It’s that time of year again, and Writers Helping Writers is in GIFT MODE. Becca is so on point with this stuff, always the thoughtful gifter. I think I’ve got a good idea for her this year, and together we’ve sent some suitably fun-slash-disturbing gifts to our third musketeer, Lee Powell.
In my internet travels for great writerly gifts, I’ve come across some deliciously unique choices. So if you’re looking for something beyond the usual “writer mug” gift for a writer friend (or yourself!), you’ve come to the right place. Can I get a drum roll, please…
ALCOHOL
This seemed like a good place to start, because a traditional pairing is writers and booze. Some believe partaking helps to soothe the demons in our writerly souls, others, to aid in coping with the torment of publication. (I think it’s a bit of both.) Either way, why not give something truly unique to a writer you know, like this Absinthe-making kit? Nothing like nourishing the muse with the Green Fairy. Or they can craft up another spirit, like Mead, Whiskey or Gin. Maybe they’ll name a bottle after you!
EATS
After all that booze, your writer friend should really eat something, because hangovers aren’t fun. With this official Game of Thrones Cookbook, they can rustle up some good eats and then settle down to re-read the series or binge-watch a season or two.
But what if your friend isn’t much of a gourmet cook? Well, for a foodie minimalist, this Walking Dead Cookbook might be more their speed.
NOSTALGIA
One terrific thing about writers is how we love to read! Sometimes we plow through so many we forget which we’ve finished.
When it comes to the classics, we feel an extra rush of reading enjoyment. After all, don’t we all hope to one day pen a story that becomes beloved by generations? So if your nightstand has a few oldies, keep track of them with this Literary Scratch-off Chart of the Classics. A great gift!
INSPIRATION
We like to make people cry, don’t we? I mean the good kind, the, Oh-my-gosh-this-is-so-thoughtful-I-can’t-even cry. Well friends, you can be the bringer of many happy tears by creating a custom scarf made from a writer’s own manuscript.
Becca gave this to me last year, and I LOVE IT (and maybe cried a little at the thoughtfulness. MAYBE). You can also get T-shirts for literary classics, so spend some time checking out Litographs.
ORGANIZING
Sure, some writers are monsters and fold a corner to mark their place *points at self* but for the more discerning reader, well, they actually like to use a bookmark. And dang it, if we’re going to make books our passion, we need to have cool bookmarks…ones that light up, make us think of hobbits and magic and inspire us to transport our own readers to unique worlds.
ILLUMINATION
While your writer friend is reading late into the night, something happens: it gets dark. Such is life. So is the solution to turn on the light and be blinded by the suddenly over-bright white page? Heck no!
Instead, we give them a very bookish light to keep the mood going: the rechargeable Luminate Book light.
BINGEING
We all like to binge watch…it’s a guilty pleasure. Well, guess what? Writers can binge AND cram more education into their writing noodle with Michael Hauge & Christ Vogler’s Hero’s 2 Journeys video series.
(We are total Michael Hauge fans here at WHW, and recommend his books, classes, and videos to everyone.)
KNOWLEDGE
Speaking of upping your writing craft, sometimes you can’t go wrong with a great book. And hey, this is something that Becca and I just might be able to help with. 🙂
Somewhere along the way, people got the idea that thesauruses (or thesauri, if you prefer) are “boring.” If you’ve sampled any of our books you know that this couldn’t be further from the truth!
So why not assimilate your writing friends into our glorious Thesaurus Lovers Cult, er, I mean, Club, and show them how these writing guides are changing the game for scribes everywhere!
If you are looking for other writing craft books, check out Amazon’s Best Sellers and Most Wished For. Or visit our page of personal recommendations.
WRITING
Okay, I might not be a genius, but I bet your writer friend could probably use something to write in, am I right? Well if they happen to be a big fan of Netlix’s Stranger Things, this notebook is sure to make their day.
(Throw in a box of Eggos and you’ll probably be elevated to “Coolest Friend” status.) You can find this awesome Demogorgon book here.
A WRITING PARTNER LIKE NO OTHER
You know us, we always save the best for last. Becca and I love to help writers on this blog, and through our collection of writing books. But most of all? We love helping via One Stop for Writers®, a site we built with Lee Powell, the creator of Scrivener for Windows.
One Stop has the biggest description database of its kind (14 thesauruses and counting), is packed with amazing novel planning and character creation resources, and allows Becca & I to channel our imagination into building unique tools that actually make writing easier.
For the writer who likes having EVERYTHING at their fingertips, One Stop for Writers gift certificates are available. And if they want to take a spin around the site first, they can! Registration is always free.
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The British Medical Journal has a few things to say about absinthe. It’s not something I’d like to see hurting another generation of artists. Be safe, my friends, and make lots of good art!
“Many creative artists had their lives touched by absinthe (Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, Picasso).3 The illness of Vincent van Gogh was certainly exacerbated by excessive drinking of absinthe,4 and one of his six major crises was precipitated by drinking.3 Van Gogh probably had acute intermittent porphyria—a working hypothesis5 compatible with the documented porphyrogenicity of the terpenoids in absinthe as well as ethanol.6 His case illustrates the importance of lifestyle, underlying illness, and the individual response.”
It’s maybe worth considering what stories we tell ourselves:
“Absinthism was associated with gastrointestinal problems, acute auditory and visual hallucinations, epilepsy, brain damage, and increased risk of psychiatric illness and suicide.12 French scientific warnings eventually reached the popular presses but were countered by denials from a government interested in taxes and an industry enjoying profits. Meanwhile, consumers from all walks of life strove to convince themselves that the risks were at least commensurate with the pleasures of absinthe’s appearance, fragrance, taste, amusing ritual, and mistaken reputation as an aphrodisiac.”
Source: BMJ. 1999 Dec 18; 319(7225): 1590–1592.
PMCID: PMC1127080
Absinthe: what’s your poison?
Certainly we should be careful with any alcohol, but it is important to remember that with Absinthe, it carries a lot of fabled myth with it, and was unfairly attributed with negatives because of the time period and lack of education surrounding alcohol’s cause-and-effect, the fame of those who drank it, and complications that arose when people tried to cash in on the craze. Many began producing it cheaply, using harmful ingredients. 😉
I can’t get over the kit to make The Green Fairy. That’s…just awesome. As is the Princess Bride t-shirt. (And, of course, your set of books.) 🙂 Fabulous list. Hope you all have a happy holiday season!
It is cool, isn’t it? I’ve seen a lot of alcohol kits, but never one for Absinthe!
Hahahaha, I love the Princess Bridge t-shirt! They should have one that says “Inconceivable!” on the front. 🙂
Honestly, the two writerly gifts that always make me happy are books and journals. But when I ask for books, I’m never vague. Since my family likes to ask for birthday or Christmas lists, I put down specific titles. That way, I receive books I’m already looking forward to.
Oh, and tea! Some tea companies actually sell literary inspired teas. Bingley’s Teas has a huge line inspired by Jane Austen characters. Plum Deluxe also sells a lovely Reading Nook Tea that blends lavender and chamomile with rose petals and black tea.