Betty's Tips 12/13

Dear Fellow Writers,

Believe it or not, it’s that special time of year again, fellow writers. It’s December, the month where we put our NaNoWriMo assignments aside (hopefully completed, although I fear I fell short this year) and focus on my other favorite hobby: shopping! Yes, it’s the holiday season, once again, so, once again I am thrilled to present you with my Gifts for Writers list. (Now, Mr. Wryte-Goode, if you should happen to see this list, well, you can draw your own conclusions!)

Appropriate gifts for writers can range from the very small (pens, pencils, paper) to the enormous (laptops, ipads, European cruises…hey, every writer needs inspiration!) but most fall somewhere between a pencil and a cruise.

For example, if your favorite writer needs a new laptop to complete the Great American Novel, well, by all means get her one…but, if your budget doesn’t quite stretch so far, might I recommend you help her accessorize her new computer with something special from DecalGirl.com. Decal Girl sells colorful “skins” (essentially gigantic stickers) that you can use to cover and protect your laptop, phone, ereader…you name it! The best part though, is that using a skin from Decal Girl allows you to express your individuality while protecting your equiptment. Never again will your favorite writer attend a writing event and wonder which laptop is hers. When her computer has a skin from Decal Girl, it will be recognizable from across even the most crowded café.

Another exciting accessory I found on my stroll through the world wide web, is this adorable iPad Sleeve: http://www.lfla.org/store/product-details/800/Gifts-for-Writers/. Designed to make your iPad look like one of those old school composition notebooks, this sleeve will protect your iPad and look completely adorable in the process.

Speaking of adorable and old school, check out these Antique Typewriter Bookends:http://www.things2die4.com/products2.cfm?ID=20764. Perfect for the writer who yearns for a simpler time—and needs to hold up some books.

If your writer is more technologically minded, you might consider getting her some software to help aid her writing process. I have heard great things about Scrivener from other BWG members, though I haven’t yet tried it myself. You can check it out here: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php.

One BWG tip I have tried is backing up my files on dropbox. This cloud storage company allows me to sync my files between multiple electronic devices (computers, tablets, phones) and gives me the peace of mind to know that even if my computer crashes, I won’t lose my precious words. Your writer can get a limited amount of storage on Dropbox for free, but you can also buy her additional storage, which can come in handy when a girl has several photos of vegetables to fit into her manuscript…or so I’m told. Check it out at https://www.dropbox.com/.

If your writer likes to write by hand rather than type her initial drafts, you might consider getting her a Livescribe Pen. These pens magically—er, technologically—make the words you write appear on a synced iPad or iPhone. Being an Android girl myself, I’m not quite sure how all that magic happens, but you can learn more at: http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/ls3/.

Writers of any genre are likely to appreciate a subscription to the Journal of the Month Club:https://www.journalofthemonth.com/. This unique gift idea allows your writer to sample up to 24 different literary journals, one per month, and (hopefully) discover which journal is most likely to publish her work. The best part is, your writer will get a delightful surprise each and every month of her subscription.

Some writers have more creative ideas than the ones I’ve listed. For example, Chuck Wendig suggests a Helper Monkey might be a good holiday gift at his blog: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/12/11/25-gifts-for-writers/. I have to say, a trained helper monkey might well come in handy, but an untrained one would just be too much work.

Another off-beat gift for writers is an extra long Slinky. Non writers might be scratching their heads on this one, but Slinkys have been scientifically proven to help writers come up with new ideas. Okay, that’s not technically true. But, here’s something that is true: if you hold a slinky up by one end, letting the other end dangle toward the floor, and release the top of the Slinky, the bottom won’t move until the top falls down to it. For real. It’s science. You can see this bizarre Slinky action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAuUGa6jgew. Now even non writers want a Slinky, right? Well, I think this one looks good: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/slinky-metal-extra-large/p/MC-SLINKY2/ It is extra long (stretches out to 9 meters) and the reviews suggest it is especially adept ad slinking down stairs.

Another source for excellent writing toys is Think Geek. They specialize in such off-beat gifts as this cheerful Pac-Man stapler: http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/14f6/?srp=35, and this Old Tyme Writing Set: http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e543/?srp=6.

As always, every writer has one thing in common. We love books. For this reason, you can’t possibly go wrong by buying your favorite writer a gift card from your nearest independent bookstore. Be sure to stop by http://www.indiebound.org/ to discover the independent book sellers in your area.

Happy holidays, everyone, and as always, happy writing!

Betty Wryte-Goode

Betty Wryte-Goode is a writer, mother, and wife who lives in the Lehigh Valley. Her passions include writing, reading, shopping, gardening, and exploring the internet. Betty is always looking for writing tips, so if you have any you would like to share, please send them to her through our Submissions/Contacts page.