Author Archive

Here’s something to help a writer plot out a novel, organize notes or research, or brainstorm. Magic Whiteboards cling to walls or windows to create an instant, giant whiteboard. You can write on them with dry-wipe markers, wipe them clean, and reuse them as often as you like–and when you’re done, you can peel them off and store them for future use. Here’s a demo video: Available from Magic Whiteboard. And keep checking back here at the FWR blog through December 31–we’ve got three more great gift ideas to go.

Yes, Christmas is over, but Hannukah is still in full swing–and plus, you know there’s a book-lover you’ve forgotten to gift. We at FWR are here for you with bookish gift ideas through the 31st. So now we know why old books smell so good. But maybe you’d like to smell great, too? Demeter, which makes single-note perfumes in unusual scents–think Tomato, Bubble Gum, Apple Blossom, and even Dirt (which I owned; it smells just like wet soil)–offers a variety of products in its “Paperback” scent. Says the website: A dusty old copy of a Barbara Pym novel did it […]

This holiday season, consider offering your writer-friends the gift of time–literally. And it’s available immediately, no waiting in line, for instant (and last-minute) gratification. Offer to take their laundry to the laundromat for them–or pick up their groceries, or bring them a takeout dinner–every weekend for a month, freeing up a precious couple of hours. And then do it. If they have kids, give them coupons for hours of free baby-sitting–and insist they take you up on it. If your friend is a freelancer, instead of buying a gift, “hire” her for an hour or two at her normal rate […]

If you’re looking for gifts today–whether for Christmas or Hannukah–you’re officially down to the wire. May we suggest Clibe, a new app that turns your iPad into a journal? Clibe allows you to type, doodle on photos, draw, annotate, and more to create virtual journals. Stored in the cloud (and therefore synced to your computer), these journals can be kept private, shared with friends, or published to the world. Here’s a screenshot from a cooking journal, but this could work just as well to organize research for your next story or novel: Clibe downloads from the iTunes store (no last-minute […]