Books, Mostly.

I don’t know that writers are all that harder (or easier) to shop for than real people. When you’re buying someone a gift, you either want to give them something they didn’t know they wanted (like the year we got my brother Storm Front) or you want to give them something they told you that they wanted.

That said, a great go-to is a book. I don’t know a writer who doesn’t get a little giddy about a new book, be it an e-book or a new hardback. It can be a bit of fiction or a reference book. You can never have too many books, and there are so many different kinds.

However, there are other options. Some writers (yo) like office supplies. Pens, notebooks, office furniture, computer accessories, et cetera. I get giddy over a new USB drive. Software. Staples is, like, paradise.

Dinner is always a good one, especially for your single writer friends who don’t have space in their heads for both food and ideas. Just make sure that your friend isn’t going to be stressed out by the gift of being social.

And really, you know your writer. You know if they want food or a new stapler or a DVD. Don’t let the writer in them daunt you.

Ashley M. Hill

Ashley M. Hill found her voice in science fiction when her curiosity about technology coupled with the lifelong urge to tell stories. Her interest in social and feminist issues shapes how she approaches the genre. She's pursuing computer and network repair for her day job.