Here are the best and worst gifts for writer. These aren’t specific. They are not suggestions on how to buy the latest and greatest. They are the modern suggestions of best and worst gifts for writers. They are a guideline. There are no absolutes here not all writers will love and hate our best and worst, but we feel this list will applies to many. It’s for fun, please don’t send hate mail.
For writing
Worst!
Gift: Pen
Oh man this is bad. Don’t buy a pen for a writer. Many people think that a engraved pen is the best gift a writer can get. It’s not. A very small number of writers enjoy this gift. They are very old or very traditional.
Best
Gift: Laptop
If the sky is the limit for your budget, a new laptop is always king among gifts to writers. Ipads are great for entertainment, but they still haven’t devised a good system for writing. Some day, maybe, but for now the laptop is still the best.
What to Write On
Worst
Gift: Stationary
I have a good friend who is a math teacher. Every time he is at a party and someone finds out he is a math teacher they say, “Quick, what’s 298 divided by 16.” He has to explain to them that he teaches math not a calculator. A lot of people do this with writers. They think that because you are a writer you what nice paper to write your greeting cards on. Some people like a nice stationary. It’s the same percentage of writers that like a nice stationary. If you know this about the writer, that’s fine, if not do not assume.
Best
Gift: Digital recorder/digital recorder app
So the best way to take notes these days might still be on a piece of paper. I’ve written on napkins many times, but it’s nice to have a digital recorder. If the writer you know has a smart phone buy the app, if not, buy a digital recorder from Radio Shack or Best Buy. They will like it, trust me.
On Reading
Worst
Gift: Books about writing
Ok, unless the writer asks for a book about writing, it’s probably a bad idea to buy one. It’s kind of like buying a race car driver a that booklet from the DMV that teaches you how to pass a driving test. Blah. Don’t do that. Now if a writer asks, or something alone those line, then fine. If you assume you are really saying, “Hey you want to be a writer but aren’t very successful, so here this will help.”
Best
Gift: Book Favorite author
As with any good gift, you have to do a little research for this one. If the writer you know has a favorite author, find out if their are any books he or she doesn’t have by that author, and buy them. This one is simple really, but many people just don’t spend the time.
In General
Worst
Gift: Office supplies
Much like a pen or stationary, please don’t by me staplers and paperclips and rubber bands or other office type supplies. Do you want office supplies for Christmas?
Best
Gift: Coffee
Coffee is always a great low cost gift. If you know for a fact the writer in your life drinks coffee, go ahead and buy it. Writers do like to wake up in the morning or stay up late at night, so you are safe in assuming coffee would be an ok gift.
Priceless
Worst
Gift: Taking up time.
Every writer I know is always pressed for time. Generally if the writer doesn’t write for a living he or she is squeezing minutes out of the day. So don’t buy them time eaters like models or puzzles. They have the thing they want to fill time with. There might be some writer out there who wants that a puzzle for Christmas, but I believe they are rare.
Best
Gift: Time
Anyway you can give this to a struggling writer is best. It may not cost anything, maybe you go away for a day or better yet maybe you rent them a room for a night and let them write. Many writers love this idea. If you can afford a writers colony, do that. Most writers I know would count this as number one on their gift list.
Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page.
- 8 Authors Who Created Literary Masterpieces Keeping Their Day Jobs - March 31, 2025
- Plotter or Pantser? A Writer’s Personality Quiz - March 30, 2025
- 100 Must-Try Mystery Writing Prompts (Solve the Perfect Crime!) - March 22, 2025
This is so true; especially the coffee part! And a good book always works!