Gifts for Writers

Just before Christmas I was contemplating buying a gift for a writing friend. I saw something that looked absolutely fabulous in Waterstones. It was called “The Writer’s Toolkit” or something similar. It looked delightful. It came in a very attractive tin. It contained lots of prompts, tips and treats for the writer.

But I really shouldn’t spend that amount of money on my friend. She has given up the day job, lives on a shoe string and can only buy people token presents. It would embarrass her.

It struck me, though, that I could make her a Toolkit myself. The time it would take and the care in the choices I made would be the real gift. The Toolkit would come mainly from bits and pieces I had lying around.

I didn’t do it this year but I’m actually considering doing it for next year and also for one or two other writing friends.

Here are some of the ingredients for a Writer’s Toolkit:

• An attractive tin or box to put everything in
• A few old postcards – the pictures on the front and the messages on the back may lead to stories (I actually use old postcards a lot with my students. Go to a postcard fair and you can often pick job lots of old postcards for a small amount to money.)
• Half a dozen or so favourite creative writing exercises (I’d probably gear these to the particular writer – perhaps trying to push them a little out of their comfort zone.)
• Some free post cards – I’d write prompts on the back
• Some brightly coloured post-it notes (off my own pad if I’m really doing this on a tight budget)
• Some nice pens
• Some other bits of stationery
• An attractive note-book (Okay. You’d have to buy this but you can often find bargains. Keep your eyes open when you’re out and about.)  
• A book I’ve enjoyed – with a note about why I’d enjoyed it and how it might help the writer
• A chocolate bar (squeezed out of the weekly shop)
• A few paint colour charts to provide exotic names for a piece of flash fiction or poems
• A few photographs that might prompt a story
• A list of trustworthy small press publishers who’re currently open to submission
• A collection of newspaper cuttings of incidents that would make the good basis of a story         
• A list of affirmations about being a writer  

I have the feeling that I’d get a good deal of fun putting these kits together. Do you dare me? And if you know a writer who’s on a diet right now, would this be a good alternative to an Easter egg. (Skip the chocolate bar!)