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If you have an aspiring writer in your family, you know that they can often be a bit tough to support.
Writers need a special kind of attention, and that extends to the gifts that you purchase for them. Anything you can do to give your writer the edge in their craft will be very much appreciated, but the question remains regarding exactly what gift is the right one for them.
In this article, we’ll go over all of the gifts that you should be considering for your aspiring writer. You’ll learn what writers need, what they want, and what to avoid. By the time you’re done, you’ll be ready to support any writer with the perfect gift.
Top 10 Gifts For Soon-To-Be Writers
Contents
#1 – How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading is the classic book which helps writers practice their craft by improving their critical thinking skills.
How can a writer know how to write without first knowing how to read? After your writer reads this book, they will understand exactly why. The book is packed with useful information about how to organize your thoughts, how to synthesize new information, and how to communicate playfully or sternly.
Most writers and readers will benefit from reading the book. Your aspiring writer will learn a thing or two about how people should be reading in comparison to how they normally end up reading. They’ll be a better writer as a result.
#2 – Moleskine Large Ruled Hard Cover Notebook
A Moleskine Large Ruled Hard Cover Notebook is a great gift for an aspiring writer because it gives them the ability to jot down any thoughts they have wherever they go into a neat and beautiful notebook.
There’s nothing more special than a perfect notebook, and most aspiring writers know it. A great notebook feels good when you write in it, and it helps pull your thoughts out of your head in a way that other books might not.
Your writer probably already has a notebook or two. But they probably have had their eyes on an expensive notebook like this Moleskine, and have stopped themselves from buying it on account of the cost. The cost is where you come in.
Purchasing a sweet notebook like one of these Moleskines will help your writer to understand that even if they starve, you’ll be looking out for them with cool gifts.
#3 – Novel Teas
Novel Teas are a great collection of teas which will help your aspiring writer to take a break or to focus when it’s time to buckle down.
Writers are known for chugging coffee and tea at all hours of the day and night. Drinking these caffeinated beverages helps writers to stay focused, and it also gives them an excuse to get up from the keyboard once in a while.
These Novel Teas range from the exotic to the pedestrian, and your aspiring writer will appreciate the differences between each. You’ll get everything from a Lady Grey to an Assam. Your writer will need to provide their own tea-brewing infrastructure, however that could easily be as simple as a tea bag and a microwave.
The Novel Teas are tasty and are sure to help your writer get around their writer’s block in a delicious way.
$4 – Shakespearean Insults Coffee Mug
The Shakespearean Insults Coffee Mug brings one of the best writers of all time to the convenient format of a coffee mug so that your aspiring writer can take notes from the very best while sipping on their favorite hot cuppa joe.
Shakespeare may have been a bit hard to read, but it’s no doubt that he was one of the most influential speakers of the English language. Aspiring writers probably don’t look up to Shakespeare or appreciate being taught him in high school, but they will understand your sentiment when you purchase this mug for them.
Purchasing them a Shakespeare mug isn’t the same as telling them that they’re similar to Shakespeare, but it is telling them that you have a lot of faith in their ability to produce excellent prose.
By giving your aspiring writer a mug replete with quotes by one of the best, they’ll understand that they can be destined for greatness too so long as they put in the hours at the keyboard.
#5 – Writer Emergency Pack
The Writer Emergency Pack is the idea kit which your writer can break out when the going gets rough.
Your writer is likely not short on ideas most of the time. Indeed, if they are like most writers, they will be sharing every new idea with you before they get it to page, assuming that they ever do.
But once in a great while, writers hit a writing block. This writing block can make it hard to get words onto the page and even harder to produce new ideas. The ideas themselves are not always the problem so much as the translation of those ideas into a palatable format.
This gift will sometimes help your writer get around writer’s block. The kit contains a set of cards with ideas and quotes which can prompt the writing juices to start flowing again.
When your writer pops open the pack, they’ll be in a tough spot already. If your solution allows them to proceed with their writing, they’ll be very appreciative. You can expect to be mentioned in the acknowledgments section of their book, and they’ll have a closer relationship with you.
#6 – I Am a Writer – Funny Author T-Shirt
The I Am a Writer – Funny Author T-Shirt is a gag gift for authors which they will grin and bear while being quietly appreciative.
The stereotypes about writers are true for a reason. Writers are lazy, oafish, and often too busy chasing their tails to get their most creative ideas onto paper. This t-shirt hangs a lantern on each of these stereotypes explicitly for the sake of anyone who lays eyes on the writer.
While your writer may resent the implication that they are similar to most other writers, the points will be well taken. When a writer is forced to confront the reality of their profession or their aspired profession, their perspective tends to become a bit more humble.
Your writer may not need taking down to size, but they will at least appreciate the idea that someone considers them to be a writer already, even if that term carries a bit of baggage.
#7 – The Writer’s Muse Owl
The Writer’s Muse Owl is a beautiful print which your writer can hang on their wall to get some sagely inspiration once in a while.
Art is the natural companion of the writer. Art stimulates creativity while providing a new way of looking at an old thing. Writers love art, and they surround themselves with art such that they can more easily produce their own version of art on the written page.
This owl won’t solve your writer’s creative issues 100% of the time, but it will provide an aesthetically pleasing piece of companionship that your writer can hang wherever they end up working.
The owl probably won’t inspire your writer to be any more wise or diligent than they might be otherwise, but they will appreciate the thought .
#8 – Ernest Hemingway Engraved Quote Pen
The Ernest Hemingway Engraved Quote Pen brings the ideas of one of the most famous unhinged yet legendary writers to your writer’s fingertips.
Hemingway was a remarkable man. After serving in the first world war, Hemingway spent the rest of his life reeling from alcoholism and an intractable case of being a writer.
Hemingway’s best books were written spontaneously and completed in a span of a few weeks. There wasn’t much procrastination or re-editing of everything that he had already written. Hopefully, your writer will have an easier time with their craft than Hemingway did.
This pen will help your writer keep the legends of writing close to the heart. It may provide inspiration, or it may provide a warning that your young writer will use to direct themselves more diligently.
#9 – On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft
On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft is Stephen King’s award-winning discussion of how his life as a writer is reflective of writers everywhere.
Stephen King isn’t typically seen as an inspiring figure, but as far as writers go it’s hard to find anyone more influential. King’s horror novels aren’t known for their quality writing so much as their gripping plots and memorable characters.
Likewise, King himself is a reclusive figure, preferring to remain in his fortress near Bangor, Maine. His public appearances are few, and his book releases are plentiful.
King is the writer’s writer, which is why his memoir is worth reading for aspiring writers. Your aspiring writer may not see how they have anything in common with him — yet. Tell them to wait until they’re older.
#10 – 5-Pc.Typewriter Coaster Set
This 5-Pc.Typewriter Coaster Set is a nice gift because it reminds your writer what they should be doing — writing — even when they’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing like drinking beers.
Your writer probably does things that they shouldn’t do. While they might feel guilty about these things after the fact, they should get an additional boost to staying on-task. These coasters might be that boost if you have the right kind of writer.
FAQ
What Makes A Great Gift For Writers?
The question of what makes a great gift for writers depends on what kind of writer you have. Aspiring writers can generally fall into three categories: people who want to be seen as a writer, people who like to talk about writing, and genuine writers.
Most aspiring writers fall into the first two categories. They like the idea of writing more than the act of sitting down and putting their thoughts on paper. That’s fine! Aspiring writers of these types tend to appreciate the sentimental gifts more than the others because writing is a hobby for them.
They want to improve at their hobby, but they don’t want it to consume their life. Get them a kitschy or cute gift that will help them to keep their spirits high when they encounter an issue.
How Do I Avoid Offending My Aspiring Writer?
Many writers are a bit crotchety, especially regarding their craft. You shouldn’t need to worry about offending your writer when you purchase a gift for them, however.
Most writers will be gracious when they get a gift because they recognize that a gift means someone else was thinking of them and wanting to improve their life.
It isn’t every day that someone takes an interest in making them happy, so they will appreciate it when you put them first on your priority list, if only for a moment.
Is There One Best Gift For Aspiring Writers?
No, all writers will need a slightly different gift. There isn’t any single best gift because writers are typically quirky people whose needs are different from normal people as well as other writers.
On the bright side, this means that there are probably many gifts which a normal person wouldn’t like that your writer would enjoy.
Should Writers Always Get Sentimental Gifts?
Genuine writers, the gift-buying strategy should be a bit different. True writers don’t exactly need sentimental items provided by others to keep their pace up. Instead, they need tools which will help them to get around their most common obstacles.
This means that you could get a laptop computer for a writer as easily as you might get an ergonomic keyboard or a book about how to write better. People who are invested in being a writer and who want to write more than they want to be seen writing tend to need hardware support rather than what would normally count as a gift.