Okay, it’s that time of year – starting to
think about what you can get your friends who write or who just spend a lot of
time at a desk? I’m not going to beat around the bush with lots of filler and ‘words’
here, I’m going to use this blog to give you some ideas. I usually do this
about once a year as we head into the holidays, and I cover some stuff that’s
moderately expensive all the way down to free, so here goes.
Got some cash you can part with? TheVaridesk is
fantastic. It’s adjustable so the user can stand or sit easily, and its simple
and quick to adjust, a pair of handles on the side and raise or lower. I got one about a year ago and love it. Spend
a lot more time standing and everything I hear points to that being the more
healthy approach; a division between sitting and standing.
A new printer maybe? Just got the HPOfficeJet 8600 all in one myself. A Great machine for
the money.
Scriptwriting software for that special
someone a possibility? I personally use Movie Magic Screenwriter 6
If you’re kind of scraping the bottom of
the barrel funds-wise yourself you can consider compiling a list of free apps
and great websites that special person may not know about. For Example, there’s
Adobe Story an online Scriptwriting App.
The Writer can set up an account and away you go. I’ll mention other freebies along the way
here.
There are always the old stand-bys like
pens, high-lighters, pencils, staplers, anything for the desk top and blank
books of various descriptions. You can find those blank books online or locally,
sometimes very reasonably or very expensively, depending. I put out a blank
journal for writers called Weighty Words
A Quotable Writers and Artists Notebook. Slim and paperback = economical.
Amazon’s Kindles come in a variety of
configurations and price range starting at $99 – link in and poke around
You can get Word and on the freebie side
there’s Open Office
It’s a totally free office suite. Mac or PC.
Or YWriter – free software for writers.
Then there are sites you can put on your
‘recommend’ list that are helpful for the Indie writer and self-publisher, a
list you can compile with a bit of work and no $ outlay – here are just a few
ideas:
J. A. Konrath – Newbie Guide To
Publishing
The Passive Voice - A Lawyer's Thoughts
on Authors, Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing
Indies Unlimited – Site for Writing,
Publishing and Marketing Books
Don’t forget the Adobe Screenwriting App
mentioned above.
The Book Designer – Practical Advice to
Help Self-Publishers Build Better Books
Jane Friedman – Helping Authors Flourish
in the Digital Age
There are lots more out there, websites
offering first line story-starters, naming sites of all types, resource sites and a whole lot more.
Amazing what you can unearth by doing some searches.
Maybe you’d like some links to Ebooks
you can gift. Not necessarily on writing – or maybe on writing:
M Pax’s Backworlds – Sci Fi - starts
with The Backworlds free beginning of the series.
Also M Pax’s The Rifters - Sci
Fi/Steampunk/Adventure - also free & beginning of another great series.
Or Lorna Suzuki’s Imago soon to be a motion picture and reasonably
priced.
Romance? You could try a couple of mine:
Cloud Dancer – historic romance
Dark Side of Love – contemporary romance
Television Writing From the Inside Out by Larry Brody - this
one’s on writing!
Need books, software and more for that
favorite writer – you can visit Writer’s Emporium – an Amazon store
Whatever you do no doubt it’ll be
appreciated whether you can afford a high ticket item or expend your own sweat
to do some digging. Get in the spirit and give the gift with the personal touch
– something you really thought about.
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