What do you do when your friendly, neighborhood writer publishes her 200th blog post?
Do a little dance… Make a little love… Get down tonight!
Moving on…
I know it’s hard to figure out what to get me on such a momentous occasion. But, what is the appropriate gesture? This is a toughie. Birthdays – even milestone birthdays – require selecting a gift based on age and interests. Brides and grooms and babies make it easy because they have registries. Wedding anniversaries have a specific and helpful chart for what to buy each year you are together. Lucky for you, I have put together this gift guide for your convenience. You are welcome.
In the $0-$10 category, recommendations of your favorite books or podcasts you think I might enjoy is always a wonderful idea. Whether you have been a long-time reader of my blog or are just checking me out for the first time, I’ll bet you know something I’d like that feeds my creative process. Feel free to leave your best picks in the comments box at the end of this post.
Can’t think of anything? Don’t worry. A box of my favorite writing instruments – the Pentel R.S.V.P. Ballpoint Pens, Medium point in assorted colors would make me very happy. You can never have enough good pens. But Lord knows, I have plenty of promotional click pens lying around that may or may not work anymore.
In the $15-$50 category, a gift card to a local independent bookstore is always a big win. I love supporting these establishments and with the pandemic, they need all of the support they can get. If you don’t like to give gift cards, there are always some cute book-related, writer-themed coffee mugs, bookmarks or comfy socks that I know I’d enjoy.
In the $150 – $500 category, I could really use a writing desk. My work set up is not ideal for writing. My laptop is perched on an ergonomic portable shelf which is sitting on the countertop of my kitchen peninsula. Staring at the dishes in the sink only makes me feel guilty for not doing them and therefore they are not conducive to the writing experience I wish to have.
Also, if there is any money left over, you can put it towards writing workshops and yearly conferences I plan to attend in the near future. Just ask me for my list.
And at the “money is no object” or “I married you and want you to have everything you want” level of giving, I’d like a she-shed or a dedicated writer’s room. One of these days, I will transform a bedroom into my own writing haven. It will include a lovely sofa for reading and pondering my next post. I’ll stock my new writing desk with Moleskine journals and boxes of Pentel R.S.V.P. medium point pens in assorted colors. The sky-high bookshelves will be filled with novels from my favorite authors as well as some good dictionaries, a thesaurus and, of course, the latest version of the AP stylebook. There should also be a coffee nook in the corner and a place for inspiring quotes and artwork as well as a scented candle and a fresh bouquet of flowers.
Too much?
Ok, fine. You got me. Deep down, I know a gift isn’t expected or necessary. In all honesty, what I really want from you on this milestone occasion is to continue reading, commenting and encouraging me however you can. I can’t tell you how much it means to have someone tell me they liked what I’ve written or that it made them think about things a little differently than before. Writers are a funny breed of creatives. We need reassurance that what we are putting out into the world is relevant and from a voice that should be heard. That’s really all I could ever ask for.
But, the pens would be nice too.
My first professional writing gig was as a weekend obit writer for the Daily Local News in West Chester, PA. As far as the newspaper hierarchy goes, this job is the bottom of the totem pole. And because of that, you may think the obituaries are not as important as the big story. But, I still felt my work was essential because I knew many readers often turn to that section first to see if they knew anyone listed there. If I close my eyes, I can picture my eager-to-please, 20-something self sitting in the back of that old newsroom by the phone and fax machine waiting for death notices to come through.
While we are cooped up in our homes, there has been no shortage of incredible content online these days. Late-night talk show hosts are doing their monologues from their living rooms. I miss the audience’s laughter, but the jokes are still right on target. Disney did what they do best – a sing-a-long. Even news anchors are going off-script and saying what they really feel. I nearly spit out my iced tea when Wolf Blitzer called our president a chicken for not answering questions at the press briefing after telling people injecting disinfectants might be a cure for the virus.