September Writing Prompts
Gift buying can be stressful. So we’ve created this handy dandy guide to help you find and purchase gifts for the writers in your life. OR you can share this guide with your loved ones when they ask, “What do YOU want for … (the holidays, your birthday, Valentine’s Day)?”
A Lit Mag
Your writer wants to subscribe to ALL the literary magazines. But unfortunately, these subscription costs add up! Let them read guilt-free by purchasing a subscription to a Lit Mag. The New Yorker, of course, is a favorite. But there’s also The Sun, The Paris Review, and Granta. Check out this ranking of the 100 Best Literary Magazines for inspiration.
Time
The writer in your life desperately needs time to write. How about, as a gift to them, you offer to take the kids for the day, shovel the walk, or tell them they have the night off from “Succession” (or whatever show you all are watching together)? Whatever the thing is that will free up your writer so they have some time and space to put their butt in the chair and fingers on the keyboard.
A Cozy Reading Nook
Encourage your writer to create a cozy reading nook for themselves. Buy the accessories they’ll need for their nook. A floor pillow, a soft blanket, and a reading light.
A Save the Cat Book
If your writer doesn’t already own it, the bestselling Save the Cat! series is a great resource. There’s Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need and Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need. Your writer will learn how beats can help craft a screenplay or novel. If they have Save the Cat, here are some other books writers need:
– Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
– On Writing, by Stephen King
– The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
– You Are a Writer, by Jeff Goins
Wait! Before you jump on Amazon, please consider visiting your local bookstore to purchase. We recommend River Road Books in Fair Haven, N.J., or Asbury Book Co-Op in Asbury Park.
A Review
This gift costs nothing but your time and effort. Read your writer’s work and review it. Do they have a book, essay, or poem published? Find it, read it, and write a review. The reviews on Amazon help an author sell books. And if an essay or poem gets liked, shared, and commented on, it alerts the LitMag editors that this person resonates with the public. If your writer isn’t published, ask if you can read what they’re working on. They’ll be shocked at your interest! Then, print out your review and give it to your writer in a box. I promise they’ll cherish it.
Writers + Coffee = TLF
(TLF, that’s True Love Forever before Acronyms BAT [Became A Thing].) Writers love coffee. No need to say more. Give them a mug and a pound of their favorite beans, ground or unground.
An English Usage Chart from Uncommon Goods
Even the best writers have moments of grammatical confusion. This handy chart lays out the most common mistakes made. Although if your writer is sensitive to their grammar deficiencies, this gift could have the potential to offend them! If you don’t care, then buy it here!
Silence OR Music
If your writer requests absolute silence when they write and your house just can’t accommodate that, consider purchasing them noise-canceling headphones. Ah, silence! But if your writer enjoys listening to music, if it helps them produce, why not put together a playlist for them on Spotify? It can be soothing songs or songs with cool lyrics that will spark some creativity for your writer.
Socks!
Fun socks are all the rage, and of course, there are ones specifically for writers. Poe socks, library card socks, cats+books socks. (We know someone who’d love those!) Check out this list of Book Lovers Socks and sock it to your writer this holiday season.
A Professional Photo Shoot
Some writers think they can get away with a regular cell phone photo for their headshots for their website or bios. But a professional photo looks, well, professional! Your writer will be taken more seriously with a better photo. This gift can be a little pricey, but you love your writer, don’t you?
A Writing Class or Event
Last but certainly not least, a great gift for your writer would be a gift certificate to one of Project Write Now’s amazing classes or programs! Whether they’ve been students for a while or have never heard of us, if they want to write, PWN is the place for them. Perfect for a last-minute option. Buy one here today!
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