In this article we talk about holiday gift ideas for the writer in your life and for every price point.
Up to $25.00
Gifts don’t have to be expensive to still be thoughtful. Here are some items for the office party or gift exchange writer who needs something useful in their life.
This tiny desk vacuum is super cute and powerful. It has tiny brushes on the bottom that help pick up any dust, dirt, or crumbs that fall onto my desk and keyboard and empties easily. With just a few batteries, it doesn’t add cord clutter to my desk and looks like a part of my desk’s décor without taking anything away.
This pen pouch is so cute and useful. Every time I pull it out and put it on the table, my writer friends gawk. It converts easily into a pen cup that shows all my pens, and pulls back up and zips together to toss back into my bag when I’m done. It has a solid bottom and a thick canvas material, and though it comes in a ton of color combinations, I love my purples, so I got mine with polka dots and it has held up really well.
This visual timer is a must for getting any kind of task or chore done in my household. I have only recently started using the visual timer as opposed to the cube timer (see below) because of its flexibility in how many minutes I can set the timer for, the visual countdown aspect, and the fact that it came in a variety of colors, one of which being an actual purple. If you can only choose one timer, I’d go with this one, as you can stand it up, sit it on a flat surface, or attach it to anything magnetic.
These timers come with preset minutes already attached. Simply flip the timer over and start a writing sprint. Better than a tomato timer, these cube timers are great for tasks big and small. I like this variety set that actually features several time options, and use a cube timer both at home and at work to keep me productive the entire day.
$25.00 to $100.00
Still an easy price point for the writer in your life, these gifts are sure to bring them use year round.
The Loop earplugs are unlike any earplugs I’ve ever used before. They are comfortable to wear, and instead of turning down all noise like other foam plugs, they do something way cooler, regulating the volume levels so that everything sounds the same level, just lower. The washing machine and dryer are right outside my office door, and if I have both running, it can be too much going on. I can put the Loop earplugs in and still listen to music, hear my husband talking to me, and hear it when the dryer bell rings.
Authors these days have to be so much more than just book writers. In an age of technology, even a traditionally published author has to figure out new ways to market their books. I also wanted to narrate my own audiobooks once I had a book to sell. To that end, I purchased this microphone to record my podcast with and to bring my blog content to more users. Don’t be fooled by what seems like a cheap price. You can tell which episodes are recorded with this microphone and which are recorded with my phone. This microphone is very clear, and produces a much higher quality sound than I expected it to for the price. Definitely a must have in my arsenal.
I have always been a huge fan of Skullcandy. They wouldn’t have to pay me to use their equipment because I already do use it for everything I can. So when I started looking for a pair of headphones that were noise cancelling, Bluetooth, and also had a microphone, I knew I had to be looking at Skullcandy gear. These things are so good that when I take them to busy places like a coffee shop I do not even have to turn them up that loud and I cannot hear anybody unless I take them off. They are also super comfortable. I wore them while I was working at home with the family today for about 6 straight hours and even with glasses they didn’t hurt my ears. Plus a bass boosting feature? Yes. Come on. Get these.
$100.00 and more.
Getting into a higher price point, these gifts are well worth the cost to the writers in your life. If money is no object or if you’ve perhaps been saving money to get the writer in your life something very special but don’t know what you can get them, these gifts are sure to impress.
Azio Retro Compact Bluetooth Keyboard (Blue Switch) $220
I have been in love with this relatively cheap mechanical keyboard from Azio. I have had mine for a few years now and have not had any of the problems that some keyboard users face with mechanical keys. The clicking is still perfect and satisfying, the keycaps are backlit, and nothing has overly worn out or outright broken. I’m a writer and I use my keyboard a lot as you can imagine, so wearing out keys is something I’ve gotten used to in the past. My Azio keyboard has held up, and really has not seen any wear and tear at all. I’m using a wired Retro Classic, but I think I may jump for the Bluetooth variety for its ability to be used for devices other than my PC, its compact size, and for even less wires to deal with in the future.
There you have my 2021 holiday gift guide for the writer in your life.
Discussion Questions
- What’s on your holiday list this year that you need for writing?
- What has been the most useful writing-related gift you’ve ever received?
- Do you ever participate in gift exchanges, and if so, what is the normal gift cost limit?
- What other events does it seem appropriate to give writing-related gifts to writers?
- What questions would you like to see me answer in a blog post or podcast episode?
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Oh dear, that desk vacuum looks like something I really need, since I work at my desk so much that I often have my lunch there. Anyway, thanks for this post, Zoe!
It is SO cute and useful. I recommend not using the batteries it comes with as they don’t last, just use your own and it’ll work with them for a long time.