Julia Cameron advocates “morning pages.” Three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. Every morning. The Artist’s Way. Natalie Goldberg recommends writing daily for at least twenty minutes. Free the writer within. Keep your hand moving, lose control, and don’t think.  Writing Down the Bones. Stephen King prescribes the writing routine of butt-in-chair habitually. Set writing goals and write 500, or 1,000, or 2000 words a day. Stephen King: On Writing. Anne Lamott suggests you write whether you feel like it or not, even when you think the writing isn’t any good. When Anne Lamott’s brother had a report on birds due the next day which he’d had a month to prepare without having written a word, he became immobilized by the task at hand. Their father offered the sage writing advice: Bird by Bird. What if you can’t make time to write every day? What if those morning pages really are nothing but navel gazing and lead nowhere? Does the daily discipline demanded by writing gurus make you feel like a failure as a writer? Does making a “job” of writing take all the joy out of the creative writing experience? Historical fiction author Tracy Chevalier described her writing practice in a recent essay for The Guardian. “Part of me wishes it were easy to describe my typical writing day. I have heard about them, those smug productive hours when a writer – usually male, it has to be said – sits down…

Wondering what to gift the avid reader in your life this holiday season? Look no further! Here are some creative gift ideas for bookworms that are sure to delight. Blankets and cozy socks There’s nothing quite like curling up with a good book, and these warm, fluffy gifts can make every reading experience even more comfortable, especially in these cold winter months. These blankets from Litographs use the actual text from classic and popular books to create the art on their products. Candles or scented wax melts Speaking of being cozy, it’s always nice to have a soothing scent filling the room while you’re reading. There are even book-themed candles! Etsy has great, often handmade options. Book merch from Out of Print 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. Folding book lamp Not only does this make for cool book-themed décor, it also provides light for those late-night reading sessions when you keep telling yourself, “Just one more chapter…” The Lumio Book Lamp is the original, but there are also many affordable versions on Etsy and Amazon. Wireless headphones or earbuds Reading doesn’t just come in print form! The audiobook fan in your life will appreciate being able to listen while going about their day and not having to worry about a pesky cord…

According to a recent survey, 62% of women would rather spend Friday night reading a good book than out on a date, and the similarities between how people talk about both reading and dating is fascinating. Given these similarities, and with the success of popular dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Match, Grindr, and eHarmony, Brant Menswar and Jim Knight, the founders of digital book marketing company BookstarPR, decided to revolutionize the world of book discovery with the new app Booky Call. “Booky Call is an innovative book discovery platform cleverly disguised as a dating app. By combining the proven psychology of dating apps with the innovative approach of giving books a humanized dating profile, we have created a book discovery platform that helps readers engage with books in a completely new way,” the Booky Call website states. Booky Call uses the same technology as popular dating apps to match its users with potential book “dates.” When first setting up the app, users answer questions about their preferences in different genres and categories. Then, much like the technology used on Tinder, users can swipe right or left on each book profile, indicating their interest or disinterest in each book, and the more you swipe, the better Boo, the app’s matchmaker, learns your interests and tastes. On the app, each book gets a humanized dating profile with a unique bio and first-person perspective answers to nine questions that come directly from dating profiles, such as “Who should swipe right on me?”, “What…