9 Unique Gifts & Gadgets for Writers

The holidays are here and we’re all looking for the perfect gift to give, or add to our wish lists. I always think the best gifts are things people won’t buy for themselves, or if I’m doing the wishing – something I’m unlikely to buy myself.

These are a few of my favorites (and no I don’t have them all):

1) Arc Customizable Notebooks

I love my Moleskin notebooks, but I am OBSESSED with these. Arc notebooks are completely customizable & refillable, so they’re a great value and you can set yours up exactly the way you like it – a leather or plastic cover, lined or blank paper, with pockets or without – the possibilities are endless. I keep sticky flags, like the ones pictured above, in mine. I also love them because the rings allow the notebook to lie flat like those Mead notebooks I used in high school. The best part? They’re cheap if you choose the plastic cover and still a deal if you prefer leather. You can watch the video and buy them at Staples.

2) Scrivener

Scrivener is the ultimate writer’s tool, and it’s a bargain at $45. Once you start using it, you’ll be hooked.

Description from the website:

“Scrivener puts everything you need for structuring, writing and editing long documents at your fingertips. On the left of the window, the ‘binder’ allows you to navigate between the different parts of your manuscript, your notes, and research materials, with ease. Break your text into pieces as small or large as you want – so you can forget wrestling with one long document. Restructuring your draft is as simple as drag and drop. Select a single document to edit a section of your manuscript in isolation, or use ‘Scrivenings’ mode to work on multiple sections as though they were one: Scrivener makes it easy to switch between focusing on the details and stepping back to get a wider view of your composition.”

But that’s not the best part. Scrivener allows you to keep your research in one place – from image files to articles – you can organize them in folders or visually, and pull them up alongside your text.

Scrivener offers tons of free tutorials to help you get started. And if I can learn to use it, anyone can.

3) Gourmet Coffee Maker

The initial investment ranges from $100-$200 for the machine, but you won’t believe how much you’ll save when you aren’t throwing down $4.00 a cup at your local coffee joint. Tassimo & Keurig are my favorite models. You pop in the cartridges, add some flavored syrup or sugar & you can have a cappuccino, latte, or expresso while you’re still in your pajamas. You can buy the units everywhere now: department stores, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, or Amazon (if you really don’t want to get out of those pajamas).

4) Noise Canceling Headphones

Noise cancelling headphones aren’t cheap if you really want to drown out the sound of your neighbor’s annoying dog, the people chatting at the cafe where you love to write, or dare I say . . . your kids. They also help some of us get in “the zone” – that elusive place in our heads where the words are hiding.

Bose are the gold standard, but the price tag is steep at $299. I have a pair of Sony MDR-MC200Ds & I love them. After using a pair of Bose for a year, I can honestly say there isn’t much difference. And my Sony headphones were half the price.

5) iPhone Speaker Dock

If the thought of noise cancelling headphones makes you crazy, and you need Ozzy or Adelle blasting through the speakers to work, this is the ticket. The iHome dock is a charger and speaker in one, and there are tons of models to choose from. I like this one from Target.

6) LiveScribe Pen

I’m hoping to get one of these under my tree because the LiveScribe pen sounds amazing!

From Squidoo.com:

“The LiveScribe pen was originally designed to help students take better notes. In addition to being able to digitally record what you write, it also records your voice or the voice of a lecturer or speaker. This means you can write longhand and upload the audio and the actual content onto your computer. It’s great for blogging, planning, and a number of other tasks.

However, for writers the real benefit comes from the MyScribe software that users can download. The MyScribe software translates your handwriting into text. This gadget then offers writers the ability to write from anywhere without having to haul their computer with them. You no longer have to spend hours typing your work longhand either. It’s a fantastic gadget for writers.”

7) Write or Die

My friend and fellow author, Rachel Caine, told me about this one. If there’s a procrastinator on your list, this is the gift.

From the Manufacturer:

“Write or Die is a web application that encourages writing by punishing the tendency to avoid writing. Start typing in the box. As long as you keep typing, you’re fine, but once you stop typing, you have a grace period of a certain number of seconds and then there are consequences.”

Write or Die literally starts deleting text if you stop writing for too long. How’s that for motivation?

8) IdeaPaint

Love white boards and the idea of writing your ideas nice and big, where you can see them? What about on your walls? That’s exactly what you can do with IdeaPaint, which is basically a dry erase paint that works like chalkboard paint. Cover a wall in the stuff and you can draw, write, and erase until your heart’s content. It comes in eight colors & you can read more about it on Founders’ Blog.

9) Literary Inspired Pro Keds

A new way to wear the words and images from your favorite classic novel. Zazzle will have seven different versions coming soon.