Seven great gifts to put on your wish list or to get for a writer you love

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 Sherwood Inn and Spa in Muskoka. Treat your loved one (or yourself) to a weekend of creativity, togetherness, and growth as a writer. Friday, April 5 – Monday, April 8, 2024. Details here.

Then in June join us for a weekend retreat at the luxurious Arowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park. This is a magical weekend, at a magical location, with the finest of dining.  Join us for a weekend of creativity and fine dining in the midst of the Algonquin wilderness, June 7 – June 12, 2024. Details here. 

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, Saturday or Sunday workshops, and weekend retreats, 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 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 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 2024 edition will be available soon, and we're accepting orders now. See 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 “Books make some of the very best gifts here. 

Check out the lists for 2022, too; Part 1” here. Part 2 here.

See the best Jewish Canadian books of 2022 for kids and teens here and here.  

Check out 77 more gifts for writers here. 

Gifts to make the world a better place here. 

Plus, don't forget, try to shop local. Buy your books straight from the publisher or from a book store. 

See Brian Henry’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.