Cyber Monday Ideas for Writers

/ Mae Clair

Happy Cyber Monday, fabulous SEers! Mae here, kicking off a new week. If you’re in the U.S., I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and have recovered from all the food of Tom Turkey day.

Today is all about the gadgets that make a writer’s life easier. It’s a great time snatch up some online deals, electronics-related or otherwise. I’m a gadget person—evidence below.

laptop, Mac book, Kindles and headphones

I liked the laptop until I decided I wanted something smaller for easy portability.  I already had an iPad Mini (red cover) but wanted a Mac Book I could use for writing (fish cover). The Kindle Paperwhite (cat cover) is what I use most times for reading, but the Kindle Fire (brown cover) came first. The headphones work with various devices, but the black pair is Bluetooth and the white pair is plug-in.

Kind of ridiculous that one person needs to have all those devices, isn’t it? But they make my writing life easier and there are probably deals to be had on each today.

But Cyber Monday isn’t just about electronics. As a writer, you might be interested in:

small spiral bound notebooks with colorful covers show useSpiral bound notebooks
Who could live without these? Add custom branding and designs at Vista Print or other companies that produce marketing materials. I like to use one per novel for notes. As you can see, they take a beating 😊

A Lap Desk
Perfect for those times when you want to get comfy in the corner of the couch or write in bed. I even use mine outside on my patio.

A Writer’s Playlist
I have mine built into my Amazon Prime music account. I keep a specific one I use only for writing, and am able to pull it up through my phone, computer, Alexa, or Echo Dot (I did mention my attachment to gadgets, right?). I’m writing this post in September, but I wonder if Amazon will offer a special deal on Prime. And speaking of Amazon . . .

A Baby Naming Book
I use multiple sources for name generating, the bulk of them online. But every now and then I like to sit down and flip through a book, scribbling and underlining, and for that I picked up 100,000+ Baby Names by Bruce Lansky.

A collection of glass baubles in various geometric shapesFiddly Things
Could just be me, but I have a collection of small baubles in my desk that I fiddle with when I’m writing. If I hit a roadblock in a scene, or pause to reread a chapter, I need a bauble in my hand. Maybe they’re worry stones, or maybe they’re a connection to my muse. Whatever the reason, I need my fiddly things.

Given it’s Cyber Monday, it’s the perfect time to go shopping. I have no association with any of the products or services mentioned above, but I find them handy.

Most writers are particular about the type of pen they use (I know I am), desk accessories, apps and more. Maybe you want a new craft book, or tools to inspire your creativity. How about special coffees or teas you enjoy when writing?  Whatever your yen—from electronics to journals to glitzy paperclips—I wish you happy online shopping.

What are some of the tools that make your writing life easier? If you’re shopping today, I’d love to hear about your purchases. You may even be doing early holiday shopping for family and friends. Can you believe December is almost upon us?

Let’s talk writing, creativity, and shopping. Ready, set, go!

 

bio box for author Mae Clair

56 thoughts on “Cyber Monday Ideas for Writers”

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  3. You’ve made me realise that I’ve completely given up handwriting! I haven’t done any for years, and I just tried – it’s unreadable! This because I like your thoughts on a notebook with one of those wire binders, What do I do? I sketch quite a lot. I keep an A3 pad about the place somewhere and if I can’t visualize a scene or a character I flesh them out, as it were. I talk to my characters, too, to my wife’s amusement. I’m fascinated that you write to music: that’s something else for me to try.

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    • I’m fascinated that you sketch out scenes. I’ve never heard of that before. What a great, creative way to envision something. If I tried that I’d have a lot of stick figures and a mess of things no one could decipher. Art is not one of my talents, despite the fact that my father was an artist. I’m just glad I got his gift for words! 🙂
      I do love my spiral bound books for notes and research. I’ve accumulated quite a collection and will often refer back to them.
      I have not tried talking to my characters yet. I bet you have some interesting conversations! 🙂

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  4. Mae, I had a little giggle at all your gadgets! lol Fun post filled with great suggestions. I love my Chromebook. It’s the perfect size for me. My Ipad is quite old and has a nasty personality. Completely unreliable too. 🙂 Love the idea of a personalized notebook. You’re totally helping with my Dear, Santa letter. Cheers! 🙂

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    • Oooh, so nice to know I’m helping to grow the Santa list. My iPad is old too, so I’m limited on what I can do with it. I think your Chromebook is probably similar in size to my small Mac which I love for how easy it is to carry around. Happy writing! 🙂

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      • I’m with Soooz. Not many gadgets in my writing life. I did a Readers Night Out with some fellow authors and they had neat gadgets they read off of. Made me feel pretty UN-with-it with my paperback book. I’m getting behind the times.

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      • It’s far too easy to get behind the times today. I often feel like I’m treading water trying to keep up with technology. For the record, despite all those gadgets, I still read plenty of paperbacks, too. There are certain authors I’ll only buy in paperback because I want the book on my shelf. I also LOVE the feel of a good trade paperback in my hands 🙂

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  6. Going back through and reading the comments. I guess I did make a playlist for one book, but I never listened to it while writing. I have to write in silence. I regularly listen to this playlist while driving though. Does that count?

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  7. Great post, Mae. I love that you have “fiddly” things by your computer. 🙂 I have lots of gemstones by my workstation and when I have to pause for a thought, I pick one up and hold it in my hand. 🙂 Yes, we are a strange breed of people, us writers. Hugs!

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  9. I have a Kindle reader and Kindle Fire for reading. I also have a laptop, but most of my writing is done on my desktop PC. I purchased an all-in-one a couple of years ago. It has a twenty-two-inch monitor. Everything is wireless and there is only one plug for power. For those times I do use the laptop, I have a lap desk and I also have headphones.

    Most of the time I don’t listen to music while writing unless I need inspiration. I did create a playlist for my last book and have started one for the WIP. I’ve never used spiral bound books for notes, but plan to do so with my next novel. Great ideas for writer gifts!

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    • I’ve got one of those all in one PCs too, Joan, and it’s where I do most of my writing. I love my Mac for portability and I do use when I’m at home, but the “big PC”is my main workhorse.

      I should do a playlist for my WIP. That’s something I haven’t done in ages. And oh, spiral bound books are the best for scribbling notes. I couldn’t be without one when I’m creating!

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  10. That’s quite the collection you have, Mae 🙂
    I do most everything on my MacBook Air. For reading I like to use my mini ipad or my iphone. I find the Kindle app more user friendly than my Kindle PaperWhite-though it’s hard to beat for sunny days.

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  11. Hi Mae,
    I would have all your stuff, but then I would forget where I put what or what I was supposed to use the gadget for. Senior Moments! 😳I have an iMac and an iPhone and use them to keep up. I’m technology challenged and get confused easily. HUGS

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    • Oooh, Bluetooth speakers are great, John! I like the headphones if I’m downstairs with hubby and he has TV on. And I like earbuds when I’m writing in the library.

      Still not sure about the like problem. I’m on a PC right now. I did remove cross tracking from the Mac. I found that I can “like” in I do it from within my blog admin panel but if I go to a website and try to click like there it doesn’t work. I still have to try it since I made the change. I’m still learning Macbook technology!

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  14. I use my lap desk often (with my laptop, my notebooks, and even my Kindle). I also have playlists for writing, a headphone/mic combo that I hate to use, and fiddly things that were gifts from friends that I keep in my desk but seldom use (other than to gaze at and remember my friends with fondness). This year I’m adding an adjustable desk to my equipment (it will be delivered in a couple of weeks). I’m hoping I can write while using my bike so I can combine exercising and working.

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    • I would love to have an adjustable desk at my day job. Those things look like they would be awesome! You’ll have to share how everything goes 🙂
      Lap desks are awesome too. I remember my mom bought me my first one many decades ago. I wore it out!
      I rarely use my headphone/mic combo either. I got it specifically for use with the Rosetta Stone (which reminds me I haven’t worked on my Spanish it in ages). When it comes to the fiddly things, they’re a must for me!

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  15. I do absolutely everything on my iPad Pro. All my books are written there. I have a storyboard app, and Notes has replaced my notebooks. I even have the Apple Pencil for times when I’m critiquing or feeling artistic. I see the world differently, and my eye was drawn to that awesome quilt. Now – my office at work has all kinds of fiddly and strange things, like my Neanderthal skull replica or my brimstone sample.

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    • It’s cool how fiddly and strange things have invaded your office at work 🙂

      I saw an Apple pencil the other day and was thinking of adding one of those. I don’t know how to use it though. Would that work with my MacBook? My mini iPad is an older one so I don’t do anything writing-related on there. I also have a feeling Santa might be bringing an iMac for Christmas. I’d love to learn how to use the pencil!

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  19. I bought some software on Black Friday at a great discount. Device wise, I can’t live without my iPad … everything goes on there. That’s become my notebook instead of spiral-bound. I just need to find dictation software that can understand my northern English accent, lol 🙂
    Happy Thanksgiving everyone

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