For all the writers in your life – including you!

We couldn’t let the season of giving pass us by without sharing some of our favorite things with some of our favorite people. Down below you’ll find personal recommendations from our editors – check them out! We’ve got everything from books for you to books on craft, from tools for technophiles to tiny notebooks and sweet pens for longhand luddites. If your gift list isn’t full, or if there’s a writer in your life that has you baffled, there’s probably something here to help you out. Or at least there’s 400 different recommendations for sticky notes. What can we say, we use a lot of sticky notes.

While you’re at it, why not pick up some YeahWrite swag for yourself? There’s new stuff in the store for the holiday season, like stickers and snuggly sweatshirts.

While we’re on the subject of giving, we don’t get anything from your Amazon clicks – we’re just using Amazon links for your convenience- so don’t forget that Amazon Smile donates 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charity of your choice – are you signed up? It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it adds up fast! And if you’re shopping local this season, please remember to be kind to retail workers. They’re as frazzled as you are. 

Happy Holidays!

Roost Laptop Stand (Adjustable and Portable Laptop Stand)

The Roost for my laptop was seriously game-changing for me. With all the coffee-shop writing I do, having my laptop at eye level is key. Just don’t forget your wireless keyboard and mouse, and any space becomes your office!  

Pilot G2 Retractable Premium Gel Ink Roller Ball Pens

I love the way these write, and the colors help me stay on task.

Crayola Limited Edition Crayon, Star Wars Darth Vader Toy (64 Count)

These are the companion to Rowan’s roll of kraft paper. Bonus #1: Star Wars theme! Bonus #2: Glitter and metallic crayons! Whether you’re sketching a map or plotting a timeline, these allow more than enough flexibility to be creative *and* organized.

Satechi F1 Smart Monitor Stand 

This powered computer stand is invaluable at home when I need to plug several things into USB ports and my laptop only has one available.

2 Pairs Warm Knit Fingerless Gloves

I don’t have these exact gloves, but I find that wherever I am – at home, at work, or at a coffeeshop – my hands are cold all winter long. Fingerless gloves keep your digits warm while you type!

Out of Print Literary and Book-Themed Unisex Cotton Socks

Oh! And let’s not forget the feet.

White Kraft Paper Roll

I do a lot of long-arc plotting and timeline-oriented stuff and it’s easier for me to lay it out with my hands because I can move stuff around. So there’s a restaurant near me that’s gotten real used to me showing up with this roll of paper because their table is longer than mine!

8-Pack of Memo Sticky Notes

If I’m laying out events I need to move them around quickly. The standard set of stickies is NOT enough colors for my color coding system.

Medique Burn Pump Spray

We’re not going to talk about why this is on my desk but it is and I need it. Maybe you do too.

Chicago Manual of Style Guidelines

CMS or GTFO. I know it’s a little obsessive, but keeping my sources in actual citation format helps me find them again when my computer restarts and all the tabs close.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

This is a great spatula for when your brain gets stuck to something.

16GB Cartoon Animal Penguin USB Flash Drive

We’ve all been there. The computer crashes. The thumb drive disappears. Don’t lose your work! Back it up on multiple devices that are too cute to accidentally throw out. 

The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces 

I love having these different thesauruses by my desk when I write. It helps me find the word that’s on the tip of my tongue (or stop using the same word over and over) without getting online which inevitably leads to four hours on Facebook. There are multiple volumes centered around specific themes.

Aqua Notes Waterproof Note Pad

Because there is nothing that will help me decipher notes I write to myself in the middle of the night but these for sure help me remember the ones that hit mid-shower.

“Fuck off, I’m writing” mug

Rowan has all these wonderfully practical things and I’m all, “Look at this mug, it says fuck off!”

12-pack of Mini Notebooks – Llama Designs

I never leave the house without a mini notebook. Multiple times, I have been trapped in a meeting or elsewhere where taking your phone out is rude or improper but busting out a notebook to jot a quick idea down seems perfectly normal. These are small enough to fit in your pocket! Never leave home without one. Also, llamas.

Contoured Keyboard Wrist Support

Scrabble Pencils in a Tin

Also, I love these pencils even though they’re HB.

Moleskin Planners & Notebooks

And I know it’s a terrible indulgence, but I adore my Moleskine Alice in Wonderland weekly planner (and I’ve just bought myself a plain daily planner for 2019).

The Creative Writer’s Toolbelt Handbook by Andrew J. Chamberlain

Available in paperback or on kindle, this is the handbook that accompanies (but is also independent of) the podcast of the same name. I’ve found this a really great, easy to understand, curious exploration of writing techniques, tips, and tools.

Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Combo

This has been the most useful non-essential item I’ve purchased. I have the Apple wireless keyboard, but I’ve used a bunch of different ones. It allows me to write on my phone or tablet without carting my laptop around. Scrivener, Evernote, or Google Docs all synch across devices, and if you have Apple products and an iCloud account, you can synch your desktop to your phone and tablet too.

Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse

This ergonomic mouse is saving my poor little carpal bones. 

Uni-Ball Vision Needle Roller Ball Stick Liquid Pens

These pens make my handwriting look beautiful.

Educated by Tara Westover

If you are stuck on writing, read! At least you can be an observer to writing and file things away for future consideration. Here’s a great place to start. Tara Westover’s memoir is a stunning story of resilience and finding her truth.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Even if you don’t read horror, there’s no denying that this is one of the best craft books out there. If you only own one book on the craft of writing, make it this one.

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson’s second memoir is the perfect anecdote if you need to laugh. Although her struggle with mental health is not funny in and of itself, she is raw and honest and I literally laughed out loud on every page, to the point that my husband started to wonder if something was wrong with me 🙂

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Yaa Gyasi’s book is a riveting story that follows two half-sisters and their descendants for generations. It’s a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking book that is also interesting from a structural point of view.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

A novel that interweaves motherhood, race, and class. For a study on great pacing and vivid characters, this is a must read. Also, the title is perfect.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Katy Moore

As a scientist, this true story had appeal to me from the beginning. As I read, I was struck by how sexism and greed played into the demise of these women and how bravely they fought to tell the truth to save others. Their story is sad, but they are truly inspiring.

Whiteboard

What do you mean, you don’t have a whiteboard? Everybody needs a whiteboard.

Post-Its

You need every size, shape and color, with lines and without, except the standard yellow ones because they are boring. Also, you can stick small post its on the big ones on the white board, and on the white board itself. You can literally put them everywhere.

Sticky Notes by Panda Planner

ALSO: DID YOU SEE THESE???

Panda Planner

A physical planner makes it easier for me to see when two dates or deadlines conflict. There are so many planners out there. Find the one that speaks to you. This one goes nicely with DID YOU NOT SEE THEIR STICKY NOTES?

Busy Buddy Calming Dog Toy

Because you can’t write when you keep getting interrupted.

Pusheen Hooded Onesie

Because when you work from home, you don’t have to put on pants.