Saturday 19 November 2011

It's That Time of Year Again...

Yes, Christmas approaches...

There's financial crisis in Europe as well as the UK, and no doubt there are a lot of writers who are watching their pennies this Christmas.

A lot of shops are offering discounts to tempt buyers, and if you have any store loyalty cards you can build up points throughout the year, that you can use for buying Christmas presents- and treating yourself.

What might be good presents for writers?

Here are a few practical suggestions:
  • memory sticks
  • packs of paper for printing
  • notebooks
  • pens
  • a supply of chocolate- okay, a large bar is always appreciated any time of the year...:-)
If you want something different then there are some fun gift items for writers at The Literary Gift Company and I really like their mugs- there's even one that says 'Go Away I'm Tweeting'...

It was my birthday recently so I think I'm going to get myself the t-shirt with 'Careful or you'll end up in my novel' on the front.

An ideal gift for horror writers is surely their Edgar Allen Poe mini journal with a suitably eerie cover.

You can find a great selection of writer gifts at CafePress -my particular favourite is the small mug with 'do not interrupt inner dialogue in progress'.

About 7 to 8 years ago I used to do articles for an online magazine (sadly no longer in existence, as the editor went in a different direction and eventually closed the magazine) and at this time of year, I used to produce a gift buying guide for readers, with a variety of gifts from under £5 to over £20.

It was hard work but great fun finding a variety of gifts suitable for all ages...

So have you ever been given a gift specifically because you're a writer?

7 comments:

Shirley said...

A diary is a good idea, so that writers can keep note of competition closing dates, with info on which poem or story they sent etc.

Carolb said...

That's a good idea Shirley. A small diary just for competition deadlines in my case.

Lexia257 said...

Good ideas those, Carol. I will look at that site for pressies for me !
For those of us who are feeling especially poor at the moment Poundland do some fantastic writing equipment. It may not be the best quality but it suits my budget :)
Happy present shopping !

Rosemary Gemmell said...

My favourites are a good desk diary, any amount of notebooks, and lots of choclate!

Carolb said...

That's a good point Lexia, Poundland and other pound shops are a great source for inexpensive stationery.
You can afford to have a notebook and pens in every room, so there's writing material whenever and wherever inspiration strikes. :-)

Rosemary, I think a lot of writers would agree with you...:-)

Maxi said...

Several years ago I had a little collection of cute dragons (still trying to find a place for them in this house!) and a couple of years ago my mum bought me one called 'Scribbler' who's holding a pencil as big as himself. He now lives on a bookshelf until his friends can get unpacked!

Carolb said...

A collection of dragons, that's fun. I assume they each have their own story. :-)