| By Valentine J. Brkich Well, it’s November. And you know what that means: TIME TO PANIC ABOUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!! Relax. There’s still plenty of time to get everything on your list! (Unless, that is, you need something that’s made in China. Then you’re plumb out of luck.) I’m a writer (obviously), so of course I’m interested in all the latest tools and gadgets for me and my fellow wordsmiths. Plus, I’m always looking for new ways to craft killer content (notice the alliteration?) for our amazing clients here at MARQUEE. Thankfully, there are a ton of options available this year for the writer(s) in your life. Some of these feature the latest in technology; others are for the Luddites in your life who tend to lean more on the analog side. So, without further ado, the following are some of my favorite gift ideas, all of which are sure to bring a smile to any fan of the written word. Best Old-School Writer Gift: Vintage Manual Typewriter Sure, all those high-tech writing gadgets are fun to play with, but if you’re serious about your writing, you need to be able to manage all the distractions in your life. Nothing does this better than a good old-fashioned typewriter. Typewriters don’t need Wi-Fi, and they don’t enable you to check your Facebook every five seconds (not that I know anything about that). When you’re writing on a typewriter, you’re able to focus better and get into a flow. Sure, the clickety-clacking of the keys can be annoying to the guy next to you on the airplane. But, heck, everything’s annoying on an airplane! So, where do you buy a typewriter nowadays? A quick Internet search of “vintage manual typewriter” will bring up hundreds of options. That said, if you don’t want to pay a boatload for shipping, you can also try your local thrift store or, better yet, Grandma’s attic (you probably should visit her more often anyway). Best High-Tech Gadget for Writers: reMarkable Digital Notebook If you’re a writer, you probably have a couple dozen (mostly empty) journals and notebooks lying around the house. We can’t help it. There’s nothing as enticing as a beautiful new notebook that’s just waiting to be filled with thoughts and ideas and scribblings that we’ll never finish and never do anything with. The struggle is real. Enter the reMarkable. This high-tech digital notebook lets you keep all of your writing in one place. The reMarkable features an e-ink display (just like an e-reader), which allows for a long battery life. Best of all, it actually feels like you’re writing on paper, unlike those other popular tablets, which Silicon Valley foisted on us beginning in 2010, and which are really just ginormous versions of the smartphones that all of us have, which those relentless tech-bros foisted on us just three years prior. Good thing none of us fell for that con! Other Great Gift Ideas #2 Pencil and Legal Pad: Sure, this gift may make you look cheap and thoughtless, but does the person want to write or waste their time judging people? I think the answer is clear. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: Who better to learn about how to write than from King? The master of horror! The genius who gave us the movie classics “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994) and “Stand by Me” (1986)! Not only does he teach you the tricks of his trade, but you also learn how drinking a 12-pack of beer a day can lead to you writing something as good as “The Shining” (1980). (Then again, probably not.) The Freewrite Smart Typewriter: Like the idea of writing on a typewriter, but too embarrassed to use one in your local coffee shop? The Freewrite is for you! This “smart” typewriter features an e-ink display and backs up all of your writing in the cloud. Best of all, the keyboard feels great to type on and isn’t nearly as loud as the ones on antique machines. And you’ll look cool, too! (Or at least as cool as a writer can.) So that’s the list! I hope you found something on here that will make for the perfect gift for the writer in your life. BTW, if that someone happens to be the amazing staff writer here at MARQUEE, I know he already has the reMarkable and around 25 vintage typewriters. So any of the others will be fine! (Except for the pencil and pad. I mean, that’s just plain cruel.) —– Valentine J. Brkich is a staff writer at MARQUEE. Check out more of his writing at valthewriter.substack.com. |