Christmas Gift Ideas for Writers and Bloggers

There's a good chance that someone in your life is a writer. The number of freelance writers and bloggers has gone up considerably in just the last several years as online writing has become an increasingly important source of information. This isn't to mention the number of people who write books, magazine articles, newspaper columns and other forms of more traditional written media. If you know one of these people (and chances are that you do), you're probably wondering what to get them for Christmas.

Here are some Christmas gift ideas for writers that might help you out:

o Books about other writers. Most writers don't want to read "how to" books about writing so you can skip all of the "places to get published" and "how to write poetry" books that fill the shelves at your local bookstore. Instead, get the writers that you know a book that's actually about what a writer's life is like. Last Christmas, I got myself a book called A Writer's San Francisco by Eric Maisel. It's got essays about what it's like to be a writer in the city. That's a lot more interesting and helpful to me than a "how to" do what I already do.

o Magazine subscriptions. Most writers love to read but don't actually get a lot of time to sit down and do non-research reading. Magazines are great because they let the writer read things that aren't for work but they offer the reading in bite-sized chunks. Figure out which topics interest the writers you know and order a subscription or two for a gift that will keep on giving all year long.

o A selection of healthy snacks. If you have a writer friend who works from home, chances are that she snacks all day long and wants to try to be healthier about it. Give her a basket of goodies that she can put on her desk and eat guilt-free.

o Subscription to stock image sites. If you know someone that does online writing, especially blogging, he/she probably spends away too much time searching for images that aren't copyrighted to use on posts. Give her a subscription to a stock image site like Jupiter Images or Photos.com and make her work life easier than ever.

o Coffee maker. Okay, okay, so it's a stereotype to say that all writers drink coffee. But it's a stereotype for a reason. If you're fairly certain that your writer friend has a minor addiction to this every day vice, be nice and help her indulge it. If a coffee maker is too much of an investment, get her a few bags of coffee beans or a gift card to her local coffee shop.

o Website design software and a year of website hosting. If your writer doesn't have a website, he really needs one. Getting the software and the hosting out of the way can be all the incentive that he needs to make use of this increasingly important tool for better success as a writer.

o Walking shoes. Writers write. But they also have to think about their writing before it all comes out on the page. Many writers do that by taking long walks. A new pair of walking shoes and a map of walking trails near the writer's neighborhood can do wonders for breaking him out of writer's block. It can also help get the work-from-home writer out of the house a little bit more often!

o Laptop accessories. Most writers work from a laptop at least now and then. There are all kinds of things that you can get to make the laptop a little nicer. Laptop skins decorate the outside of the laptop. Laptop stands help make writing on a laptop more ergonomic and comfortable. A new laptop bag can protect the item while also giving the writer a better option than the backpack for carrying work around.

o Massage. Writers sit at desks all day long and type their little hearts out. It's satisfying work but it can be killer on the back, neck and shoulders. Make a writer happy and relaxed with a gift certificate for an hour long massage.

o Basket of office goodies. Hit the local office store and pick up a bunch of little things. Paper clips and binder clips, pens, folder and files, post-it notes and any other little things that catch your eye can all be compiled together into a basket of goodies that any writer can appreciate. Add in some printer ink if you know what type of printer your writer uses.

o Fun software. There is all different types of software for all different kinds of writing. There is database software for organizing book proposal submissions, design software for decorating writing with images and creativity software with writing prompts. Find something that suits the writer you know and wrap it with a bow.

o Coupon book for day dates. The writer who works from home is always looking for excuses to get out and about during the day. Create a personalized coupon book of dates that you want to go on with him/her throughout the year. Trips to museums, poetry readings, parks and nice lunches can all be included. And you don't even have to spend that much!

o Creativity journal and nice pens. Writers write but many of them have forgotten the joy of doing so. Reviving that joy and reinvigorating the writer with more enthusiasm for his craft may be as simple as getting him a nice journal and some pens that are designed for creative writing.

o Anything that's not related to writing. Sometimes all that a writer wants to do is forget about writing for a little while. Think of anything else that he/she likes and get a gift related to that interest instead of one related to writing.

The best gift that you can give the writers in your life is the gift of reading their work, spreading the word and taking their writing seriously. Sure, you think your cousin Nell's blog about her office antics is a little boring. But she'll love you forever if you take the time to read it and comment on it now and then anyway.