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How am I qualified to give you advice on what to buy for someone you know who wants to be a writer? Because I’ve been claiming to be a writer for some time now, but I’m still just a “wannabe” like the rest of us. Anyway, onto the list:

Stuff

• The Amazon Kindle: You may not think so now, but this is the future of books. The question is, how far into the future is it? Eventually, we’ll be reading books and newspapers on something like this, and we’ll look back at the Kindle as the Rio PMP of the MP3 world.
• Dragon Naturally Speaking: If your writer friend likes to write things out by hand like I do (it just feels right), then this is essential. Otherwise, those manuscripts will just sit there for fear of sitting and typing them all out for hours on end. Plus it works really well.
• Moleskine Reporter Notebook: I love my Moleskine. Sure, you can do with a simple pad of paper (or your hand, if nothing else is handy), but this just makes you feel like a writer. More expensive? Sure. Does it make you a better writer? No. But we’re a quirky bunch, us wannabes.
• Poets & Writers Magazine Subscription This is one of the greatest things I ever did as a writer. Here is a quarterly reminder to keep writing. I’ve fallen off the wagon so many times and then this comes in the mail and I’m reminded why I love writing so much.
• Music: It’s really key to the whole process of writing, in my opinion. When I’m drawing a blank, I can always count on firing up some tunes and letting my mind wander. Usually, it gets the creative juices going.
• A notebook: My preference? Blank pages with a really nice, unique cover. Just something that says: “Here, fill this up with whatever you want. Now you have a place to write in.”

Books

• A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway: One of my favorite “writing life” books out there. If you can, read it in Paris—it’ll blow you away.
• Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides: If it’s not the best novel I’ve ever read, it’s only because the next book on this list tops it. A must have.
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz: Years after reading Middlesex, I thought I wouldn’t find another novel like it. Junot Diaz combines history and family history in this awesome book.
• On Writing, by Stephen King: I’ve read it twice and it’s one of those books that manages to inspire you each and every time. Unexpected, I know, but the man knows his stuff. 
• Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott: I don’t like some of her personality traits, but if you want to write, she has some great advice for you.
• A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never do Again, by David Foster Wallace: This is the book that turned me into a writer wannabe. This man can make anything under the sun interesting. May he rest in peace.

Did I miss any obvious ones? I’m curious what others would recommend and what they think of my picks.

P.S. This post was featured on the Just Write Carnival. Make sure to check it out, along with some other great writing-related posts.

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