books
Last minute writer gift guide!
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Still haven’t bought that special something for the special, impoverished writer in your life? Here are some last-minute gift suggestions — you don’t even need to leave your house to buy them.

1. Offer to pay their library fines
Help your writer friend avoid shame and angry librarians.
$ or $$, depending on the extent of your writer friend’s disregard for human decency.

2. Freedom
It’s just like George Michael sang, “Freedom / You’ve gotta give for what you take.” Or in this case, turn off the internet so that you can get some goddamn writing done.
$10

3. Anti-social
This app allows for enforced breaks from social media sites and specific URLs. Your writer can get down to business, but still do fact-checking (ahem) on Wikipedia/Lyrics Mania/Reddit.
$15

For the writer who works in a garret or lives in Williamsburg.
$16

5. Scrivener
This word-processing and project management tool was designed especially for novels, short stories, and scripts. It looks complicated but it’s revelatory and amazing.
$38–45

6. Indie bookstore giftcard
WORD, McNally Jackson, and tons of other independent bookstores all over the country have giftcards which you can buy online.
$-$$$

7. Writing Space membership
A room of one’s own, for as little as $90 a month.
Check out Brooklyn Writers Space and Paragraph.
$90 +

8. Tickets to AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference)
It’s like Comic Con for lit nerds.
$40 +
9. Writing Workshop

It’s like group therapy for lit nerds.
In New York, check out Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop and Gotham Writer’s Workshop.
$$$

10. Writing retreat
Could be fancy, but if you send them somewhere nice they’ll be distracted by the view. The Mosley Motel in Gary, Indiana is a steal for $180/week (cheaper if you’re also a trucker).
$$-$$$

11. Trust fund, baby
You don’t need money to write, but it certainly makes the writing life easier. Remove the practical barriers with the gift of a sizable fortune. It worked for Edith Wharton.
$$$$$$$
Happy holidays!
With love,
Electric Literature
