Ask the Editor: Can I Base my Hero on Myself?
Dear Alex,
I’m an interesting person with an interesting job, and my friends love it when I tell them stories about things that have happened to me. I see nothing wrong with fictionalizing all of this, and writing a novel loosely based on my life. And if the hero of my novel closely resembles myself, that will just make him easier to write! Aren’t all heroes just idealized versions of the writer anyway? What’s wrong with putting more of myself into my hero?
–Paul
Hi Paul!
It’s great that you find inspiration from your own life, and that you enjoy sharing your stories with other people. We’ve all had interesting experiences that we want to include in our novels. However, it gets tricky when you model the hero after yourself.
These characters go by the special name of “Mary Sue” or “Gary Stu.” That’s shorthand for a character who’s a stand-in for the author, or a version of the author that he wishes he could be.
He’ll usually be perfect: brave, smart, capable, and very handsome. If he has flaws, they’re minor, quirky, and never get in the way of solving his problems. The author will sometimes put the hero into circumstances that mirror his own life, but often the hero is given adventures the author wishes he could have. There’s a lot of wish fulfillment going on here.
The problem is, what’s often wish fulfillment for the author is not wish fulfillment for the reader. And the author is never going to be able to see the hero clearly, because the hero is him. Revisions become a nightmare as the author is unwilling to make the hero do things that he, himself, wouldn’t do, even if that’s what the story needs.
Even worse, the author often spends a lot of effort telling readers what a great person Gary Stu is, but never really showing us. We’ll hear he’s a great athlete, but never see him play sports. Or the author will tell us he’s witty, but we never see him make a joke. Mary Sue’s friends constantly tell her how awesome she is, and for some reason, the male characters often feel protective toward her. Either that, or they all want to date her. This character is usually described by the reader as “annoying.” And it’s because she has no real flaws, no real personality, and doesn’t ever make mistakes.
But the real problem with Mary Sue and Gary Stu is that they are not suited for the story they’re in.
Plot and character always go hand in hand. You need the perfect heroine for your plot, and you need the perfect plot that’s going to test your heroine, and help her grow.
You want to develop the main character into someone who’s uniquely qualified to achieve the story goal. There should only be one person who can achieve this goal. They should have something either innately inside them or learned from their past that makes them the perfect heroine for this specific story.
At the same time, you need to craft a plot that’s going to challenge your heroine in the exact way she needs to be challenged. The plot is going to push all of her hot buttons, making her dig deep inside herself to grow and change. It’s this new growth that will ultimately help her overcome the antagonist and achieve her goal.
Therefore, you need to build heroes from the ground up, making sure they fit the plot at hand. Think about a Hollywood casting director. If they’re making the next James Bond movie, they’re looking for Daniel Craig or Aaron Taylor-Johnson, they’re not looking for Pee Wee Herman. But if they’re making a screwball comedy, Pee Wee Herman is exactly who they need.
It’s fun to imagine ourselves as the heroes of our own stories, fighting bad guys and saving the day. But often, the story you’re writing demands a very different kind of hero.
So go ahead and make your hero strong and brave. But also flawed and bruised and messed-up in some significant ways. Make him the exact hero that’s going to be tailor-made for your plot. Just don’t make him you.
Keep writing. You’re doing great.
Alex K.
Alex Kourvo is a freelance editor and the author of The Big-Picture Revision Checklist, a book that shows you how to revise your novel the easy way.
Ask the Editor: Why Do Books Get Bleak in the Third Quarter?
Dear Alex,
I’m working on my first romance novel after writing mainstream fiction for several years. I want it to have good structure and I understand there are “beats” that stories have to follow, including the “all is lost moment” or the “third act downturn.” But do my hero and heroine have to break up? It seems so contrived and every romance I read is the same. They meet, they fall in love, it’s good, then they fight and break up and then get back together. But what if they didn’t? What if my hero and heroine met and fell in love and that was the story?
–Shay
Hi Shay!
Changing genres is a big step. In many ways, when you switch genres, you’re a beginner all over again, because the expectations for each genre are different. I applaud you for studying the tropes of romance and figuring out which story beats are universal and which ones are specific to your new genre.
Yes, it’s possible to write about your hero and heroine falling in love and living happily ever after without ever breaking up, or even arguing. However, that wouldn’t be a story. Why? Because stories are about character transformation, and without that all-is-lost moment, your characters would never have any reason to change for the better.
Novels are emotion delivery systems. Readers expect a certain kind of emotional journey when they pick up a novel. They invest their time and they expect the payoff of character transformation. The hero and heroine’s lives have changed through the events of the story and they have gained wisdom and emotional strength along the way. Without going through some kind of trial, the story will feel flat, and readers won’t believe in the happy ending because the characters haven’t been tested, so how does the reader know they can prevail?
At the midpoint of your romance novel, the hero and heroine are happy together. They are intimate with each other on new levels and everything seems good. But seems is the operative word here, because the truth is, neither of them has changed one bit, and it’s only that change that will lead to lasting happiness. When problems come up in the relationship, they’ll fall back into their old ways of coping, because that’s all they know.
Between the midpoint scene and the breakup, your hero and heroine are like ducks in a pond. From the surface, it looks like they’re effortlessly gliding along, but under the surface, they’re paddling as fast as they can. They’re working hard to hide their flaws while pleasing their significant other, and they’re working their butts off to not change. Change is scary and nobody likes to do it, so both parties want to prolong the honeymoon period as long as possible.
But it’s not possible. Not forever. The obstacle that kept the couple from getting together is still present. Whatever wound or false belief the characters had at the beginning? They still have it. And until they overcome those things and truly change for the better, they can’t have lasting happiness.
You complain that “they fight and break up and then get back together” and that’s perhaps part of your confusion. The hero and heroine shouldn’t fight about something trivial. They shouldn’t even fight about the events of the plot. They should fight about who they are. The plot is merely the catalyst. If your baker heroine is fighting with your chef hero about kitchen space, that shouldn’t be what they are really fighting about. Perhaps your baker heroine has a family who always belittled her, and she sees the hero taking over the kitchen as proof that he doesn’t take her work seriously. Perhaps your hero grew up in foster care, never having a space of his own, and he sees the heroine hogging the kitchen as trying to shut him out of his rightful place. The fight can start about who gets to use the oven, but it should end with those other issues coming to light.
Don’t worry that you’re going to put off your readers or make them sad by breaking up the couple. Readers know that their happy-ever-after is guaranteed. It’s why so many of us love reading romance novels! The readers want to see the couple brought to their breaking point because they know that the couple still has some growing to do. The hero and heroine have to face their deepest fear—losing their love—in order to truly be whole. And that’s what makes for a satisfying story.
Keep writing, you’re doing great.
Alex K.
Alex Kourvo is a freelance editor and the author of No Hero Wants to Save the World, a book all about story stakes.
The Gift Guide for Writers 2022
Last year, I rounded up ten unique gifts for writers because I was sick of gift lists that were nothing more than fancy journals and pens. I’m back this year with ten more things to please the writer in your life. Some are practical, some are just for fun, but they are all things your writer friends want, and in the case of #3? It’s something they need.
1. A mug for people-haters book lovers
Why would we ever want to go outside when we all have our nice imaginary friends on our bookshelves? And none of our book friends have germs.
2. Quotation mark earrings
If you wear these earrings on both ears, that means that whatever you’re thinking is automatically a quote, right? Look at you, being all pithy without saying a word.
3. Book weight
Put down the stapler, and the tape dispenser, and the other things you’ve reached for to keep your book open while it’s on the table. This genius little item is one of the most useful things in my house. I use it every single day, because reading at breakfast is the best way to start the day, and I’ve only got two hands.
4. Fingerless gloves
There are lots of fingerless gloves out there. They keep your hands warm while leaving your fingers free to type. And they feel so romantic to wear, don’t they? But this pair featuring Poe’s The Raven feels especially writerly.
5. Laptop lifter
A laptop directly on your lap is hot and sticky, especially in the summer. Give it a little lift with this sleek laptop stand, which also looks great on a desk.
6. Notecards
With these notecards, you can share a little bit of Jane Austen, the patron saint of Regency Romance. Use them after the holidays to write all your thank-you notes, (as a well-bred lady should do).
7. Do-not-disturb sign
You know the feeling. You’re writing away, in the zone, totally into your work, when a knock at the door pulls you out of the story. With this sign, your housemates will know when it’s okay to disturb you, and when you should be left alone with the muses. And it comes in a two pack, so if you put one of these on the bedroom door and then took a nap, no one would be the wiser.
8. Crystals for writers
Crystals and gems are beautiful to look at and fun to think about. Do they work? Probably as well as anything else inspirational. But every little bit helps, right?
9. Zen garden
Every writer needs some stress relief and quiet meditation. There are a lot of desktop zen gardens out there, but this one gets extra points for including a tiny panda. How cute is that?
10. Superhero bookshelf
You could put your favorite authors’ books on this shelf, or the writing craft books that inspired you along the way, or your own books—because you are a superhero for writing them. Yes, you.
About the Author: Alex Kourvo is an editor and book blogger who likes to give thoughtful gifts to her friends.
(This post contains some affiliate links.)
A Return Engagement
My last appearance on the Fully Booked podcast went so well, hosts Craig Tuch and Roland Hulme invited me back for another chat. This time, we talked about the importance of story stakes. We talked about why the stakes in Jaws and The Hunger Games were so effective, why Jack Reacher will never have a girlfriend, and how you can raise the stakes in your novel, no matter which genre you’re writing.
We touched on a lot of the things you can find in NO HERO WANTS TO SAVE THE WORLD. We also went beyond what’s in the book, to discuss some brand-new things!
You can watch Fully Booked on YouTube (look for episode #35). But this is a podcast, so it’s much, much better to listen to it. Here is the direct link to listen online. You can also find it on apple podcasts, Amazon podcasts, and Spotify, or wherever you like to listen.
Happy listening!
Ask the Editor: What’s the Difference Between Conflict and Story Stakes?
Dear Alex,
I know that all stories need to have conflict. That’s what makes a plot, right? My novel has lots of conflict. But my critique partners say my story is “flat,” and “lacks tension.” They keep talking about story stakes, but I don’t really see a difference between conflict and stakes. As long as I have two opposing forces both trying for the same goal, I have stakes, don’t I?
–Levi
Hi Levi!
It’s great that you’re thinking deeply about what makes a great story, and I’m glad that your critique group has been helpful to you. You’re correct that a story needs conflict, but it also needs stakes. Think of it this way: stakes are what gives conflict meaning.
If you’ve written a story about two boys racing each other home from school, you’ve written a conflict. After all, only one of them can win the race and be first through the door. The other will lose. Perhaps the winner will have first pick of the snacks or he’ll get to the TV first. The winning boy might taunt the loser, but can’t do much more. This is a contest without stakes. The reader won’t really care.
Story stakes are a way to make your reader care.
Let’s reframe that footrace. Let’s say that these aren’t two random boys, but brothers. Their parents are dead and they’re set to be put into foster care today at three o’clock. They’re going to two different households, although the fostering families don’t really care which boy goes where. They’ll take whichever boy gets into their car first. One of the families is nurturing and kind. The other treats foster children like abused servants.
Boris, the elder brother, is cruel and manipulative, and is determined to get to the good family before his younger brother Lars can. Lars has been living with his brother’s brutality for years. If he can just get home before Boris does today, he’ll go to a nicer place where he’ll never have to deal with his brother’s nastiness again. However, if his elder brother beats him home, Lars will be going to a family that will treat him worse than Boris ever did.
Now the race home from school has stakes. Not only is there a life-changing reward for winning, there are terrible consequences for losing. The odds are also stacked against our hero. Lars is younger than Boris, so he’s smaller and weaker. Boris has put rocks in Lars’s backpack and also slipped out the back door of the school before the final bell to get a head start.
Readers of this second scenario will be rooting for Lars to win. At the same time, the reader will be afraid he’ll lose. Worry about the outcome will make them turn the pages faster. As a writer, that is the way you want your readers—interested, worried, and desperate to learn the outcome. That’s what story stakes can do for your novel.
To give your conflict stakes, first make sure that your hero wants something. He wants it desperately, more than he wants anything else. Spell out the specific reward for achieving that goal. Most importantly, make sure there are terrible consequences for failure. Finally, make sure that this goal isn’t easy to reach. This goal is going to take one hundred percent of your hero’s time, effort, and will to accomplish, and even then, the odds of success are low.
You need to do this work on two levels. There need to be high stakes in the overarching plot of the entire novel. Also, each scene has to have stakes. The hero begins each scene wanting something and uses that scene to try to get it. If you can keep feeding readers those high-stakes scenes, they will follow your story right to the end, so they can find out what happens. And if you resolve the stakes in a satisfying way, readers will close your book feeling happy. And then they will buy your next book.
Keep writing, you’re doing great.
Alex K.
Alex Kourvo is a freelance editor and the author of No Hero Wants to Save the World, a book all about story stakes.
Hidden Gems
More Internet for your Ears.
This week, I was a guest on the Fully Booked podcast where hosts Craig Tuch and Roland Hulme interviewed me. We talked about why an editor is like rocket fuel, why revisions are like Jenga, and the number one mistake authors make when revising their novels. We touched on some things found in THE BIG-PICTURE REVISION CHECKLIST, and many things that are not!
You can watch Fully Booked on YouTube (look for episode #20), although this is a podcast, so it’s meant for listening. Here is the direct link to listen online. You can also find it on apple podcasts, Amazon podcasts, and Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. The episode is about 45 minutes long.
Happy listening!
Ask the Editor: Must I Write What I Know?
Dear Alex,
My English teacher keeps telling us to “write what you know,” but this seems very unfair. I doubt that most mystery writers have discovered a dead body, and nobody has lived in a world of magic and dragons. But we have stories about these things and someone wrote them. If I had to stick to writing what I know, I’d only write about swim team practice and visits to my grandparent’s house. Why can’t I write what I imagine?
–Yasmin
Hi Yasmin,
I’m going to give your English teacher the benefit of the doubt. Your teacher isn’t trying to restrict you, but rather empower you. Everyone is unique, your experiences are valuable and interesting, and you know more than you think you do. Most of us have never been on a swim team. What does the water feel like? What does the coach sound like? What does the locker room smell like? And I bet you could tell amazing stories about your grandparents.
You can also write about dragons if you want to. Or dead bodies. Or dead dragon bodies. The trick is not to write what you know, but rather what you’re passionate about. What do you really, really care about? More importantly, what emotions do you want to feel—and what emotions do you want to make your readers feel?
Those two things, passion and emotion, will carry you far. If you’re interested in something, whether it’s mythical creatures, forensic medicine, or the best way to make pasta Alfredo, you’re going to want to learn about it. Most writers have spent many happy hours researching things for their books. And then, suddenly, those writers are writing what they know.
But even more important than the facts, writers have to bring authentic emotion to the page. Readers are reading to have an emotional experience. Readers pick up a romance to feel the flush of first love. Readers pick up thrillers to feel a rush of danger. Readers pick up science fiction to feel the excitement of exploring far-off worlds.
You don’t have to write what you know so much as you have to write what you feel. I’m guessing you’ve never discovered a dead body, but you’ve had something unexpectedly horrible happen to you, whether that’s a bicycle wreck or getting kicked out of your friend group. How did you feel in that moment? Can you recreate those emotions on the page in this fictional situation? You’ve never ridden the back of a flying dragon, but you’ve probably ridden a roller coaster. That same exhilaration and terror should be on the page in your dragon story. Don’t just tell us what your heroine feels, show us her body sensations—her pounding heart and dry mouth, the way she has to close her eyes against the wind and can barely catch her breath before the dragon swoops upward again.
Small touches of what you know will seep into your writing, whether you’re aware of them or not. If your heroine falls off a boat, you’ll know what it feels like for her to swim to shore, and how much her shoulders and legs ache when she gets there. If your heroine has a big family, you’ll know how to write about grandparents—the beautiful accent that Grandpa brought from the old country or the cringeworthy jokes that Grandma tells. Don’t be afraid of putting too much of yourself into your stories. That’s what readers want. They want to know what you know, what you care about, and what you feel.
Keep writing. You’re doing great.
Alex K.
Alex Kourvo is a freelance editor with over a decade of experience helping writers. She is the author of The Big-Picture Revision Checklist, which is out now.
Ask the Editor: How Can I Force Myself to Use an Outline?
Dear Alex,
After “pantsing” my way through a NaNoWriMo novel, the entire thing is a hot mess. I’m afraid it’s hopeless—no amount of editing can fix it. Moving on. For my next novel, I want to become a “plotter” and actually use an outline. The problem is, I hate the thought of an outline. I can never stick to one, so why should go through all that work for something that I’m going to abandon halfway through?
–Jason
Hi Jason,
Congratulations on finishing NaNoWriMo! Hot mess or no, writing 50k in a month is something you should be proud of. It seems like participating in National Novel Writing Month has taught you some valuable skills, and made you eager to try again with a new story idea.
However, I worry that you’re thinking of an outline as a rigid document. Perhaps you’re thinking of the kind of outlines we wrote for our student papers, with Roman Numerals and indented numbers—the kind of outline you got graded on.
But a fiction outline is for your eyes only. It doesn’t have to be a color-coded spreadsheet with different fonts for each point of view character. You can scribble scene ideas on index cards and then move them around until you find an order you like. You can make a “mind map” with arrows pointing to the relationship between events. You can jot ideas in a notebook as they come to you. Bullet points are fine. In fact, the looser the outline, the better.
As authors, we get very attached to our first ideas, visualizing exciting scenes on a very granular level. But what comes in the first flash of inspiration might not be the best thing for our novel-in-progress. When you’re crafting your outline, only concentrate on what happens. Leave the how for later.
For example, let’s say that at the midpoint of your outline, your hero and heroine—we’ll call them Abid and Josephine—are trapped in a dungeon. You want them to escape the dungeon and have a chase through the marketplace before boarding a boat. Way back when you first thought of this story idea, you visualized this scene perfectly, including Abid charming the guard while Josephine steals the keys. But when the time comes to actually write the scene, none of it fits. Abid isn’t the guard’s type, the guard doesn’t carry the keys, you’ve put the marketplace on the other side of the city, and they’re nowhere near a port.
Does this mean your outline is useless? No. It means your outline was too detailed. Instead of writing all this at the outset, your outline should simply say, “Abid and Josephine escape the dungeon.” This gives you the flexibility to write the best scene, not the first scene you thought of.
But what if Abid and Josephine never end up in that dungeon at all? What if your novel took a different turn and instead, the midpoint scene finds them on trial in the king’s court, having to prove their innocence? Does this mean you’ve “abandoned” your outline?
Here is where some writers get into trouble. They beat themselves up, asking “why can’t I stick to an outline?” Or even worse, “Why can’t I write a decent outline in the first place?” But there’s a better question to ask here. “How can I change my outline to work for me?” An outline is never one-and-done. And changing things halfway through doesn’t mean the original outline was useless. It got you started. It helped you write your first few chapters until the story got up to speed and took on a life of its own.
An outline shouldn’t be a cage to trap your muse in. It should be a comfortable house where your muse has everything she needs. If something isn’t working, go ahead and open the windows, put on a fresh coat of paint, or even knock down some walls. Modifying is not the same as abandoning.
At the end of the day, you might decide you’re happier as a pantser, and you’d rather spend your time revising your “hot mess” of a novel than trying to craft an outline. That’s okay! We all write differently. But I’m glad you’re willing to experiment with this new way of writing, to see if it works for you.
Keep writing. You’re doing great.
Alex K.
Alex Kourvo is a freelance editor with over a decade of experience helping writers. She is the author of The Big-Picture Revision Checklist which is out now.
Five Books You Need When Revising Your Novel
National Novel Writing Month is over and you did it! You wrote a novel. Congratulations, writer! But now you might be wondering…what’s next?
Perhaps you’ve written a novel that’s almost readable, but you’re overwhelmed at the thought of all the work that lies ahead. Many writers give up at this point, which is a shame, because often, with just a little tweaking, a novel can be transformed from ho-hum to wow!
The bad news is, you have to do the work. Revisions often take as long–or longer–than writing the first draft. And being in the revision trenches feels bad. You’ve traded the certainty of rising word counts for the uncertainty of cuts and changes. Some days, you might not know if you’re making your book better or just different.
The good news is, you don’t have to go through the revision process alone. There are very good guidebooks that will help you understand what you need to do and show you how to do it. Here are five of my favorites (with a bonus book at the end).
Fiction First Aid by Raymond Obstfeld
Obstfeld points out mistakes without being negative, and shows what works without being preachy. This book is filled with good examples to show you what to do and how to do it. You don’t have to know your novel’s exact problems in order to fix them. As long as you kind of, sort of, mostly know what your novel needs, you’ll be able to find the answers in Fiction First Aid.
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
Sometimes, NaNoWriMo participants write so fast that they lose sight of their plot. Bell helps writers think in terms of structure, building the story with solid scenes that go together in a logical order. Plot and Structure is written in easy-to-grasp language that’s free of jargon. Bell starts with a basic overview, followed by detailed chapters on beginnings, middles, and ends. Each part of a novel has a specific job to do, and Bell details how to hook readers, elevate the stakes, stretch the tension, and satisfy reader expectations.
The Anatomy of Prose by Sacha Black
Writing rules aren’t meant to stifle writers. The rules exist because they are the best practices for communication. The better you understand the rules, the better you can apply them–or bend and break them when the time is right. The Anatomy of Prose will help you tighten flabby sentences, tune up rambling paragraphs, and shine a spotlight on the most important parts of your novel. Black covers when to show and when to tell, how to find your voice, clean up your style, and elevate your descriptions. She has tips for brighter dialogue, tighter pacing, and clearer transitions. This book covers a lot of ground in very short chapters that get right to the point.
The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
Novels are emotion-delivery vehicles. We read nonfiction for information, but novels are all about going on an emotional journey with the characters. As writers, we can move readers to laughter or tears, limited only by our storytelling skills. The Emotion Thesaurus offers a list of a hundred and thirty primary emotions such as anger, dread, relief, shame, and satisfaction. Each entry gives clues about how to express the emotion with physical signals, mental responses, and internal sensations. This book won’t do the work for you, but when you’re putting the finishing touches on your novel, this book can help your characters express their emotions in a believable way.
Show, Don’t Tell by Sandra Gerth
In this short book, Gerth explains every facet of storytelling to explain how to show a story instead of telling it. Show, Don’t Tell begins with definitions to give a writer a firm grasp on exactly what showing is. Details, not conclusions. Concrete, not abstract. Dramatization, not summary. She explains how to get the reader up close and personal with the story and why it’s necessary to do so. Once a writer has identified the telling in her manuscript, Gerth gives examples and exercises to convert that telling into showing, concentrating on trouble areas like backstory, dialogue, description, and emotion. She gives before-and-after examples, helping writers truly see how it’s done.
The Big-Picture Revision Checklist by Alex Kourvo
You didn’t think I’d finish this list without mentioning The Big-Picture Revision Checklist, did you? This book is much more than a simple checklist. It’s a comprehensive step-by-step guide to the revision process in a very small package. With this book at your side, you’ll write more likable protagonists who are flawed in exactly the right ways and antagonists that readers love to hate. You’ll crank up your story stakes and pinpoint the five crucial scenes every novel needs. With in-depth chapters and examples from contemporary fiction, this clear-eyed manual gives you all the tools you need to bring your book to the finish line.
About the author: Alex Kourvo is a freelance editor and book blogger who loves how-to books almost as much as she loves key lime pie.
Note: this site occasionally uses affiliate links.
The Gift Guide for Writers 2021
I’ve seen a lot of holiday gift guides for writers that promise “the most beautiful, unique, and necessary gifts for the writer in your life.” I excitedly open it, only to see notebooks, pens, candles and mugs. Those things are nice, but they are also super generic. And trust me, the writer in your life already has enough pens.
Your writer friend deserves better. Here is a list of ten thoughtful, practical, and fun gifts for writers.
1. A T-shirt That Says it All
Daydreaming? Woolgathering? Lost the thread of the conversation? No! You’re plotting.
2. A Soft Foam Footstool
This soft footstool elevates the legs to just the right height for a laptop to be comfortably perched on the lap. I have one of these under my desk and I don’t know how I ever sat for hours without it.
3. Storymatic
This is a little box filled with the most interesting writing prompts you can imagine. You can use Storymatic for brainstorming, writing exercises, cooperative storytelling, or just for fun.
4. Blue-Blocking Glasses
Blue light is the worst light, causing headaches, fatigue, and insomnia. These glasses block glare and blue light from computers and other devices. When I wear mine, I can write longer with less eye strain.
5. Light Therapy
Sometimes, it’s not too much light that’s the problem, but lack of it. Even those of us who don’t suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder can benefit from a few extra lumens in the winter months. Some therapy lights cost hundreds of dollars, but this one is small and inexpensive but still works great.
6. Typewriter Key Necklace
Every writer I know loves old typewriters. Typewriters aren’t practical, but who cares when they are so cool? Many companies make jewelry out of typewriter keys, so we can carry a bit of that retro chic with us. Here’s one of my favorites.
7. A Tote Bag That Tells the Truth
Writers make choices with each word they put on the page. If a book is problematic, that is 100% on the writer. Hold yourself and your fellow writers accountable with this awesome reusable tote.
8. Bathtub Caddy
There are writers who use a bath to relax. There are writers who read in the tub. And there are writers who actually write while submerged in water. Whatever kind of writer you are, this bath caddy will hold all the essentials.
9. Shower Curtain
Eureka moments and showers. The two naturally go together. Maybe our muses are activated by water, or maybe they just live in the bathroom, but either way, this shower curtain will show the muses that you respect what they do.
10. Library Due Date Notecards
These 3×5 inch notecards are the perfect size. You could use these to remind you which of your friends borrowed books from you, or you could turn them over and write notes on the back. Either way, they are adorable little blasts from the past, and a wonderful way to remember the books we cherish.
About the Author: Alex Kourvo is an editor and book blogger who doesn’t need any more notebooks or pens.
This post contains some affiliate links. (The author gets a tiny commission even though you don’t pay more.)
Alex Kourvo 