6 Considerate Methods To Give Your Writing As A Reward
There are so many gifts to give, items to buy, items to buy. But what if you give something different this year? What if you write gifts instead of things?
I love the Christmas season.
I love decorating the tree and baking cookies with my daughter. I love wrapping gifts and hiding them from prying eyes.
But with each passing holiday season, I love a little less each year: rampant consumption and the impossible expectations that come with it.
If you're anything like me, making room for expensive gifts on your budget can be a challenge. The bombardment of commercials doesn't make it any easier. It seems like every ad shows a happy family unpacking TVs, expensive smartphones, and new car keys – without a single moment of financial strain or credit card debt!
We just can't keep up with the Joneses.
A priceless gift for loved ones
Every year at Christmas I found a solution for consumption: "give away" my letter.
It has taken many forms. And while it's not free, it scales wonderfully as I can usually duplicate or copy the same gift letter for each family unit or group of loved ones.
If you're like me you might be wondering if this is a gift. "Isn't that just my things?" You can ask.
Here's the trick: wRite something new for the gift.
Even if it's just a new short story, a single poem, or a new “bonus” chapter to a book, create something new that is only meant for loved ones on that particular holiday.
If you have any craft or technical skills, you can spice them up and make them look really creative and / or professional!
When we give the gift of our writing, we are giving something that is valuable. We give our:
- heart and soul
- Time and attention
- High quality artistic work
And when those closest to us receive something made just for them, it's a gift that can't be found anywhere else, exchanged at the mall, or returned to Amazon.
It's priceless.
"
The best gift you can give is the gift of your own writing created especially for your loved ones.
6 ways to write gifts this holiday season
As I've gifted my writing over the years, I've tried different approaches with varying degrees of success. I picked up strategies that I used as a teenager, student, and adult. So find an approach that works best for your schedule and budget.
Your gift can be whatever you want. It can be wildly fictional or lifelike. It can be memoirs. It can be something experimental that you try. It can be poetry, short story, flash fiction, novella, novel, serialized story, a collection of blog posts – almost anything.
And don't forget – you can do this in advance and plan for the next year!
1. Write / say what you want
Before we go any further, we need to deal with an important topic: Writing for the family can be difficult.
Some of us might use writing as an escape from family. If so, giving your letter away as a gift may be best for distant relatives or close friends, rather than family members.
It is up to you what is best. But whatever you do, do not use this writing as therapy (although it can be therapeutic to tell stories in your own voice and then share them with family, distant relatives, or friends and loved ones when the time is right ).
It is up to you who you feel safe to share your writing with and what types of writing you feel safe with sharing it.
In any case, do not make the mistake of devaluing your voice and its priceless value as a gift.
2. Get smart
In high school, I printed pages of my short stories, pasted them onto construction paper, and used string as a binding. I colored the cover with crayons and was very happy with the result.
Highly recommend this to younger gift givers if they are limited by budget and time.
When you browse your home's craft drawers, you'll be amazed at the tools available to create some fun projects for your family.
3. Mimic professional printing
With access to a few more resources, you can create a professional looking book with both printed pages and maps. With the help of online tutorials, I figured out how to format a double-sided, paginated brochure and then used structured card stock for the cover. The structured map material contributes significantly to creating the "feeling" of professional printing, even if the resulting book is rather slim.
With this approach, make sure you have access to a “long stapler” so you can accurately staple the center spine of the booklet. Copy shops or the copy shop or post office at your workplace often have one of these that you can use.
Tapping into your inner Pam Beasley can be fun and festive!
4. Be professional … but plan ahead!
When choosing a professional book printer or print-on-demand service, you need to plan well in advance. I'm learning this the hard way this year as some of my gifts don't get shipped on time and I need to send a "preview" before the actual book arrives.
This is a great option when you have an extended job that you want to gift to a large number of people.
This year I'm giving a book to fifteen family / friendship units (grandparents, aunts / uncles, parents, friends, etc.) for a total of about $ 60. Of the eleven stories it contains, four were never published outside of The Write Practice Pro, and three were never published at all. You are only for my loved ones.
But you have to plan ahead.
I recommend ordering your books by December 1st, especially if you need to wrap them up and ship them to remote family units.
While this won't help you with Christmas 2020, it's a great option if you're looking to 2021 – and planning your gift budget well in advance.
5. Think outside the book box
So far I've only described how to give away "books". What about other media?
Here are some suggestions of other ways you can share your texts, stories, and creative talents for the holidays:
- Record your stories or novels in an audio book and give away CDs, flash drives or printed “book covers” (with a download link)!
- Record YouTube videos and share the URL with gift recipients only. Maybe print screenshots and wrap them as a gift!
- Work with an artist or illustrator (preferably a spouse or other family member) to make paired gifts out of art and word!
- Offer a creative writing lesson to friends or family members who have expressed an interest in storytelling. You can wrap this up as a voucher or voucher!
The truth is that your stories can be given away in many forms and you are the best person to come up with clever ways to share with those who mean the most!
6. Personalize the story
Finally, no matter what you do, you will find ways to personalize the font or packaging.
This year I am dedicating my gift to a family member who is a note taker. He wants to be successful as a creative writer, but not dealing with the grueling work and family life.
I also add a "Foreword" in which I tell how we sometimes forget the reason for Christmas, the story of the man I and many other people adore and love.
So what can you say in just a hundred words to positively reach out to your family?
Of course, this is not the time to speak out longstanding complaints or call specific people, but it is a place where you can personalize the story and share your heart if you wish.
Consider signing each book or project with the recipient.
Let them know that you touched it and thought of them personally. Perhaps you will leave notes for loved ones throughout the project. Tiny calls make people feel reminded and special. That alone is a priceless, powerful gift.
Whatever you do, give him little personal details that really emphasize the importance of the season and the gift you are giving.
What to write when you give a gift
After you've created your gift (let's go!), It's time to re-use your writing skills before the grand finale.
Surprisingly, many gift givers – even writers – lack the words when it comes to writing that special message on the label or on a card. You want to make it personal and meaningful, and this means avoiding those familiar clichés. (It's starting to look a lot like …)
Here are some ideas on what to write about when giving a gift this pandemic year:
- Even if we can't be together in person, I hope you know how much you mean to me in this and every season.
- It's been a tough year! I hope this gift will put a smile on your face and give you comfort and joy as we head into the New Year. (Come on in 2021!)
- We didn't expect this year. We hope that this surprise brings you long-awaited pleasure.
- This year, pour all my warm wishes and love into your present.
- If you think of you with love and joy this holiday season and hope this gives you just that.
Still there? You can find some general news at a holiday card store like Shutterfly or Hallmark. You can then change a word or two of the words (or phrases) to make the message your own.
Give the gift of the letter with confidence
Finally, when the big moment comes and everyone opens their gifts, sit big and smile. Do not crouch or be ashamed of yourself.
And when you open the book and see what it is, let them enjoy it. When they compliment you, say, "You're welcome!" or "I hope you enjoy it!" Don't apologize that this isn't a new iPhone. Don't explain yourself or your poverty or lack of creativity or anything else.
Give your gift with confidence!
Which makes more sense: A $ 20 Starbucks gift card that took five minutes to purchase? Or a $ 5 book that took twenty hours to write, edit, print, personalize, and package?
Give with confidence that you are a storyteller and that you are giving to those who matter most to you. Because if there's something we should be consuming more from Christmas to Christmas, it's a meaningful time with the people who mean the most to us.
I hope this helps you!
Have you ever given the gift of your letter to someone else? Do you have any other creative ideas for writing gifts? Let us know in the comments.
WORK OUT
Take fifteen minutes to begin a new piece of writing that will be a gift to your loved ones this year. It can be a poem, short story, flash fiction, memory, blog post – anything that comes from your story. Don't worry about who it is for just yet. Just take an idea or a piece of inspiration and indulge in it and write it down taking into account the possible "gift" role.
When you're done, share your potential gift in the comments. I would love to read your gift ideas and encourage you as a creative gift giver! Have fun writing and happy holidays!
– David
David Safford
