11 Christmas Gift Ideas For Writers
If you’ve got a writer in your life and you’re looking for the perfect gift for the holidays, we’ve got you covered. As writers ourselves, we’ve been on the receiving end of countless journals and ballpoint pens for Christmas. We pulled together this list of 11 unique Christmas gift ideas for writers so that you can give the writer in your life a gift that holds a lot more meaning than the blank page.
The Christmas gift ideas for writers below are a mix of experiential gifts (workshops & courses) and tangible gifts. We’ve got gift ideas that have a cost and others that are free. Let’s help you find the right one for the writer in your life.
Give A Book You’ve Actually Read
It’s no surprise that we recommend books as a great gift for writers. Here’s how you make this gift unique. Gift a book that you’ve actually read. You’d be surprised how many books I’ve received over the holidays from friends who’ve never read the book. Part of a great book experience for a writer is getting to geek out with others once they’ve finished reading the book. If you can give a book you’ve read and recommend, you’ll be doubling up the love wrapped in the gift. For an extra special add to the book, take the time to write a note on what you loved about the book. Trust me, your perspective goes a long way in showing your writer friend that you care about them because you recognize their love for reading.
Fill Up A Free Library or Donate
Writers tend to be pretty altruistic, I mean they must be because most aren’t in the career for the money. Donating books to a charity or a school in their name is a way to keep the love for reading (and therefore writing) alive. You can grab books from your shelf or head to your local thrift store to pick up a few that you find interesting. Contact a local church, school, or charity and find out if you can donate some books in the name of your writer. Short on time or not feeling like contacting anyone? You can use the Little Free Library website to locate a free library in your neighborhood. Snap a photo of you and the books you're donating in front of the little free library. Print this out with a note on where and why you donated books and boom, you’ve got an original gift idea for a writer.
Gift Them A Writing Workshop
Writers struggle to find time to write. Even when they love writing dearly, life gets in the way. One of ways you can help writers find time to write is by giving them a chance to attend a writing workshop. When events find a way onto the calendar, they tend to get done. Helping writers find time to write through a writing workshop is not only helpful, but incredibly fun. Writers need a space they can step out of their heads and into their art. A space filled with other creatives to spark their inspiration. Consider writing workshops in your area or if you're strapped for time, check out our online writing workshop to help writers get into the flow state faster. Gifting a writing workshop is a great way for writers to have fun building their skills.
Write A Good Old Fashioned Letter
Don’t panic. A letter doesn’t have to be a long-winded affair. The gift of a letter is a way to connect with your writer in their ideal love language–words. Grab a fresh sheet of paper and a nice pen. Set a 20 mins timer to let ideas flow. You can write about anything. Write about your holiday, what you hope for the new year, how you value the relationship you have with the writer, or maybe even grab some quotes that inspire you online to pull into your letter. Ditch the overthinking. Writing a letter is just like talking to a friend. If you’re short on time you can have chatGPT give you a head start. Just remember that the part of the gift that makes this unique is the hand-written aspect in a world that is increasingly digital. Believe me, your writer will cherish your words.
Buy Them A Subscription To An Online Literary Magazine
Outside of writing, writers are vivacious readers. Reading is a way to practice the craft of writing. If you want a unique gift idea for a writer, consider gifting them a subscription to an online literary magazine. Literary magazines can range in topics from nature to science, to magical realism, or pop culture. You can find literary magazines for all genres. Not sure what genre your writer likes? Consider something culturally well received like The New Yorker. A few of our favorites include Creative Nonfiction and Human Obscura. Gifting an online literary subscription allows your writer a wide range of inspiration and shows them you really thought of something they could use.
Give Them A Book On Writing Prompts or Inspiration
The self-help industry has hundreds of thousands of resources on how you can elevate your life, and writing is part of that elevation. Consider finding the top books in Barnes & Noble on writing inspiration or writing prompts. Look into classics like Writing Down The Bones or Bird By Bird for some of the top writing books. Though, it’s likely that your writer already has these books on their shelves. Branch out to find workbooks (something a writer can engage with) or prompt cards to stir their imagination. You can check out Ready Set Novel, Burn Book, or alchemy cards by Victoria Song.
Tell 20+ People About Their Work
Writers ultimately want their work to reach people. The internet is becoming an increasingly noisy place which means it’s harder for writers to get their work out there. You’d be amazed at what a shout out can do for a writer’s reach. This is an easy gift idea for writers with zero cost and potentially huge return. First, consider a piece of their work–a blog post, a published story, or their newsletter- that you find personally interesting. Next, you can create a post on your social channels with a quick description. Tell your friends and family that for a Christmas gift this year, you want to shout out to your writer because you love their work. Sharing it with more people in the world is an exciting gift. Then give people a call to action. Something like “go check out this article because [the writing is beautiful” or “definitely get on their newsletter because [the tips are so tangible and the writing is witty].” Sign off the description with a merry christmas and tag your writer. Don’t have (or hate using) social media? An email is just as powerful. Use the subject line “Can you help me with a Christmas gift?” and drop in a short email using the information above. You can bcc 20 people on one email and CC your writing friend so that they see all the writing love coming their way.
Gift Them A Writing Course
Writers love a way to engage with their art and improve their skills. Online course creators have made it easier than ever for writers to advance their skills. Plus, you can find courses across a wide range of pricing. Consider looking in your local area or colleges to see if there are any writing courses available. If you’re short on time, head over to Udemy or Edx to see what courses they offer in creative writing. After purchasing a course, you can write a note letting the writer know that you see how much they love learning. You felt it would be a fun and unique Christmas gift to give them something they could use. Let them know what you found interesting about the course description and that you can’t wait to see what they learn.
Buy Them A Book Journal
Sites like GoodRead and Notion offer a way for writers to keep track of their book lists digitally. However, we’ve found more writers enjoy the good old fashioned way of journaling about the books they read. Book journals are specific journals designed to capture your thoughts around a book. A good book journal has everything from a rating system to open-ended questions for the writer to reflect on what they’ve read. You can check out Clever Fox. It’s our favorite book journal in 2024.
A Date To A Public Reading
If you’re looking for some quality time, a unique gift idea for writers is a chance to attend a public reading or author event. Consider booking two tickets to an event showing your solidarity in doing something your writer enjoys. You can check city websites for terms like “events this weekend” or head straight to Google for search terms like authors touring my city in 2025. If you happen to know what authors your writer friend loves, that’s better. You can consider reviewing their GoodReads profile or even perusing their personal library to see what authors frequently pop up on their shelves. A night out on the town hearing authors share their love for writing is a heart-warming way to show your writer that you care.
A Cozy Coffee Shop Reading Day
Writers love reading! Have we said that already? Well, it’s true. But often writers are consumed by the day-to-day that reading gets lost. You can give something special that helps writers make time for doing something they love. Plan a date on the calendar where you and your writer head to a new coffee shop with no agenda other than to read. Scope out a cafe that has comfy couches and where you could easily spend an hour or two getting lost in a book. Short on cash? You can make a cozy space at your place, build a fort, pull out the mattress into the living room to create the ultimate reading space. Invite your writing friend over for a little R & R: read and relax. You can use Canva to create a calendar invitation with an open-ended date for your writer friend to fill in. Print, wrap, and get ready to read.
Now that you’ve got 11 gift ideas for writers this Christmas, it’s time to take action. We’re so excited to see what gift ideas stuck out for you. Happy holidays and happy writing.
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