Gifts for Writers: Useful Ideas for Novelists, Journalers and People Who Draft by Hand (2026)

The best gifts for writers either buy them time to write or make the hours they already have go better. In practice that means a free day with no chores, more of the notebook and pens they already use, a backup for their drafts, a craft book they haven't read, or a paid read from an editor. For a novelist or journaler who drafts by hand, a smart pen that copies each page to their phone can cut down on retyping, if they're willing to write on its paper.

We make Ophaya smart pens, so weigh our pick accordingly. It's one idea in the drafting section, and apart from our gift card we don't sell anything else on this list. Before you shop, find out whether they draft on paper or on a keyboard, and what they're working on. Someone halfway through a novel needs different help than someone who journals every morning or plans to start writing in January.

Gifts for drafting

A smart pen, for a writer who drafts longhand

Our Smart Pen + Notebook set ($85.99) comes with a gray-cover A5 notebook of Ophaya dot-code paper. The pen writes in ink while an infrared camera in it reads the printed dots, and each page syncs over Bluetooth to the free Ophaya Pro+ app on an iPhone, iPad or Android device. The app can convert handwriting to editable text and export it as a Word file, so a chapter drafted in a cafe doesn't have to be typed up from nothing. Expect to proofread: OCR makes mistakes, and more of them when the handwriting is hurried or messy. The pen also stores about 1,000 pages while the phone is away and syncs them when it reconnects.

The catch is the paper. The pen captures writing only on Ophaya dot-code paper or the Ophaya LCD tablet, and it takes Ophaya ink refills, so it can't stand in for a favorite fountain pen. A writer who types first drafts doesn't need it, and one who has filled the same brand of notebook for years may not want to switch. For someone who only wants the odd page in digital form, photographing it with a phone costs nothing, and our guide to converting handwriting to text compares the two.

More of the pen and notebook they already use

Look at what's on their desk and buy more of it: the same pen in the same tip size, and notebooks in the size and ruling they already fill. If they've been curious about fountain pens, our list of gifts for note takers has ideas for a starter pen and ink.

Gifts that keep drafts safe

Writing software with snapshots and backups

Scrivener, from Literature & Latte, is software for long writing projects. Its official overview describes a virtual index card for each section of a project, "Snapshots" for going back to an earlier version of a section, and automatic backups when a project is opened or closed. The macOS, Windows and iOS versions are sold separately. The iPhone and iPad version was US$23.99 on the Scrivener store page at our October 2026 check, and the Mac and Windows versions have a 30-day free trial. Ask before buying, since a writer with a manuscript in another program may not want to move it.

An external drive or more cloud storage

A manuscript that exists on one laptop can be lost to one spilled coffee. A small external drive for weekly backups, or a year of extra storage on the cloud service they already use, makes a dull present that protects years of work. Help them set it up over the holidays, or it may stay in the box.

An afternoon of scanning their old notebooks

For a writer with a shelf of filled notebooks and no copies, offer to photograph every page and hand back a drive or a shared folder. It costs you an afternoon or two, and they'll be glad of it if a box of notebooks ever goes missing in a move.

Craft books and reading

Prices below are what the publisher's or bookstore's page showed at our October 2026 check.

If they own all three, a recent novel in the genre they write may go over better than a fourth book about writing. A card for their local bookstore covers you when you don't know what's on their shelf.

Comfort for long writing sessions

A lamp they can aim at the page

If they write at the kitchen table after everyone else is in bed, a clamp lamp or a desk lamp with a movable arm and a warm setting lights the page without lighting up the room. A writer who works by daylight at a bright desk won't need one.

A seat cushion, a footrest or a better chair

A firm seat cushion or a footrest is a cheap fix for long hours on a dining chair. A good office chair is a fine bigger gift, but chairs are personal, so give money toward one and let them choose.

Gifts of time, classes and feedback

A day off to write

For a writer with kids, a demanding job or both, we'd put an uninterrupted day at the top of the list. Take the children for a Saturday, or book them a quiet room for a night away. Write a date on the card, because an open-ended offer tends never to get used.

A writing class or workshop

A class gives an aspiring writer deadlines and readers, which are hard to arrange alone. See what their library, a community college or a local writing center offers, and check the dates against their calendar before you pay. Someone already in a writing group they like may not want another.

A paid read from an editor

A finished draft can stall when the writer can't see its problems anymore, and a freelance editor's read is a large, specific gift. Ask first, and ask what kind of feedback they want: notes on the structure of the story and a line-by-line edit of the sentences are different jobs, priced differently. Don't make it a surprise. Some writers aren't ready to show a draft to a stranger.

Small gifts and stocking stuffers

Tips for buying a gift for a writer

• Find out whether they draft by hand or on a keyboard before buying any drafting tool.
• Ask what devices they use. Scrivener's versions are sold by platform, and the Ophaya pen needs an iPhone, iPad or Android device for the app.
• Skip gifts that comment on their writing, like a grammar guide they didn't ask for.
• Order early. Ophaya ships US orders within 48 hours, plus transit time, so if it has to arrive by December 25, order in the first half of December. Returns are free within the US for 30 days.
• When you can't tell what they'd use, give a gift card. We sell a digital Ophaya gift card in $25, $50, $100 and $150 amounts, though for most writers a bookstore card is the safer pick.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good Christmas gift for a writer?

A planned day to write is the gift we'd pick first. If you'd rather wrap something, give more of the notebook and pen they already use, or a craft book they don't own. For someone with a finished draft, a paid read from an editor is a bigger gift, but ask before you book it.

What should I get an aspiring writer?

Start with a craft book that gives them something to do. Steering the Craft ends each chapter with an exercise, which helps a beginner who doesn't know where to begin. If they keep putting off starting, a class with deadlines may help more than anything you can wrap.

Is a smart pen a good gift for a writer?

It suits a writer who drafts longhand and then retypes the pages, since the app converts handwriting to text they can export to Word and correct. It's a poor fit for someone who types first drafts or won't trade their notebook brand for Ophaya dot-code paper, which is also an ongoing cost (our notebooks and refills guide lists prices). Our checklist on whether a smart pen is a good gift covers what to ask first.