Skip the Notebooks

A whiteboard and fun markers! I use my whiteboard all the time, whether I’m brainstorming plots, outlining, or mapping out my goals.

A book stand.1 This is kind of a weird one, but it’s been a game changer for me. Mine is similar to the one linked, with an adjustable angle and arms to keep your pages in place. While writing WASP’S NEST, I followed Matt Bell’s advice from Refuse to Be Done and re-wrote (re-typed) my entire book during the second draft stage. I printed off draft one and kept that on the book stand, along with my revision outline, while I typed the new draft on my laptop.

Something to brighten up their writing desk area…I love these twinkle lights or a (very low maintenance) plant.

For someone who wants an approachable novel-writing framework they can customize to their liking: Refuse to be Done by Matt Bell.

For someone who needs a daily dose of inspiration, especially during tough times: 1000 Words by Jami Attenberg.

For someone looking for exercises to stretch their creative muscles: Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin.

For someone who loves the insight and humor of the classics: The Writing of Fiction by Edith Wharton.

For someone who wants to explore what’s possible outside the traditional workshop setting: Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses.

For someone with room on their shelf: The Art Of Series from Graywolf Press. I haven’t read the entire series yet, but I unequivocally recommend The Art of Time in Fiction: As Long As It Takes by Joan Silber, The Art of Perspective: Who Tells the Story by Christopher Castellani, and The Art of Revision: The Last Word by Peter Ho Davies.

A funny, sweet, and off-center coming-of-age story: The Skunks by Fiona Warnick.

A beautiful modern gothic novel set in upstate New York, in which the lives of three women became intertwined in surprising ways: Upcountry by Chin-Sun Lee.

A dynamic series of linked stories centered on a Black family living in DC—complex, messy, and full of care: Company by Shannon Sanders.

A rich and tender novel-in-stories set in the Palestinian-American community of Baltimore: Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj.

This is a no-brainer, but a gift card to a local bookstore is always welcome! If you don’t live in the same area as your giftee and the store doesn’t sell gift cards online, see if you can purchase a gift card over the phone for them to pick up. Gotta shout out my favorite Baltimore bookstores: Snug Books, Greedy Reads, The Ivy, Red Emma’s, and Station North Books.

A lit mag subscription. Some of my favorites (that I have subscribed to or currently subscribe to): One Story, OFIC Magazine, or your local literary journal (check these out: Charm Lit Mag, which publishes voices of young people in Baltimore, and Yellow Arrow Journal, which publishes work by women writers and artists in Baltimore).

Membership to a supportive literary community. Pen Parentis (a non-profit whose mission is to support writers who are parents) and Before and After the Book Deal here on Substack are two of my faves!

Scrivener. Like pens and notebooks, you shouldn’t buy this for someone unless you are 100% sure they want it, but I personally love this software, and since the purchase is a one-time fee, it’s money well spent.

Consider a cash gift for a writer’s submission fund. If you know someone who is applying to artist residencies and submitting to lit mags, I’m sure they would appreciate help paying those fees.

Seminars, classes, workshops, etc. This will take some schedule coordination, but if you know someone who has written a novel but is struggling to revise it, I would highly recommend this one-day seminar with Cari Luna (she also offers longer courses, which I am sure are fantastic as well!). If you know someone who is craving personalized feedback on their work, look no further than Beth Weeks. And StoryStudio Chicago just announced a series of (very affordable) online classes in December and January called “Writing Your Resistance.”

Offer childcare to the parent writers in your life. This is literally something that will make or break writers raising young kids. Whether it’s an IOU for a long weekend to themselves, or the promise of covering one dinner/bath/bedtime meltdown session a month, I promise you this gift will be appreciated.3

On a similar note, help them fund a DIY writing retreat! Either an Airbnb farmhouse getaway (with internet access, a comfy bed, a workspace filled with natural light…you know what, maybe let them pick out the accommodations), or a writerly staycation with pre-arranged grocery delivery, a fridge stocked with the beverages of their choice, and no child-sized interruptions (if applicable).

Finally, if you know any authors with books coming out soon, especially any debut authors, PREORDER THOSE BOOKS!!!!!!! Preorders are crucial to a book’s success. Buy one for yourself, for your mom, for your neighbor. Tell your friends to buy it too. And post about it on social media.