Holiday Gift Guide for Writers

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Analog Writing, Blackwing, Blackwing602, Bullet Pencil, Criterion Collection, Fade In, Field Notes, Film Struck, FilmStruck, Fountain Pens, Golden Bear Pencils, Holiday Gift Guide for Screenwriters, Holiday Gift Guide for Writers, Leuchtturm1917, Metal Shop, Noodler's 54th Massachusetts, Noodlers Ink, Palomino, Pencils, Screenwriting, Scrivener, TWISBI, TWISBI ECO, Writting

It’s that time of the year again. Perhaps you have a loved one in your life who is a writer/screenwriter and you have no clue what to get them for Christmas, or you’re a writer and want a list of ideas packaged up in a nice little bow to send to your friends and family as a big hint. Don’t worry, I have you covered. Here are 10 gifts you can give to writers this Christmas.

1. TWISBI ECO Fountain Pen
   There are many great fountain pens I could put on the list, but I’m thinking about the best affordable fountain pen. The TWISBI ECO is the latest pen to come from TWISBI. Their ECO line is the cheapest too. The Pen is a piston filler, so there is no need for a converter. The barrel is also clear, so you are able to see your beautiful ink flow from the pen. The pen also comes in numerous nib sizes. I personally prefer extra fine since I write small. You can purchase the TWISBI ECO at The Goulet Pen Company.
   Price: $28.99

   
   

2. Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts (30z Bottled Ink) – Made in the USA
   If you’re going to get a fountain pen you need great ink to go with it. I have countless inks, which is another blog post within itself, but I find myself returning to the same ink each time, Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts ink. It’s a beautiful deep blue/black ink. It behaves well on most paper and it’s what they call a bulletproof ink. That means your writing will be well protected from water damage. You can purchase Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts at The Goulet Pen Company.
   Price: $12.50

   
   

3. Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Notebook, Lined (5.71 X 8.27)
   Writers need a good quality notebook that can take the abuse. I use to be a big fan of Moleskine, but over the years their paper quality has declined. Most of my ballpoint pens and Fountain Pens bleed through to the other side of the page, making the other page useless. I’ve completely switched over to the German notebook, Leuchtturm1917. It has 249 numbered pages, a table of contents, two ribbon page markers, stickers for labeling, and it opens up completely flat. Best of all, it’s fountain pen friendly. You can purchase the Leuchtturm1917 at The Goulet Pen Company.
   Price: $19.50

   
   

4. Blackwing 602 Pencil
   I love fountain pens, but I also love pencils. There’s something nostalgic about writing with a dark buttery smooth cedar pencil in a ultra techie world. When it comes to pencils my favorite pencil hands down is the Blacking 602. It’s a classic pencil that was used by many of the greats like John Steinbeck. There’s nothing like writing or drawing with a quality Blacking 602. It’s the Cadillac of pencils. You can purchase Blackwing 602 pencils at Pencils.com . Also check out the KUM Long Point Sharper.
   Prince: $21.95

   
   

5. Palomino Golden Bear #2 Pencil – Made in the USA
   The Blacking 602 might be my favorite pencil, but the Palomino Golden Bear comes in at a close second place for the best pencil. The Golden Bear is made in the USA with California cedar and it writes similar to the 602, buttery smooth and dark. The great thing about the Golden Bear is that they are cheap and write better than any pencil you will find in the store. I have at least a hundred of these lying around. You can purchase Palomino Golden Bear Pencils at Pencils.com
   Price: $2.95

   
   

6. Field Notes – Made in the USA
   Field Notes are amazing, small 3½” × 5½” memo books that make great stocking stuffers. They also come in many unique covers and you can get them in a line, grid, and dotted format. I always have a Field Notes notebook crammed in my pocket for jotting down random ideas throughout the day.  You can purchase them in packs of three over at FieldNotes.com
   Price: $9.95

   

7. Bullet Pencil by Metal Shop – Made in the USA
   Sometimes you want to use a pencil on the go to jot down notes or sketch something without the pencil poking your leg. The Bullet Pencil by Metal Shop solves that. Bullet Pencils have a lot of history and the Metal Shop have taken that old history and have modernized it with a vintage flair. They give you numerous customization options to get the color and look you want. Best of all, they are made in the USA. You can purchase and customize your bullet pencil at the metalshopct.com
   Price: $38.00
   
   
8. Scrivener Writing Software
   Microsoft Word is a thorn in my side and I hate it with a passion. For the most part I use Google Docs, but when it comes to heavy long documents for novels, research, articles, plays, lectures, biographies, and outlining…Scrivener is the way to go. The tools they give you are incredible. You can check out Scrivener at LiteratureandLatte.com
   Price: $45.00

   
   

9. Fade In Screenwriting Software
   For many years the screenwriting software, Final Draft has been the “industry standard”. The problem with Final Draft is that it’s dated and too expensive for what it does. I have recently made the switch to Fade In, and I will never go back. Fade In is a powerful, simplistic, and minimalistic screenwriting software that formats your screenplay as you write. It’s a must own for any screenwriter. You can learn more about Fade In and purchase it at fadeinpro.com 
   Price: $49.95

   
   

10. FilmStruck Streaming Service
    If you are a writer or screenwriter it’s important to watch and analyze a lot of movies. Most might already have a streaming service like Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu. Those are great but, they are still missing something. Lately, I’ve been loving the Criterion Collection of movies on Bluray, so I was excited when I stumbled on a new streaming service called FilmStruck. FilmStruck streams critically acclaimed films, hard-to-find gems, and cult favorites from the world’s greatest independent film libraries. FilmStruck was created by Turner Classic Movies and The Criterion Collection. They have several different plans that range in price. As of now they stream through Amazon Fire Tv, Apple, and Android devices. This coming year they will expand to Roku, Chromecast, Xbox One, and PS4. I don’t have this service yet, but I hope to get it soon. You can check out FilmStruck at filmstruck.com
    Price: $6.99/Month
                $10.99/Month
                 $99.00/Year