Struggling with what to get for the writer in your life this holiday season? Here are some creative gift ideas to help inspire, motivate, and comfort. And remember to shop early this year to get ahead of the expected holiday shipping delays! Notebooks and journals This may seem like a given, but trust me: writers really do love getting notebooks. And no, there’s no such thing as having too many. Whether it has a sleek leather cover or a quirky design, you can’t go wrong. Pair it with a quality pen, and the writer in your life is sure to be grateful. Book merch from Out of Print Most writers are also avid readers. So, this holiday season, give the writer in your life a gift inspired by their favorite books! Out of Print has everything from t-shirts to socks to gift bags and mugs—all printed with designs inspired by books. Whether it’s Edgar Allan Poe, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, or even Star Wars, there’s sure to be something every book lover will appreciate. Candles or scented wax melts Scents can be soothing and calming and even help us remember things. And who doesn’t want their workspace to smell amazing? Bonus points for candles and wax melts that smell like books! Heating pad for back pain For a writer, sitting in a chair for hours on end is expected, and that can mean back pain. The writer in your life will appreciate this gift bringing them some relief. Bookshop gift…

In the special part of my brain reserved for book related ephemera is a running list of my all-time favorite novels. I update the list quarterly in the event that I must spend the rest of my life on a remote island and will only be permitted ten books. So when this happens, I’ll be ready. I’ll shrug and say, “Sure, give me a minute. They’re on the middle shelf of my small bookshelf: Love Medicine, One Thousand Years of Solitude, Dalva…” I should add that this remote island will have a special reading deck with a mini bar, and one of those ridiculously expensive Eames reading chairs. The ones that cost five thousand dollars (ottoman included). I’ve been told the island has a great Wi-Fi connection, so I’ll be able to keep up with my editing responsibilities. In which case I’ll definitely want to amend my list to include some books on writing. Here are my top three: 1.     Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing, by Elmore Leonard.  Leonard’s rules are as clear as they are simple and elegant. Essentially, he’s packed an entire writing course into ninety-six pages. There are pictures, too! Consider this one: never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue. The Iowa Writer’s Workshop has a three-hour long graduate lecture on “said,” while Leonard gets the job done in a sentence. Or this one: never use an adverb to modify the verb “said,” he admonished. That last part is Leonard, too, which, along…

“Every first draft is perfect,” wrote Jane Smiley, “because all a first draft has to do is exist.” Her words soothe like balm on a writer’s spirit. This simple truth about the process of writing a book is that every author starts with a first draft. Smiley’s words carry the weight of wisdom since her best-selling A Thousand Acres received the Pulitizer Prize for Fiction in 1992. Her novels, short stories, and books about the craft of writing provide me with inspiration. The first draft is never the final draft, but it is the bedrock for your book. The pursuit of ‘perfect’ too soon may be your nemesis as an author. During the creative process of writing a first draft, you must suspend editorial judgement. Shut off the internal critic in your head. Squash your temptation to pause and obsess about finding the right word. Don’t think about metaphors, or language mechanics. Silence that harsh interior censor, and write ragged, raw and rough. Focus on your story and subject. If suddenly the idea of writing the first draft seems impossible, stop thinking about writing and think about what you have to say. What is your point? What is the overarching problem/issue/conflict? What is the story? Quiet the monster who whispers in your ear that you’ll never be a good writer. It’s not about the quality of the writing in the first draft, it’s about the story. Focus less on your writing as craft and more on capturing the essence of your…