Almost everyone knows someone who’s going to write a novel someday. Maybe they’ve already started. Maybe they’ve been talking about their zombie novel for six years. Maybe they have 40,000 words and no idea what happens next.

Buying for that person is tricky. Another notebook won’t necessarily help, and there’s only so much encouragement you can fit on a coffee mug.

These eight gifts are for the work of writing a novel: figuring out the story, making time to write it, and learning what to do when the pages aren’t working.

1. Writing Coach in a Box by Alan Anderson

$23.29 · Shop Bookshop.org

A little writing advice is helpful. An entire shelf of writing advice can become another excuse not to write.

This boxed set includes 60 cards with techniques and exercises for developing ideas, improving prose, and working through common writing problems, along with a 32-page booklet.

Keep it on the desk, pull a card when a chapter isn’t coming together, and try something different. No need to read another 200 pages about writing before getting back to work.

2. Writer Emergency Pack by John August

$15 · Shop the John August Store

Every writer eventually reaches the point where the story stops cooperating. A character has nowhere interesting to go. The middle drags. The ending that seemed brilliant three months ago suddenly makes no sense.

The Writer Emergency Pack contains 26 illustrated idea cards and 26 corresponding detail cards designed to help writers work through problems involving character, conflict, and story.

It comes from the world of screenwriting, but the problems are familiar to novelists, too. A useful gift for someone who’s prone to starting a new project whenever the current one gets difficult.

3. Vigo Wood Adjustable Reading Stand

$19.99 · Shop Walmart

Trying to type while holding open a paperback is a frustrating way to spend an afternoon.

This wooden reading stand has an adjustable viewing angle, a folding design, and page clips that keep a book open while the writer works. It can hold a craft book, a favorite novel, or reference material beside a laptop.

It looks good on a desk, too.

4. Time Timer MOD Home Edition

$19.95 · Shop Target

A first novel can feel like an impossible amount of work. A 30-minute writing session is easier to face.

The Time Timer MOD makes that time visible. Set it, and a colored disk gradually disappears as the minutes pass. No need to keep checking a clock or wondering how much longer you’ve committed to sitting there.

The appeal is simple: sit down, write for 30 minutes, and call it a successful session. Tomorrow, do it again.

5. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway

$16.22 · Shop Amazon

There’s a reason Writing Fiction has been assigned in creative-writing classrooms for decades.

Now in its tenth edition, the book covers characterization, dialogue, setting, point of view, plot, and revision. Published examples show how accomplished writers handle those elements on the page.

When a scene feels flat or a character isn’t convincing, this is the kind of book a writer can return to for a clearer understanding of the problem. It’s an introduction to fiction craft that doesn’t require a creative-writing course.

6. U Brands Burlap Bulletin Board

$29.99 · Shop Target

Some stories are easier to figure out when they’re covering an entire wall.

This 20-by-30-inch bulletin board has a burlap surface and white wood frame. Add a pack of index cards, and a writer can map out chapters, track character relationships, and rearrange scenes as the story develops.

Moving a scene from chapter four to chapter nine takes a few seconds. Seeing what that change does to the rest of the story is the benefit.

Include a pack of 3-by-5-inch index cards and some pushpins to make it a complete gift.

7. LapGear Home Office Lap Desk

$36.99 · Shop Walmart

Not every writer has a dedicated office. And even those who do might prefer writing on the couch, in a comfortable chair, or somewhere they can get away from their usual desk for a while.

The LapGear Home Office Lap Desk provides a stable surface for a laptop, with a built-in mouse pad, phone slot, and cushioned underside. The Espresso Woodgrain finish looks better than the plastic laptop trays that tend to make a living room feel like an airport terminal.

A good option for someone who needs to make writing work wherever there’s a comfortable seat and a little peace.

8. Plottr Novel-Planning Software

$60 annually or $150 lifetime · Shop Plottr

By the time a novel reaches 50,000 words, keeping track of every character, subplot, and timeline can become a project of its own.

Plottr gives writers a visual way to organize all of it. They can build timelines, outline scenes, track character arcs, and move story elements around as the manuscript changes. It also offers templates for writers who prefer a structured approach.

This is the most expensive gift on the list, and one worth discussing with the recipient before buying. Some novelists love detailed planning. Others prefer discovering the story as they write. Plottr is for the former.

One more gift worth considering: Finish Your F*&^%$G Novel

For the person who’s already started their first manuscript, our $13 Finish Your F*&^%$G Novel workbook offers practical help with the part that trips up so many writers: getting to the end. It’s a more focused option than another notebook or planning gadget.

Prices are US prices on each store’s site, checked October 2026, and they change.