WOW’s Holiday Gift Guide for Writers

With the holidays coming up, it’s time to think about what to buy for the budding writer in your life. I’ve already compiled my list (mainly books), but WOW! Women on Writing recently published their own Holiday Gift Guide (click to download the PDF). I spy a few favorites on their list. Here are the books from their list that I’d personally recommend.

The Writer’s Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination
I’ve used this clever book as a conversation starter in every office where I’ve worked. Now it’s proudly perched on my windowsill waiting to offer me inspiration. Guaranteed to get a chuckle on Christmas morning (or during whatever holiday you celebrate).

Eat, Pray, Love

This was the one piece of literature that my book club ever universally liked. And that’s saying a lot. From the savory scents of Italy to the purity of an ashram in India and the color characters of Indonesia, author Elizabeth Gilbert writes beautifully about traveling the world – and finding herself.

The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business
The ultimate Bible for female entrepreneurs, this book covers everything from creating a marketing plan and hiring employees to handling legal issues and firing a friend. Plus, it’s written in a quirky, light-hearted tone that is a joy to read. Though the authors run a multi-person web design company, solo writers will find plenty of useful tips, too.

My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire
The perfect companion to The Boss of You (and also published by Seal Press), this book details the trials and travails of being self-employed. Author Michelle Goodman has been a freelance writer for 16+ years so she shares plenty of juicy stories from the trenches (not to mention interviewing dozens of other DIYers). In case you missed it, here’s my recent interview with Michelle Goodman.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Anne Lamott’s descriptions of the writer’s psyche are dead-on. Though the advice is mainly tailored to novelists, the concepts of “shitty first drafts” and “Radio Station KFKD” (aka that little voice in your head that tells you you’re a terrible writer and no one will want to read your work) are applicable to writers in any genre.

So, what’s on your gift list this year? Any books or gift you’d like to recommend?