A gift guide for writers and authors

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Writing is often considered to be an art and therefore, writers turn out to be quite a fussy bunch. In these cold times where snow begins to seclude them to their dim, warm corners by the fire to last out the winter, inspire the writers in your life with the following five Christmas gift ideas that come in various shapes, styles and sizes to suit the many genres of literary enthusiasts.

Grooming/Beauty Products

Winter’s descent has been fast and furious this year. So, I’ve discovered some winter grooming products for the journalists that are dedicated to getting the news out there in the wonderful, yet insufferable crisp, cold air of the Christmas season. Men, battle the icy elements with seasonal products from Nordstrom.com. They provide quality moisturising creams, aftershaves and hair products tried and tested to withstand the cold, dry air and harsh winds of winter. L’Occitane’s ‘Shea Ultra Rich Comforting Cream’, priced at $47.02 is a heavy-duty night time lotion that’s easily absorbed into the skin for fast and effective results on dry skin. Nordstrom.com also provides many other products by L’Occitane that use only essential oils and natural ingredients that’ll protect any man’s skin and style throughout the season. Nordstrom.com also has a line-up of featured women’s skincare products such as FRESH’s ‘Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream’ for $55.32, designed to maintain hydration levels in the skin. Using a combination of natural ingredients such as rose flower and plum seed oil, results in a lightweight formula that attracts, increases and maintains moisture in the skin to help endure the bitter winter winds. All skincare products provided through Nordstrom. com are vitro tested and contribute towards their campaign, ‘Let’s Go Gifting’. The campaign provides many opportunities for customers to help Nordstrom.com give back to the communities in Canada and the U.S. through raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. A share of the profits from Nordstrom’s signature collections also go to important organisations such as WE, who provide education and resources for students and educators to understand and take action against pressing social concerns.

Warm Beverages

I can personally amend to the stereotype that writers and hot beverages go hand in hand whatever the season, be it coffee or coco. Journalists in particular need to be on the very cusp of news, so your travel mug should be at the very same edge. Temperature adjusting mugs have been around for a while, but Thero is the fastest. Based out of Boston, Thero is a Kickstarter company that has just prepared for pre-orders after doubling its target funding since the company’s launch in 2017. They aim to provide products for people on the go, and certainly deliver with Thero for a price of $52.91. Thero use only the highestgrade materials, turning drinks from scalding hot to the perfect temperature in only two minutes and keeping them there for five-to-six hours. Thero’s stainless steel body and phase changing-material absorbs excess heat to have your brew ready to drink within moments while providing a sturdy and resilient structure to withstand the arduous climates. Find out more at Therolife.com.

Technology

Nothing beats a fire in the winter. With Amazon’s Fire 7 Tablet now available online for $79.99, give your friends the means to escape to the warm fires of fantasy worlds this Christmas. Although the new Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet was released earlier this year, the Fire 7 boasts an equal 16GB of memory, while only having a one-inch smaller display than the Fire HD 8. Save $20 and never mind the slightly smaller display. You’ll still receive the same quality image, eight-hour battery life and magnificently large library. Amazon also understand that an avid reader makes a prolific writer. Starting at $9.99 per month, a Kindle Unlimited subscription provides access to over one million ebooks each month.

Planner/Journal

Nothing is worse than a story idea becoming lost in the wind. Perhaps, missing a deadline. This Christmas, however, make the most of the extensive efforts of Passion Planner and their Get One, Give One program. The versatile journal/ planner provides one place for all your thoughts and is designed to help you focus on what’s important while setting your thoughts and ideas free. The Get One, Give One program ensures that you, as well as another student in need, have the means to structure, plan and achieve your short-term and longterm goals. Find out more at passionplanner.com

Books

Finishing off the list are two favourably chosen books that would make the perfect gift for any ambitious writer. First, The Emotion Thesaurus, by Angela Ackerman. The welldesigned format of this book is what makes it stand out. It’s a reference book that allows writers to draw inspiration from detailed descriptions of emotions that a character may portray, as opposed to simply providing a synonym. Each entry illustrates an emotion in a very simple way -making it accessible for any level of writing- and provide several from which to expand upon in one’s own work, such as body language, internal sensations and emotional responses. The Emotion Thesaurus is a must have for any writer who is keen to show, not tell. The book is available for $14.99 at Barnesandnoble.com or in-store. Secondly, You Are A Writer, by Jeff Goins will give writers the gift of hope this Christmas. I’m sure many of us as writers dream of bigger pictures, but also share the subjection of anxiety, publishing rejections and the inevitable, self- loathing and crippling doubt of our art that lays in the ink-soaked pages before us. In the book, Goins shares his story, and accentuates the steps he took to overcome the self-doubt many if not all writers endure. Furthermore, Jeff provides detailed and practical ways in which you can develop your writing, build your confidence and start getting published. You Are A Writer is also available both online and in-store at Barnes & Noble for $6.13. May this Christmas be the plot twist you’ve been waiting for.