By Sarah Borroum

Sometimes finding the perfect gift for a writer is a challenge. Even if you’re very familiar with that person’s personality – and what he or she already has – gift giving can be hard. These ideas will help you buy the right gift for your favourite writer.

Many authors are members of guilds. This membership can be very important: some guilds offer health coverage, in-house attorneys and other valuable resources. If you can afford to pay the writer’s guild dues for the upcoming year, you’ll make him or her a very happy person.

Writers also subscribe to writing-related magazines. Renew their subscriptions for the next year: even if you pay for just one magazine, you’ll be a hero to that writer.

Find out where your writer is most comfortable doing his or her thing. You can give gifts that make the work easier, keep your writer comfortable or just spice up the space. An ergonomic keyboard with a built-in wrist rest is a nice gift: so is a new CD of soothing music to enjoy while the muse is visiting.

Inspiration can come in even the smallest and least expensive gifts. A book of quotes about writing, for example, can help knock out even the toughest case of writer’s block. If you know how your recipient likes to decorate the office or writing area, you can add aesthetically-pleasing decorations like framed posters of famous writers.

For many writers, it’s not possible to have too many pens, pencils, reams of paper and other writing supplies on hand. If you know the brands and styles that your writer prefers, you can replenish the stockpiles – usually with just one trip to the nearest office supply store. Even if you don’t know which type of pen to buy, or what paper your favourite writer prefers, you can still help. A gift card is not too impersonal – especially when you make sure that the card is good at a store the writer really likes.

Because most writers are also avid, if not voracious, readers, books are almost always appreciated. A gift card to the writer’s favourite book store is a nice gift. If you’d like to make the book giving more personal, take the writer to his or her favourite book store – your treat. You can spend part of the day there, browsing the shelves and enjoying one another’s company: something that you’ll both like.

Some writers like writing-related software: others don’t. If your writer falls into the former category, a visit to a writing-software Web site will help you locate the ideal program for whatever your writer needs. If, for example, you’re shopping for a screenplay writer, you can find either a word-processor add-on or a standalone program to automatically format, tag and “fix” manuscripts.

Your writer can also benefit from the right hardware. A USB flash drive, for example, can help the writer back up and transport important files (such as the novel that’s been in progress for the last six months). If your writer prefers to burn CD copies of the work, buy a stack of his or her favourite CD-Rs instead.

Remember, though, that gifts don’t have to be serious business. You can find writing-related presents that have a practical purpose, but are also a lot of fun. Magnetic word kits can be amusing. Some writers would love to have a stress ball to squeeze when a deadline is approaching or an editor is being unreasonable.

One of the very best gifts, though, is a little of your time. You can offer your services as a reader or copy editor when your favourite writer is ready to move to that stage of the work. Even if you don’t know anything about proofreading manuscripts, you can still give your honest feedback: something that most authors appreciate more than all the pens in the world.