The word “writer” is defined simply as “a person who commits his or her thoughts, ideas, etc., to writing.” But to those who write — and those who love writing — the definition is far more complex.
Writers are the scribes of important events and the recorders of mundane occurrences; they are the jotters of lists and the composers of testaments. Moreover, they are the spinners of heartbreaking, human truths around campfires.
Indeed, writers are a special breed, one that is as finicky as it is phenomenal. Thus, when it comes time to gift-giving for that special scribe in your life, the pressure is on.
For writers, everything has meaning — and a generic gift card simply won’t do! In need of some inspiration? Here’s a list of unique, but meaningful, gift ideas for the treasured, aspiring writer in your life.
1. Personalized Stationery
Even in the age of technology, the true heart of a writer is best expressed when his or her pen meets an actual page. The collision of ink to paper is an ageless, romantic union no scribe can resist. And since all writers naturally crave the sight of their name inscribed on paper, the ultimate gift for any wordsmith continues to be custom gifts like personalized stationery or journals. It’s the personalization aspect that makes this gift oh-so-perfect.
Not only will your favorite writer’s name be displayed across the stationery, but the colors and themes will be customized to reflect his or her individual writing voice and influences. Classic writers in the vein of Hemingway and Faulkner may prefer a serif font and muted tones, while authors who prize Lovecraft and Poe’s works may appreciate calligraphy lettering and gothic images on their stationery.
Moreover, this gift does more than offer your poet space to compose. It defines the tone of their composition and demonstrates that you understand and appreciate their writer’s voice.
2. A Writer’s Cap
Throughout history, writers have unapologetically donned hats. From Allen Ginsberg to Neil Gaiman, authors have debatably channeled their muses via head accessories. Most notably, though, would likely be an author by the name of Theodore Geisel, perhaps better known as Dr. Seuss.
Geisel had an extensive hat collection in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes with which he would draw on for inspiration in times of deafening writer’s block. He and his editor, Michael Friff, would try on and model Geisel’s strange hats until inspiration would once again strike and Dr. Seuss could continue his writing.
Now, a writer’s cap doesn’t need to be a whimsical red and white striped plush top hat. It can simply be a hat that’s designated as special to the writer in your life. It can be a totem and a ritual to help the writer you know focus and draw inspiration. Or, it can be a green cap you knitted with your own two hands or the hat that reads “writer.” In other words, the hat itself isn’t so important — the fact that it should be worn just for writing inspiration is.
3. Digital Voice Recorder
If there’s a single issue with which most writers struggle, it’s finding a way to get the ideas that come into their minds out of their heads and onto the page. The scribe you know likely has a collection of Post-it Notes, napkins, and torn slips of papers brandished with fragments and scribbles laying around their abode.
Thankfully, there is a simple solution to this neat-freak’s nightmare that was used regularly by the late journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson’s words and ideas came so quickly and sporadically that he adopted the practice of using a handheld voice recorder to catch them and keep them safe.
Indeed, a handheld voice recorder is a device perfect for the writer on the go who can collect those fleeting thoughts quickly and collectively; it also works as a method of organizing them by date and time. The wordsmith needs only to press a button to unload those ideas that can come and go like lightning. No more scrambling for and failing to find a pen before the words escape him or her.
Though the official definition of a writer may be vague, there’s no doubt that the scribe you know and love is one of a kind. So, when the time comes, no ordinary gift will do. But if you shop for something personalized, inspirational, or helpful to their craft, you’ll find the perfect gift for them.
