. No light bleed thru, easy to control the amount of backlight, easy to download books and simply just easy to read my books. It did not come with the very latest software uploaded but within 24 hours of being connected to my WiFi, the kindle updated itself. Honestly, I’ve never purchased a smart phone that didn’t need an update within minutes of activation…Android or Apple.
Using overdrive on my phone or tablet, it’s easy to borrow books and return books from my library. The newest update allows you to return right from your paperwhite and that is a huge improvement. As a prime member, I get a free book every month plus I follow several emails that alert to free or greatly discounted books. 8 GB of storage is way more than enough for me. I find the weight to be significantly less than a paperback even with a case. I am happy with this purchase!
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12. Voice Recorder
Writing down notes can be difficult and time-consuming for some, stream-of-conscious ideas. Having a voice recorder handy can be a better way to freely get an idea out. These are perfect for getting out ideas that don’t have clear wording to go with them yet. Getting used to hearing your own voice is an awesome practice for writers, especially if they speak their ideas, lecture, or want to record their books into audio.
Sample customer review…I bought this to record some voices for auditions and lecture classes. Tested it out and I am really happy with it. It is very sensitive and picks up sound extremely well. So well that if there is the slightest noise it will pick it up, I was recording in one room and it picked up the water running in the kitchen. So gotta mess with the settings to your sensitivity preferences.
Also it can record long periods of time, left it on after a lecture without realizing it and when I did it was 4 hours later without turing off. Great battery life, going back to the quality, I recorded a conversation in a car on a busy highway, after learning how to set the settings to my liking. Gotta say, best thing ever, I have used more expensive recorders in film classes and this is a great alternative for beginners who want to mess with this.
It is cheap, good quality and fun as well. Sorry I ramble, just wanted to share everything I could after testing and having it for a few months now. Highly recommend.
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13. Writer Emergency Pack
All the pieces are there, but they just aren’t fitting together? Or maybe the pieces aren’t there at all? Your writer will thank you the next time they hit a wall and pull out these amazing idea cards. The cards provide helpful tips, guidance, and fun ideas that can be applied to any writing project. Some of these cards have inspired me to start entire new projects!
Sample customer review…
I’ll be honest, I’ve had writer’s block for a few days and was really at the mercy of trying something new to break the mold. During my search, I came across this since the Story Forge cards that were recommended to me weren’t on Amazon. I had to order it through the company website. Regardless, this came in just in time.
The great thing about The Writer’s Emergency Pack is that it takes your mind off of your writer’s block and gets your mind thinking about other scenarios. Secondly, the instructions on how to use the cards are suuuuuper simple. While thinking about the problem it prompts you to pick an illustrated idea card at random and then it’s matching detail card. The detail card has information on both the front and back. This gives the writer sort of a writing prompt to get their mind flowing and thinking outside the box.
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14. Candles
Aromatherapy is a great way to keep the mind focused and clear. Some lightly scented candles are a nice warming touch to have around their workspace. Get them a book themed candle to remind them of their favorite pastime.
Sample customer review…A gift for a reader, He loved it.
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15. Blue Light Blocking Glasses
If your writer is spending any extended time staring at their computer screen, their eyes will thank you for saving their vision and headaches. These glasses block the blue light that comes off of screens. Blue light causes eye strain and often keeps people from sleeping, but can be blocked with these special glasses.
Sample customer review…Nice and light and didn’t pinch my nose or temples. I have a hard time finding glasses that work with my face shape, so if it works on me it should be fine on anyone. I feel like at the end of the day my eyes aren’t as tired after looking at a computer screen for hours on end. There’s a slight yellow tint but it’s hardly noticeable. Comfortable to wear, enough so that I sometimes forget I have them on. Look nice on. Great price for what you get.
Comes with a nice carrying case and cleaning cloth. They do seem to get dirty pretty easily but just wipe them off with the cloth or a soft shirt and they’re perfectly fine. Very reflective lenses, so taking a picture of them on my face was difficult. Can sometimes see my eye reflected back at me. I’ve had them for over a week now and they’re doing exactly what I wanted them for: giving my eyes some relief from strain.
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16. Noise Cancelling Headphones
Busy dorm halls, crowded libraries, and loud offices are probably where your writer is trying to get work done. Help them achieve quiet focus with some noise cancelling headphones for when they just want to block out the world.
Sample customer review…I buy a lot of headphones. Bose noise cancelling, AmazonBasics over the ear, Apple AirPods, Beats…
PROS: These Anker noise cancelling perform just as well as the Bose QuietComfort models at a fraction of the price. I’ve used them in an airplane on a recent flight and all the people noise around me just fell away. Very comfortable for hours at a time. Battery life is great. Comes with a plastic pouch and wires for audio and micro USB charging.
CONS: While the power and noise cancelling buttons are separate and easy to use, the volume up/down and pause are in a rocker which is hard to distinguish each function by touch alone. I would deduct 1/2 star of usability for this.
Would I buy these again? Unquestionably.
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17. Waterproof Notepad
We all know some of the best ideas come to us in the shower, don’t let them forget their best ideas. The notepad is perfect for hanging right in the shower and can be used with a pencil.
Sample customer review…Well, we vote 5 star as a family!
Ok, so it doesn’t come with it’s own pencil but it’s larger than others available and having bought another alternative we believe this one is superior = #happycustomers … just use your own favorite pencil.
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18. Scrabble Magnets
Words, words, words. Writers can never get enough practice using words. Keeping these scrabble tiles in the home or office will inspire them to come up with new words without even trying! Good luck during the next family game night!
Sample customer review…We put this in our office lunch room on a magnetic white board. Someone else bought a set so we now have 2 sets. This gives us the ability to create a category and everyone can add words during his/her lunch break. Whoever comes up with a good category suggests it and it’s usually acceptable. It’s a fun way to bond with co-workers about topics of interest. We’ve used fantasy, local history, sci-fi characters, actors, to name a few categories. It has lead to some interesting conversations as well.
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19. Lamp/Organizer
Creating a workspace that your writer enjoys being in makes all the difference in their work. Clean up that cluttered desk a bit with a lamp that saves space. This sleek design has a charging station, phone stand, and pencil holder to keep their workspace tidier.
Sample customer review…This lamp is lightweight and the extension is flexible for bending in any angles. It has pencil holder and can also hold my cellphone. The thing I like the most is it’s LED light which can be adjusted to different brightness with tough control. The battery lasts for about 10 hours after one charge. It will be very convenient for camping trip. I have no complaint about it. Good value for the money.
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20. Fountain Pen
Some things are better done the old fashion way, with good old pen and paper. Don’t let your writer use those cheap ballpoint pens, get them the pen that they, and their work deserves in their favorite color.
Sample customer review…This pen is beautiful and appears to be well made. The size and weight are perfect for me. It writes smoothly and its medium nib is responsive to subtle changes in my pen positioning. In other words, I can use it both for careful hand lettering projects (addressing wedding invitations, etc.) and for my every day writing. When it writes. Randomly, the pen will skip mid-word and then stop working all together. It doesn’t seem to be “operator error.” It happens to me when the ink cartridge has plenty of ink and when I have been careful to store the pen vertically.
I find myself asking to borrow a pen in the middle of meetings, and wasting way too many expensive envelopes . I have owned this pen for about 8 months, but much of that time it has sat, unused in my bottom desk drawer. Even though I really wanted to love this pen, in the end, it was undependable.
Updated 1/2/2018: Michael Dryden reached out to me within hours of me posting the original review to offer a replacement pen or refund for my purchase price. He added, “It is most likely that your pen was slightly defective but we have since upgraded and revamped our collection.” The replacement pen works beautifully and consistently. I could not be happier with the exemplary customer service I received from Michael Dryden and Dryden pens. I will order from them again.
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21. Newton’s Cradle
Once you have a Newton’s Cradle on your desk, you know you’ve made it. Get them this classic desk toy for when they need a break or distraction.
Sample customer review…My ten year old science buff loves his Newton’s cradle! He very happy with this gift and loves exploring the different variations of making it work.
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22. Big Book of Filth
Bit of a potty mouth? They will crack up at this book of over 6000 sex slang words and phrases. Not all writing has to be serious, give them a good laugh with this surprisingly educational thesaurus for dirty talk.
Sample customer review…This was bought for my partner and he loves this book it is bought out when we are entertaining with our friends and is very funny, thank you.
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23. Notecards
Writers need to be organized, especially when writing a longer story. In order to keep their ideas in order and understand the storyline more coherently, notecards are a great tool for your writer to use. These colored ones from Amazon look beautiful and will encourage your writer to keep writing!
Sample customer review…Excellent card stock, bright colors, easy fit in my new Acrimet 3 x 5 Card File Holder (also 5 star review) and are packed in 100 count individually wrapped packages that are then wrapped all together in an outer clear cellophane for a total count of 300. Perfect! I’m using these as visual subcategories to help me spot the business addresses from the family/friend addresses, City Services (water, trash, streets), and favorite customer service numbers for contacting services from A-Z (Amazon to Social Security).
I use the white index cards for the generally basic information, websites, phone numbers, office hours, work, birthdays, anniversary, etc.) that do not change, and colored cards for information that changes frequently, but I don’t want to rewrite all the information that doesn’t usually change. Lots of uses for these!
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24. Bookends
Bookends are a fun and creative way to display the constantly increasing stack of books your writer is sure to have. There’s such a variety of bookends to choose from, but this one from Amazon is particularly sleek and classic for a refined and elegant look. These are the perfect bookends to store a Dickens collection whilst your writer brews some coffee from our aforementioned espresso machine!
Sample customer review…The look of these were exactly what I wanted, and turned out to be even better looking than i hoped. I was worried that the weight may not be enough to support the books, esp when I remove one. However when they arrived I found they were even more light weight, but was notably surprised with the no-skid pads underneath and the ability for these to be quite stable and holding all the books I need quite safely. Very happy with these.
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Conclusion
Most of us have experienced writer’s block while writing. We wanted to help you find gifts for your friend that will enable them to get past writer’s block. This list of items should help your friend generate some helpful ideas to create their best masterpiece. We hope that this list of gifts for writers will help you find the best gift for your friend!
Written by Maddy Merwin and Esha Saigal
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