Inspiring Gifts for Writers

So it’s Wednesday, otherwise known as writing prompt day over here at Write Now! Coach. Instead of offering a prompt today, I’m providing a list of great books to inspire the writers on your list to keep writing! You may also decide to buy these for yourself, and I think that’s a splendid idea!

Give THESE books to friends who write in books and anyone else who needs to generate good ideas! Take Ten for Writers: Generate Ideas and Stimulate Your Writing in Only 10 Minutes a Day and The Write-Brain Workbook: 365 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing by Bonnie Neubauer. These colorful, creatively illustrated tomes will inspire you even if all you do is page through them and admire the beautiful marriage of ideas and art. But if you are the reckless sort, you’ll love scribbling all over the pages, filling them up with your great ideas!

Give this book to your favorite wannabe poets, ages 10 and up! Immersed in Verse: An Informative, Slightly Irreverent, and Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet’s Life by Allan Wolf, Illustrated by Tuesday Mourning. This delightfully illustrated volume provides practical tools and great exercises for the poet-in-training. Though the book was written for a 5-8th grade audience, most new poets will appreciate it.

For the writer who fancies herself an artist! Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric by Violette. I’ve long admired writers who can draw, paint, and sculpt. They not only write wonderful prose, but they also illustrate their thoughts with drawing, painting, and found art. Violette’s book provides simple instruction for all of us wannabes to try our hand at creative journals.

For artist-wannabes that would rather study the work of other artists. An Illustrated life: drawing inspiration from the private sketchbooks of artists, illustrators, and designers by Danny Gregory. When you read this wonderful book, you will feel a bit like you are digging through the private journals of very talented people. In a sense, you are. And it is every bit as delicious as it sounds.

This book is for people who loved Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and need a daily boost! Creative is a Verb: If You’re Alive, You’re Creative by Patti Digh. This book provides a series of hands-on exercises for the creative who needs to reclaim his or her spark. Each chapter has an essay, a bunch of great quotes, pictures, and two exercises: give yourself 10 (minutes) and give yourself 37 (days). Try them, they will change your life!

Your turn. What book inspires you? What books do you tend to give for holiday gifts to fellow writers?