Seven great gifts to put on your wish list or to get for a writer you love {NB This posting is shameless self-promotion}

Seven great gifts for the writer in your life

Can you get a fancy gift certificate for any of these? You bet!

1) A weekend writing retreat at the luxurious Arowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park – get two, one for you and one for your spouse, sibling or best friend, because this is going to be a wonderful weekend. In 2021, the retreat runs Friday May 28 – Monday, May 31. See here. 
Then in the fall, Friday, Nov 5 –  Monday, Nov, 8, we'll have a weekend retreat at the Briar's Resort on Lake Simcoe. Check out the details of the 2020 retreat here, and if you want to reserve now for 2021, just email me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

2) A manuscript critique: You or your spouse has spent a couple years writing a manuscript, and now she’s pretty sure it still needs work, but doesn’t know how to proceed. Time to give it over to a professional for a critique. Brian will explain what’s working, what’s not, and how to fix it. Since most of Brian's time is taken up with weekly classes and Saturday workshops, his availability for  manuscript critiques gets filled in fast. See details of manuscript critiques and consults here. 

3) For a smaller investment, get a gift certificate for a short consult. Maybe the love of your life has a picture book manuscript, a short story, or an opening chapter that needs professional critiquing. Or maybe they're working on a query letter – odds are they'd love to have a professional rewrite that query and make it irresistible. Or maybe they’d just like to have a chat about their career. These are all things that can be done in about an hour and are ideal candidates for a consult. A consult is just $75/hour (plus hst). To arrange a consult, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

4) The best stocking-stuffer is a gift certificate for a Saturday {or sometimes Sunday} workshop. See the full schedule of what’s coming here or just give a certificate for your special someone to hang on to until that special workshop they’re looking for comes around.

5) Or get them The Canadian Writers' Contest Calendar. This is a book giving the details for all the annual writing contests in Canada, listed by deadline date. The 2021 edition is now available. Details here.

6) For a really special present, get a gift certificate for a weekly course. See details of classes starting in January here.

7) Or you might just give one of these presents to yourself. It’s a good time of year to consider what you want. Have you been thinking about writing? Well, it’s time to start! So give yourself that most important gift – which happens to be entirely free – space and time to get your creative self in gear.

P.S. Check out 77 more gifts for writers here, some of the best books to get as gifts for yourself or for the kids or other grown-ups in your life here, and gifts to make the world a better place here.) 

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including online and in-person writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Southampton, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.