This is a post about the ULTIMATE holiday gifts for writers.

If you could have anything for a holiday gifts this year, writer, what would it be?

I will be expanding this post over the course of December and I’ll take your suggestions into account.

I’m going to kick things off with a few choice tech items. And then we will proceed with more categories as people chime in.

Here we go!

Techno Gifts for Writers 2011

Kindle Fire

I’m not sure if I can justify an iPad when the Kindle Fire is so much more affordable and practical. What do you think of the Kindle Fire, Full Color 7″ Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi? Anyone have one?

iPhone4S

I’m getting one of these bad boys as a holiday gift. Cannot wait for all of my apps to work again. I’m thinking I will get it in white. Do you have one? What do you think of it?

iPad

This is funny because normally I would just auto-default to the Apple product, but Kindle has me saying, “Not so fast!” I am undecided as to whether I would even want an iPad since I want a Kindle Fire and I have plenty of Mac computers, including a desktop and two laptops (not counting our older, half-defunct models). Plus I already have a bunch of Amazon ebooks on the Kindle I got for my birthday last year, which I was thinking of handing down to my daughter. Here is the Amazon page comparing the two. What do you think? I think I’m going to go Kindle Fire on this one…sorry, Apple.

iMac

I do not need a new computer right now, because we have plenty. But if I were to recommend one to a fellow writer, I think I’d recommend the MacBook Air. I have a MacBook Pro and the thing is darn heavy. It’s awesome. Just too heavy. So the whole lightweight concept should solve the problem. If you order I suggest an anti-glare screen, the larger size, and the three-year warranty.

iRobot Vacuum

I have this fantasy and it goes like this: I turn on the robot vacuum and leave the room and when I come back in ten minutes the whole room is swept. It’s all very George Jetson, but I could get into it. Just try me. Irobot Roomba 562 Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot

Canon G12

I would like to be able to submit professional-quality photos with my work and have better photos on hand to use for blogging. I like Canon products and this camera has the features I want. It’s also is well-rated by users. Anyone tried it?

Brainstorming Tools for Writers 2011

So, before I launch into this list, let me set the record straight. There is one thing I won’t pay a lot for and that’s paper. Why? Well, for one thing my daughter the budding comic book artist has created a three-inch high stack of comic drafts since September—and those are just those that were good enough to keep. Between the two of us, and despite the hyper-digital age we are living in, the two of us consume quite a bit of paper.

My husband does his part burning through a three-subject notebook each month in order to sort out his thoughts and prepare for his school day. So with all the paper consumption going on around here, you can likely imagine why we like to have special tools for doodling around. Here are some of our favorite products:

Prismacolor Art Markers

These are my personal favorites for doodling. Before you say they are too expensive—they are sold at art supply stores, which often offer 40-50% off coupons on one item that is not on sale, especially at this time of year. These markers are rarely on sale, so they usually qualify for coupon discounts. Or you can buy them at Amazon and get them in the handy case, which is what I have.

Sharpies

My husband is a big Sharpie fan. I like to use black Sharpies to sign books because the ink doesn’t smudge or run. We have two kinds of Sharpies that we use most: fine tip and ultra-fine tip. You can even get them with two tips in one, like the Prismacolors. We usually get our Sharpies at Target or Fred Meyer or any other local store that carries them. I think their motto should be, “You can never own too many Sharpies.” A pack starts at about seven bucks and goes up to about fourteen bucks for fine point and about the same prices for an eight pack of ultra-fine points. But you can get 24 ultra-fines for only fifteen bucks here. I also like the calligraphy markers.

Pilot G2s

I buy these pens by the big multi-color pack at Costco and then buy handfulls of cartridge refill two-packs whenever I see them on sale in an office supply store. Even so, they all eventually disappear. I blame my nine-year-old, and also my husband because I use them until they break and then I toss the pieces.

Newsflash for editors: you can buy the red G2s by the dozen in red ink on Amazon. Okay, that is just the kind of thing that causes me to start geeking out. But what really makes me geek out is that you can do the exact same thing in PURPLE.

Costco does not show the big multi-pack in their online store, but they have good prices on refills. I prefer the fine G2 pens to the ultra-fine G2s because the ultra-fine is too scratchy-feeling for me. I don’t like my pen to scratch, I like it to roll, although this probably costs me in ink in the long run.

One Really Awesome Montblanc Pen

Have you ever had one? I had one once and I would like to have one again. First of all, I wonder if I would like signing books with it. Would the ink smudge? Would it roll better than my G2s? I would love to find out because these are not mere pens, people. These are “writing instruments.” Fancy. And it comes in WHITE so it could match my iPhone. Although it would cost four and a half times as much. But hey, this is the Ultimate Holiday Gift List for Writers so we are allowed to dream big.

JetMax Desktop Carousel

Okay, after all of this talk about pens, your mind might be spinning. But spin this desktop organizer instead. It used to be made by Making Memories but now it seems like it’s distributed by JetMax, so I’m not sure who created the product in the first place. The important part is, I love mine. I love sorting my pens in it once a year and having them stay organized for about, oh, three weeks. What does it matter? The sorter spins around, holds pens, highlighters, scissors, paperclips, erasers—you name it. So even an imperfectly organized person such as myself can feel kinda organized. This is another one of those products that is good to get at your local art supply store, like Michaels, with one of those 50% off coupons you can find in the Sunday paper or on their website. (And now that I’ve seen the photo of the embellishment center, I want that too. I hope they still make it!)

EverNote

Blogger Colleen Wainwright swears by EverNote software for organizing blog posts and other writing-related projects. I swear one of these days I’m going to try it. In fact, I just downloaded it onto my fast computer so I can give it a whirl (meanwhile I am always working on my slow computer because I still need to transfer everything over to my newer, faster computer which is not even new any longer).

But here’s the thing, I think my brain works just like EverNote for Mac, so does this mean I don’t need it? I’ll report back after I’ve gotten the hang of it. I have some projects in mind that I think it would be perfect for in the New Year.

One-of-a-kind Gifts For Writers 2011

A Trip To The Sylvia Beach Hotel

I was put up at The Sylvia Beach Hotel once when I gave a presentation for the Coast Branch of Willamette Writers.  I wrote about my delight in the place many moons ago back in my old blog. That was a fun trip to a rare and unique writer-centric destination. I hope, if you will be in the Newport, Oregon area, that you will put The Sylvia Beach Hotel on your radar, stop by, and stay a night or two.

A Writer’s Tribute Coffee Table

Hey, every writer should have a coffee table like this one. Rescued from the gutter and totally restored beyond its former glory with writerly inspiration. Check it out. This table is in the Portland area, Oregonians! (At least I think it is, unless it’s in Portland, Maine.) Perhaps it’s not everyone’s taste, but I liked the idea of it, and thought I could help it find a home.

Uneek “Author” and “Literary Character” Dolls

My husband found these adorable literary dolls online. Check out Debbie Ritter’s Collection of hand-crafted dolls, which come in many themes, including authors and literary characters. Here’s what Debbie has to say about her dolls: I personally create and design each tiny miniature from start to finish, including painting each tiny detail of their faces . I love the process of capturing the expression of what I think they are thinking, or what I think shows their personality!

View all Uneek Doll Designs here.

Stocking Stuffers For Writers

Gift Certificate for a Full Body Massage

In an informal poll of my Dream Team students, a full body massage was the most oft-mentioned treat. In fact, while writing this, I am fantasizing about getting a massage from one of my favorite masseuses at the Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa. THIS is the kind of place the writer on your list would love a gift certificate to so he or she can soak her weary typing fingers, relax her busy brain, and melt into a puddle of relaxed goo. And now if you will excuse me, I have to go make a massage reservation…

Apple Wireless Keyboard

One of my Dream Team students uses this keyboard to type into…her iPhone. You heard me right. Why tote your whole laptop around or even your expensive iPad, when you could just carry this keyboard with your phone and still get tons of writing done while sitting in the carpool line or dashing out for a quick coffee?

Movies About Writers & The Writing Life on DVD

Is my husband listening? If I were to get a handful of my favorite movies about writers in my stocking this year, I would want: Midnight In Paris, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Julie & Julia, Freedom Writers (we have it), Under the Tuscan Sun, Riding in Cars with Boys, Isn’t She Great? (one of my faves!), Shakespeare in Love, Bullets Over Broadway, Henry & June, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Sophie’s Choice, Rich and Famous, and The Way We Were. What would you pick?

A Weekend Writer’s Conference

If your Santa can swing a trip to New York City with the gift, I recommend the Writer’s Digest Writer’s Conference. Or Santa can select one in your neck of the woods even if it’s at a future date like, Willamette Writers, the Missouri Writer’s Guild Conference, The Chuckanut Writer’s Conference or Mad Anthony.

Something Your Writer Covets

Is it a new ring? A new pair of boots? A ski trip? A new camera lens? A new laptop (see above)? A mani-pedi? In my humble opinion, whatever your writer wants is exactly what she should get. After all, she works hard all year long, putting in long hours at the keyboard, staving off eye-strain and Carpal Tunnel. So if you really love her, the holidays are your chance to show just how much with the ultimate writer gift that fits your budget.

A Chance To Work With Me

You want to make your writer happy, right? Well, I can tell you from experience that a productive writer is a happy writer. Maybe all your writer really wants is the chance to take a class or join a Dream Team with me. Maybe she has read my old books, Writer Mama and Get Known, ordered my new book, and is ready to put all the things she has read to work. I have known of writers who have put my classes on their wish lists for years before finally letting themselves take one. If this describes your writer, you can make her very happy by telling her on Christmas morning to take her pick of classes or Dream Teams because you fully support her desire to develop her writing abilities. You might think this doesn’t sound very romantic, but trust me, sometimes it’s exactly what a mom is dying to hear.

What’s your ultimate writer gift this year, writers? Chime in!

This is my contribution to well-gifted writers this holiday season. Feel free to pass this list around.

Happy holidays, writers!

~ Photo by alancleaver_2000

I confess, it’s been a while since I have had time to read poetry. And when I say “a while” what I really mean is about a decade.

Maybe that’s why writer papa Guy LeCharles Gonzales new e-chapbook, “Handmade Memories,” was such a delightful surprise.

I told myself I was only going to give it a quick read, but that didn’t quite work out. I ended up flopping on the couch with my laptop, next to my nine-year-old, who was reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

I must have shushed my kid a dozen times, every time she jarred me out of the vivid world of Guy’s younger selves navigating his worlds in various degrees of defiance, fight-or-flight, and unflinching observation.

There were a couple of carefully chosen prose pieces in the chapbook, but, for me, they interrupted the pulsing voice of poetry that pulled me  in and kept me rapt all the way through 55 pages.

More poetry, please, Guy!

Here are a few of my favorite selections:

Years passed and
when he died
I arrived late for his wake
eyes and throat moist
from guilt and alcohol.

~ from “Sunday Mornings in the Kitchen with Gan’ganny”

The bartender
dresses for the crowd
in a shiny black bustier
and tight black polyester capris
long copper-dyed hair pulled
back into a poofy ponytail
flirts like Pollock attacking
a canvas, her artistic genius revealed
at the end of the night when
she counts her tips.

~ from “Old New York Love Story”

when he had three of us on his ten-speed
flying down the hill around the corner
him on the seat
Junior on that crossbar that dips
on a girl’s bike
and me, on the handlebars
navigating
never seeing that beer can in middle of the street
even after we hit it

flying through the air like some
dysfunctional acrobatic family…

Junior was temporarily blinded in one eye.

My father had amnesia and
sometimes
I suspect that he never fully recovered.

I got thirteen stitches
and an everlasting respect for manhole covers

~ from Prodigal Son

Christina Katz: What compelled you to share these collected works now?

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez: When I was active on the poetry scene, I published three chapbooks and loved the process of creating them by hand and having them with me to sell at readings. Unfortunately, a chapbook’s reach becomes very limited when you’re not actively performing, and I’ve been off the scene for several years now. Plus, I’m pretty sure Burning Down the House is now out-of-print (or should be, at least!), so there’s really no way for anyone to read any of my work in one place these days, and most of what I wrote after 2000 has never been published.

I initially got the idea to publish my own e-book from Jane Friedman during the first Writer’s Digest Conference, back in 2009, and actually put together something really simple and posted it on Smashwords to test it out as a free e-book. I briefly promoted it on my blog and then pretty much forgot it about, checking in periodically, and when I deactivated it this past weekend, it had around 750 views/downloads and one very generous review.

With my recent job change, I decided to carve out some time for my own writing again (because writers write, right?), and the first thing on my list was publishing Handmade Memories, a bit of unfinished business I had to get off my plate for a sense of closure so I could move on the next project.

Christina Katz: This collection covers a lot of time and feels almost like a coming-of-age journey in poetry. How would you describe your writing journey as a coming-of-age journey?

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez: I was 28 when I first started reading my poetry at the Nuyorican Poets Café in 1997 – single and childless – and, in a lot of ways, I was still an obnoxious kid. Reckless and self-destructive, I loved a good debate and I was always right! As far as my writing  went, I was still very immature, too, and it showed in a lot of my early poems, including a couple I put in Handmade Memories. “Prodigal Son” was actually the first poem I wrote that I was really proud of as a poem rather than a performance, in early ’98, and it heralded a gradual but permanent shift in my style, from the pugnacious energy of the hyper-competitive slam to a more narrative, storyteller approach. That shift enabled me to connect with myself, and over the years, my writing greatly improved.

By 2001, I was becoming known more for being the host and curator of my reading series, a little bit louder, than for my writing, as my output greatly decreased, but the little I did write over the past few years was far better than anything I wrote during my peak years on the scene. By the time I’d written three of my absolute favorites – “Old New York Love Story,” “Party Like a Rock Star,” and “Crazy White Devil” – I’d been absent from the scene for so long that most of the regulars at the series I founded (now called louderARTS), have no idea I ever wrote poetry!

Christina Katz: I know you have been reading, reviewing, slamming, blogging, building communities, and being a literary social artist for years. Tell us about the work you are doing now.

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez: I joined Media Source, Inc. last month – publisher of Library Journal, School Library Journal, and The Horn Book – as Director, Content & Digital Product Development, and the short job description is that I’m now the guy I’ve fought with the most over the past 7 years of my career in publishing! My job is to develop our content strategy and introduce new digital products that serve our audience’s needs across a variety of mediums, while not forgetting that print is still an important channel that drives a lot of revenue. My first real job was at the Mt. Vernon Public Library, and I think librarians (along with teachers), are among our culture’s most unsung heroes, so being able to work with such an incredible community of people is an amazing opportunity.

During my job search in February, I had a few freelance and consulting opportunities present themselves that were rather interesting, and while it’s not something I want to do on a regular basis, I’ve launched a new initiative called Free Verse Media, where I plan to channel everything I’ve learned about storytelling, community building and marketing over the years into actionable forms; blog posts, conversations, presentations, and maybe even the occasional consulting gig when things settle down a bit.

Christina Katz: You’re a full-time working writer papa. What’s it like trying to juggle all you do literarily with making a living and raising a family today?

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez: Honestly, it’s pretty difficult, but two things make it work: I have a VERY understanding wife, and I don’t sleep much! For the past several years, my “literary” pursuits have mostly been confined to blogging, and I typically write posts early in the morning before leaving to work, or late at night, after everyone’s in bed.

I first started blogging in 2003 out of curiosity and it eventually became my only real outlet for doing any writing, especially when I faded from the poetry scene in late 2003. It kept the juices flowing for years, and twice it actually transitioned into “jobs,” once with PopCultureShock.com (where I was paid in highly discounted comics!) and most recently with Digital Book World, where among many hats, I was also editor-in-chief and primary contributor. Interestingly, after years of believing I was a novelist-in-waiting, I recently had to acknowledge that I’ve been a non-fiction writer for years, and even the majority of my poetry could be categorized as creative non-fiction.

As I noted earlier, the recent job change gave me an opportunity to carve out some time for my own writing again, and while it still involves getting as little sleep as possible, I intend to make the most of it. And by “most,” I mean finally writing some fiction!

Christina Katz: Your portrait of yourself as a young man is rich, complex, and powerful. It takes guts to share such an intimate e-book. How did you get so brave and any suggestions for writers who might feel anxious about publicly sharing themselves in such a manner?

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez: What actually gave me the courage to get on stage at the Nuyorican in the first place was a couple of acting workshops I took in college. My teacher was Annette Cardona, the original Cha-Cha from Grease, and she was intense and no-nonsense. I wasn’t a great actor by any stretch, but she was a closet psychiatrist and some of her acting exercises were all about stripping away all the layers and digging deep to connect with a character.

My personal breakthrough was an emotional scene from Michael V. Gazzo’s A Hatful of Rain; I was playing Johnny Pope, and he and Celia are arguing because she thinks he’s having an affair but he’s really hiding that he’s a junkie. The whole idea of letting a secret tear your life apart, and not letting the person you love and fear losing the most in on it because you’re ashamed was tough, but tapping into that emotion was incredibly freeing, too.

Also, on the poetry side, I’ve always responded most to very honest, personal work, and Charles Bukowski and Willie Perdomo are probably my two favorite poets of all, both tapping into the less-than-glamorous aspects of their own lives to tell compelling stories that are ultimately bigger than themselves. That’s the kind of work I always aspire to.

Christina Katz: What would you say to a dad, who feels like his creative energy is getting sapped by all of his daily responsibilities and commitments but wants to spend more time writing?

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez: It’s a cliché, but it’s true: “Writers write. Period.” (And yes, they also have to carve out some time for marketing!) If we can find the time to go out drinking, to watch a football game, to sleep in late on the weekend, then, assuming it’s really a priority, we can find the time to write. And I say that as someone with zero self-discipline when it comes to my own writing!

I’m working on it, though. And publishing Handmade Memories was partly a way to clear the decks so I can focus on writing new work, and also a way to reconnect to a community I’d drifted away from. Finding a community of writers, whether in person or online, is essential.

Writing doesn’t have to be a solitary experience; the group of poets I ran with in my early days kept me going through the dry spells. We went to readings together, workshopped together, and inspired each other to keep writing and improving.  In this day and age, there’s absolutely no reason to go it alone. [End interview]

Thanks for purchasing a copy a of  “Handmade Memories” by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez. I think women should read it to better understand what it’s like to grow up male in this crazy country. And I think mamas should by it for their men. I know my husband is eager to read it now that I’ve told him about it. Let me know if you like it by leaving a comment or e-mail Guy.

Order Info: Purchase Handmade Memories

Guy’s Bio:

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez works in publishing by day, world domination by night. Over the years he’s lived in Staten Island and South Beach Miami; served in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, US Army, and Dennis Kucinich’s ’04 Presidential Campaign; won poetry slams, founded a reading series, co-authored a book of poetry and believes in the power of publishing as a community service. He prefers Pumpkin and India Pale Ales, Jim Beam, and Dona Paula Shiraz Malbec, and is a devout Mets and Jets fan from the Bronx now living in New Jersey with his beautiful wife and two amazing kids.

So, I was chatting with Hallie Ephron on Facebook today, when it occurred to me that I should really round up some of the thoughts I was sharing with her, which have dawned on me slowly over the past two years. So here we go, four big thoughts for you on the recent evolution of publishing:

Big Thought Number One: We have passed the tipping point. All Authors Are Also Publishers Now.

First there was J. A. Konrath carrying on like a character from a Shakesperean play (love you Joe, but you know you do sometimes).

Then there was Amanda Hocking, a pretty smart cookie and self-published author, who wants to parlay her self-publishing success into a traditional book deal. I wrote about her here.

And now there is Barry Eisler, walking away from a 500K deal and simultaneously telling the whole world why.

Is this alarming or confusing or both?

Not at all. It makes perfect sense. It’s been building up for a couple of years now.

Konrath has created what Seth Godin would call a tribe of self-publishing traditionally published and self-published authors, which will continue to grow.

I joined on a very small scale a year ago when I published my first e-book, Author Mama. It was scary as hell to publish myself but it was fun and exhilarating, as well. I was able to work with bloggers and fans to put out first a beta version of the e-book and then a final alpha version, proofed by initial readers.

The reason I bring up my own self-publishing experience, although empowering, is not because it taught me to say, “Screw the publishing industry! I’m out of here!” It didn’t.

I like and respect my publisher and the people who work for the company and have had a relationship with many of them for going on five years now.

Big Thought Number Two: Going With Traditional Or Self-Publishing Is A Choice & Authors Can Choose Either, Or & Both

We did it!

And when I say “we,” I mean there is a long list of folks, who helped me get from wanting to publish my first e-book to actually having published it.

I will tell you the whole story with all the steps I took and how you can take them too, soon. It’s a good story and I want to share it. But first, I have several more e-book formats to tackle for Author Mama and it’s not like I can just snap my fingers and it is done.

In the meantime, Author Mama is available on Kindle! Woo-hoo! And I am very pleased. You can check it out here. You can also read Author Mama as a PDF doc.

Special thanks to Rob Siders, who did the e-book formatting, Debbie Ridpath Ohi, who did the cover art, and Cindy Hudson, who did the final edit.

Thanks for helping me spread the word.

If you just crank out content, they might come for a while but they will eventually move on until they find a nice, cozy context. Or a context that produces the results and benefits they are looking for.

I’ve said it before (somewhere, I can’t find it at the moment), content might be king, but context is queen.

And, as is so often the case, the queen usually wins.

Dan Blank wrote an interesting post today about how newspapers used to be a service. I asked for his thoughts on newspapers as a context vs. content producers.

Because, for me, newspapers used to be a context delivered to your door. But now they have to compete with so many other contexts that can be delivered in so many ways through your phone or iPad or laptop or whatever, that newspapers, which have been slow or clunky in making the transition, are losing the edge they once had in luring us in and keeping us nice and happy on a Sunday morning.

And we have SO many types of context these days. It’s like a circus of choices.

Check out these writer-centric examples:

A Writer’s Conference is a context (Look at what Digital Book World is doing)

The Bookstore is a context (Look at Amazon or Powell’s)

Magazines are now a context (Like Writer’s Digest)

School was always a context but the extension of schools using distance learning give every school more reach (the Vermont College’s MFA program comes to mind)

Heck, even my bank is now a worldwide context (and every other bill I pay each month has their own context, as well)

But comes the context rub: with so many contexts competing for our energy and attention, some of them are going to fade away. The average human being simply cannot care for her children, maintain a career, enjoy personal intimate relationships, and indulge in a few real life simple pleasures if she spends every second of her time online jumping from context to context.

And that’s if she can remember all those passwords.

Now notice that this post is directed to publishers and new media. It’s not directed to writers because I don’t suggest individual writers attempt to create contexts of the size and scope that corporations and businesses create.

I got out of the context business last year and it’s been a huge relief. Guy Gonzalez got into the context business last year but he is a full-time employee and I presume he makes a decent salary for all of his tireless and amazing hard work.

Writers, you have to remember what business you are in. You simply can’t compete with huge corporations or even-medium sized businesses that create intricate, technologically sophisticated contexts.

For me, I’m in the writing business. I write. I teach writing and writing-related skills. I speak on writing and writing-related topics. I am actually something of a creative career expert since I’ve been doing this stuff for almost a decade.

Therefore, when I create contexts, they are necessarily temporary. They are temporary because I don’t have a staff. I can’t afford a staff. And it takes a staff to build and maintain a context (for example, here’s a roundup of the bloggers for Writer’s Digest).

I’ll say more about ways that writers can use context strategies for success soon. But in the comments this time, I’d love to you list all the online contexts you visit in the average week. And then tell us if your time investment is sustainable.

Wouldn’t it be fascinating if we all shared this? (Feel free to use general rather than specific terms, if you prefer.) Context-friendly strategies for writers, next time.

~ Photo by Dustin Diaz