{"id":37675,"date":"2025-12-17T20:12:45","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T01:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/?p=37675"},"modified":"2025-12-17T20:15:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T01:15:26","slug":"the-perfect-writing-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/2025\/12\/17\/the-perfect-writing-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"The Perfect Writing Gift"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Writers can be tough to buy for, especially now that so many of us are using keyboards instead of pens. Don&#8217;t despair, the secret to selecting a great gift lies in understanding the core experience of a writers life: the writing session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Below is a breakdown of what&#8217;s needed for a fantastic writing session. To construct your gift, simply pick one item from each category and bundle them together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A place to write<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m not a coffee shop writer, primarily because I\u2019m too demonstrative when I write. Talking, crying, laughing, and fist pumping are all part of the process. Explaining that process to nearby coffee drinkers is problematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, I have a few places in and around my home: an oak tree out back, a chair in my bedroom, a space in the butterfly garden, and a table in my office. There\u2019s no particular rhyme or reason to which of these I use on a given day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whichever setup you choose, try to craft a balance between having the space both free of distractions and populated by items you can turn to when you need to take a break. It&#8217;s fun to look up and see something that makes you smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gift Ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Under 20<\/strong>: Who are some of the writer\u2019s heroes or favorite characters? Having an inspirational bobblehead nearby while you write is always fun.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>20-50<\/strong>: Think about things that can be used to help re-center: a squeeze ball, a dartboard, a trashcan-mounted basketball hoop.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over 50<\/strong>: A writing blanket. In these arctic times, there\u2019s nothing better than having a writing blanket to wrap around your shoulders or put over your legs. Think soft and not too big.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hydration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s something invigorating about taking a contemplative sip. Lean back in your chair, lift your mug, and let your eyes lose focus as you enjoy your drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gift Ideas (winter-themed)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Under 20<\/strong>: hot chocolate, of course.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>20-50<\/strong>: Tea, coffee, hot buttered rum. Once you open the door to alcohol, the choices are pretty much endless.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over 50<\/strong>: More hot chocolate, and don\u2019t overlook the possibility of mulled cider.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A reward system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Writing is, for the most part, completely lacking in celebration. 99% of the time, nobody\u2019s around to celebrate that awesome scene you just wrote, or to appreciate the overwhelming cleverness of your latest dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Occasionally, your dog\/cat\/parakeet\/lizard is nearby and paying enough attention to give you a lick\/swat\/peck\/bite, but, usually, you just indulge in a satisfied sort of nod, take a breath, and keep going.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enter the reward system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stack cookies nearby for when it\u2019s time to celebrate. When you produce a moment of sheer brilliance (or maybe just finish editing a chapter), eat a cookie.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gift Ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Under 20<\/strong>: chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, Samoas&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>20-50<\/strong>: Pepperidge Farm Milanos, Nutter Butters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over 50<\/strong>: Any of the above, macarons, or gingerbread cookies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ritual<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We all steal writing time. It\u2019s part of life for anyone who\u2019s not a full-time writer. I\u2019m guessing it probably happens for full-timers, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The perfect writing session isn\u2019t stolen time. It\u2019s intentional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don\u2019t have one already, consider crafting a ritual to help get yourself in the right mind space. Some writers use music. Others use candles or lighting.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My ritual is pretty straightforward. After stacking my cookies, I position my drink, adjust my keyboard, crack my neck a few times, take some deep breaths, and dive in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gift Ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Under 20<\/strong>: A music playlist is always cool, especially one with music the recipient may not have heard. Writing hats are also fun.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>20-50<\/strong>: Candles and incense are not my thing, but a lot of people love them.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over 50<\/strong>: At this age, there is undoubtedly a record or CD player in the picture. Pick an album that matches the writer&#8217;s vibe.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Voila!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Combine some options from the gift ideas above, and you are guaranteed to have a happy writer on your hands. Also, and I&#8217;m just spit-balling here, there&#8217;s nothing preventing you from giving yourself a fantastic writing session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, I would be remiss if I didn&#8217;t point out that there are also a few amazing gifts available from yours truly. Bop on over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.secondstoryup.com\">www.secondstoryup.com<\/a> and pick out a great book. Whichever you choose, you can&#8217;t miss!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/poinsettia.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"711\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/poinsettia.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/poinsettia.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/poinsettia-270x300.jpg 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for the perfect gift for the writer in your life? I&#8217;ve got you covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/poinsettia.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DpYi-9NF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37675"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37679,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37675\/revisions\/37679"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}