2024 Writer's Holiday Wish List

Our 2024 Guest Bloggers have transformed into gift elves and suggested the perfect writing gifts to share during the holiday season. They helped us compile a fabulous 2024 Writer's Holiday Wish List! It's full of items that will provide nourishment, offer comfort, and become much loved practical tools along every writer's journey. 

Grab a few for yourself and the writers in your life. 

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Cedar Pruitt
That moment when I can actually focus? And even (just maybe) create something new? I don't exactly get there with ease. It comes from days of conditioning, almost like an athlete. I sweep away chores, eat well, choose herbal tea instead of wine, hit work deadlines, and...work out. An ideal writing day is preceded by an exercise day, whether it's a winding bike ride through the woods, an upbeat run along the river, or some playful cardio dance in my basement. That's why I want this "With Ease" top - and yes, I'm a sucker for the name as much as the pretty pink. May we all get a little ease in our writing! 

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Cedar Pruitt is the author of the lyrical nonfiction picture book Fire Flight: A Wildfire Escape (Capstone Editions, 2024), illustrated by Chiara Fedele and the upcoming What Marcel Found: The Incredible Discovery of the Lascaux Cave Paintings (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster, 2026), illustrated by David Litchfield . She is represented by Great River Literary and can be reached at cedarpruitt.com. 

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Kristi Mahoney
We have a mantra in my family to “expect good things” and I try to embrace that positivity whenever I can. Yet, as we know all too well, a writer’s journey is a roller coaster of highs and lows. It can bring joy, fulfillment, and celebrations, but also stinging feedback, months of waiting, and countless rejections. In order to persevere on this path, writers must not only be passionate– they must be incredibly strong. Here are two gifts that serve as a reminder to that enduring strength. The first is “Sunshine in a Jar” – word-ly reminders for those times a little positivity is needed. The second is an audiobook (read by the author) I find so inspiring that I re-listen to it every single year: Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert. Both gifts are filled with heart and hope – much like a good children’s book. 

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Kristi Mahoney is the author of Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians (Gnome Road, 2024) as well as its upcoming sequel, Owls Make Terrible Teachers (Gnome Road, Spring 2026). Kristi is a regular contributor to 24 Carrot Writing. She can be reached at www.kristimahoneybooks.com.

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Pam Vaughan
The Rocketbook. It's an infinitely reusable notebook. 
You write on the pages with Frixion pens and it wipes clean with water.  The cooler thing is, (before you wipe the pages clean) you can digitize /scan your notes with options to where you want to send them!
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In particular, I love to use the Rocketbook for picture book drafting/dummies. The 6x8 book I have has 32 pages, so it is helpful for working on page turns and pacing and to see how it feels as a real book. 

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Pam Vaughan is the author of  Missy Wants a Mammoth (Pixel+Ink, 2024), illustrated by Ariel Landy and Tenacious Won’t Give Up (Knopf, 2025), illustrated by Leanne Hatch, which will launch in 2025. Pam lives in Massachusetts, directs the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat and is co-assistant regional advisor for NE-SCBWI. Learn more about Pam here.

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Susan Lynn Meyer
​A favorite drink I have enjoyed this year is iced brewed cacao, prepared in the French press and then kept in the fridge.  It is like coffee but with a chocolate flavor.  Quite delicious!   I just add milk, and it is like liquid chocolate with no sugar.  But beware: although it says it has no caffeine, it does have theobromine, which is a stimulant and has a caffeine-like effect, so don't have it late in the day. 

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Susan Lynn Meyer is the author of three middle-grade novels and four picture books the two most recent being A Sky Full of Song (Union Square Kids, 2023) and a co-authored project with Jaya Mehta titled Nisha's Just-Right Christmas Tree (Beaming Books, 2024). Visit her online at www.susanlynnmeyer.com.

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Jaya Mehta
Four things that support my writing life: 
The first is a balsam candle, which I burn whenever I am reading or writing, throughout the winter. I find the fragrance so evocative of forests and snow, Christmas carols and cardinals. 

Second is a lap desk, that raises my laptop to the right height when I am working in an armchair, and saves neck fatigue. It can be opened to store supplies inside.

Along the same vein is a laptop stand, which accomplished the same thing when I am working at a table.

And finally, a beautiful wooden desk tray in which to keep notes and other writing-related writing. 

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​Jaya's newest book is Nisha’s Just-Right Christmas Tree (Beaming Books, 2024), co-authored with Susan Lynn Meyer. You can learn more about Jaya at jayamehta.net. 

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Janet Costa Bates
My first reason for listening to audiobooks is not weird at all. Life gets busy and with an audiobook, I can multitask. The second reason is, well, kinda weird. Before I read the print version, I often like to listen to picture books on audio. I told you - kinda weird - but by being able to focus on the author’s word choice and style, I get ideas on how to improve my own picture book writing. Afterwards, I seek out the actual book for the complete story. The library app is my go-to for audiobooks, but when the audio version is not available, a subscription to Libro.fm or Audible comes in handy.

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Janet Costa Bates is the author of the Rica Baptista chapter book series, illustrated by Gladys Jose (Candlewick Press), Time for Bed, Old House, illustrated by AG Ford (Candlewick Press, 2021), and Seaside Dream, illustrated by Lambert Davis (Lee and Low, 2010). Next up is Rica Baptista: The Box of Possibilities, coming Fall 2025. Learn more at janetcostabates.com

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Annie Cronin Romano  
​I love working at my desk, but sometimes--especially when in a creative mindset--I need a change of scenery. My lap desk is the perfect portable surface to take onto the patio, the living room couch, or anywhere I feel like diving into my next writing project. I recommend looking for those desks that have good cushioning beneath the flat surface for added comfort. Some designs come with extra features, such as a phone holder, wrist rests, and even a light and charging port. 

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​Annie Cronin Romano is one of the co-founders of 24 Carrot Writing and is a published picture book author. In addition to her love of kidlit, she also writes adult fiction, works as a bookseller at an indie bookstore, and is a literary associate with Olswanger Literary. Learn more about Annie at www.anniecroninromano.com.

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Kelly Carey
​I’ve been to a few book fairs recently and I’m always interested to see how my fellow authors set up their space. I was a tablemate with the lovely Jannie Ho a few months ago and fell in love with her collapsible book stand. The beautiful wood stands are handcrafted in Maine by The Bookstand. The product is offered in bulk, so if you need gifts for a dozen writer friends, here is a great practical gift that will allow them to show off their work. 

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Kelly Carey is a 24 Carrot Writing co-founder and an award winning children’s fiction author. Her  picture book, How Long is Forever? (Charlesbridge, 2020) was named a MUST READ by the Mass Center for the Book and her poetry can be found in the Gnomes and Ungnomes: Poems of Hidden Creatures (December, 2023).  To learn more about Kelly, visit here. ​

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Amanda Smith
My gift idea this year might seem a bit extreme, but hear me out: This gift includes a comfy private cabin, writing workshops, personal feedback on your work, three perfectly prepared meals a day, all the writing time you could possibly want, and bunny-filled walks in the woods. Yes, I am talking about a writing retreat at the Highlights Retreat Center. Highlights offer a variety of workshop retreats, like the Whole Novel Retreat I attended in the summer, but you can also book a private retreat if you are yearning for uninterrupted writing time. If a Highlights retreat seems out of reach, don't fret, the Highlights Foundation offer scholarships.

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Amanda Smith is a co-founder of 24 Carrot Writing. Her poems can be found in the Writer's Loft Anthologies, Gnomes and Ungnomes: Poems of Hidden Creatures (December, 2023) and Friends and Anemones: Ocean Poems for Children and in Bless the Earth (Convergent Books, 2024). To learn more about Amanda, visit here.

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Hope Lim
​Last month, I did a book event and received this lovely yellow notebook and green pen. I immediately connected everything about this gift to my book, Sourgrass (Beach Lane Books, 2024). The striking yellow is the same shade as the sourgrass flower, and the green in the pen seems to represent its leaves and stem. The bright pink bow adds joy and happiness to the gift. The pages come together to create sunflowers, which made me think of how each word we put on paper contributes to a story as a whole. How wonderful to be reminded of something special in the gift I received! A notebook with a personal note is a gift I always love and one that makes me happy. As a writer and lifelong journal keeper, and as a person who practices a morning journal routine, I always put notebooks to good use. 

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Hope Lim is the author of I Am a Bird (Candlewick, 2021) illustrated by Hyewon Yum; My Tree (Neal Porter Books, 2021) illustrated by Il Sung Na; and Mommy's Hometown (Candlewick, 2022) illustrated by Jaime Kim. She lives in San Francisco, where she spots the yellow flowers of sourgrass every spring. To learn more about Hope visit her website.

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Colleen Paeff
I like to have a hot cup of tea beside me while I'm writing, but if I'm not careful my hot beverage becomes a sneaky procrastination tool. (Tea got cold, better make a fresh cup...again!) Enter the VOBAGA coffee mug warmer. I plug it in, set my mug on the heated pad, and that beverage stays nice and hot––which means I will keep my butt in my chair and keep writing.

The mug warmer on its own makes a fantastic gift (it was the most coveted White Elephant gift at my husband's office last year!), but if you really want to impress your writer pal, pair the mug warmer with a beautiful handmade mug like the one my critique partner Liz Tracy gifted me. I feel her loving support every time I use it!

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Colleen is the Sibert Honor author of The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Simon & Schuster, 2021). Her upcoming book Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain Discovery (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025), illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim, is available for preorder now. Sign up for Colleen’s newsletter at
www.colleenpaeff.com.

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Nancy Tupper Ling
Need a cure for writer’s block? Or need to take your mind off of an unresolved plot issue? Taking a break and trying a completely different activity like hiking in the woods or swing dancing can do the trick. I’ve definitely found a variety of “breaks” brings new life to your work. A bit of “mindless” knitting has often been the key to finding a solution with a stubborn story or two. Still, I’ve been intimidated by various sock patterns over the years. This time I found one that doesn’t involve the dreaded double-pointed needles. By following this step by step tutorial with Tina from Simply in Stitches, I created my first cozy pair of hand-knit socks, which I don while crafting a new story.

Speaking of writing stories, several years ago my youngest daughter, Sarah, gifted me this amazing journal. I’m sure most writers have an abundance of journals at their fingertips, but this Peter Pauper Press Voyager Refillable Journal takes the cake. With three removable notebooks in one, it’s compact enough to carry in your back pack or purse. I love using each section for a different area of my life, from my “To Do List” to my “Notes with Agents/Editors/Crit Group.” When one section is complete, I can easily remove it, and replace with a new insert. This leather bound journal also comes with two storage pockets where I store business cards or other keepsakes. Recently, a writer friend admired this system so much, she went home and immediately ordered one of her own.

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Nancy Tupper Ling is a children’s author, poet, book seller and librarian. Her latest books are Hearts in my Pocket (Union Square Kids, 2024) and Bless the Earth (Convergent Books, 2024) with co-editor, June Cotner. Along the way her work has received various honors including the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize, Delaware Diamond Award, Northern Lights Book Awards, and a Golden Scroll Award Finalist. To learn more about Nancy visit her at www.nancytupperling.com. 

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