I LOVE birthdays--I love people coming together to celebrate someone they love; I love the excitement of festivities and themed parties... and it might also have something to do with the fact that my love language is gifts. 😂
My birthday is this week, and to celebrate, I’ve put together this little post of ways to celebrate a writer’s birthday. If you have any worldbuilding and wordsmithing friends, hopefully you’ll glean a few celebratory event and gift ideas for them!
Events to Celebrate a Writer's Birthday:
Bookstore Scavenger Hunt/Amazing Race:
A bookstore is the perfect place for a writer to spend their birthday (let’s be honest, they’d be fine spending hours in a bookstore anytime). Set up a scavenger hunt where teams or individuals compete to find the most items on a list in a given time limit. A picture must be taken of each item found, and at the end of the time limit, everyone can compare scores while sipping cafe beverages.
You can also do a bookstore “Amazing Race”—not only must teams/players find certain items, they must also complete (and document) certain challenges. For example, maybe they have to take a photo of the team recreating a book cover using items around the store, or maybe they have to film a team member walking down an aisle while balancing a book on their head. It’s a great activity for the competitive bibliophiles in your life!
Role-Playing Parties:
For more outgoing friends, a story-based role-playing activity might be a great way to celebrate. Buy a murder mystery party or spend a couple of hours playing one of the many tabletop role-playing games out there (if you don’t want to spend forever learning rules/creating a story and characters, there are quite a few RPG “one-shots” available that are easy to learn and can be played in one sitting under 2 hours).
Fandom-Themed Parties:
I am a HUGE fan of themed parties!! You can find ideas for almost any theme on Pinterest.
Movie Marathon:
For something a little more chill, break out the popcorn, M&Ms, and fuzzy blankets for a movie marathon. For extra fun, you can find or create custom bingo cards for the movie(s) you’re watching and see who can get bingo first!
Gift Ideas for Writers:
Bookmarks: Adorable bookmarks can be found almost anywhere, and they’re perfect to slip into a birthday card. Sometimes you can even find handmade ones on Etsy.
Collector’s Editions of Favorite Books: Books with exclusive covers, autographs, or bonus material are always welcome on a writer’s bookshelf. You can also find custom dust jackets at a variety of stores (e.g., NerdyInk or The Bookish Shop).
Writing Prompt Books: There are so many writing prompt books out there, from poetry prompts to journaling prompts to short story prompts—they’re a great gift for writers in need of some inspiration.
Fandom-Related Items: Enamel pins, jewelry, clothing, character art… anything related to their favorite movies, books, or characters! You can find fandom-related items at a number of stores, including Etsy, of course.
Reusable Notebook: A perfect gift for those who like to write by hand—plus, it’s great for the environment! A reusable notebook like the Rocketbook is an awesome way to save space, time, and trees.
Field Notes: Every creative surely has a horde of notebooks and definitely doesn't need more… unless they’re these uber-small and portable field notes. These notebooks are the perfect size to slip into a pocket or purse for quick access when inspiration strikes.
Notecards and Post-It Notes: Perfect for plotting stories or writing notes-to-self, notecards and Post-Its make for gifts that balance practicality with frivolity.
Washi Tape: Washi tape is great for embellishing stationary, sprucing up your notebook, or using on notecards to make plotting more fun.
Custom Commission: A custom commission is sure to blow anyone away—order a custom art piece or something like this handmade mini bookshelf from Etsy.
Write a book for them: Show off your own writing or illustration skills by creating a book for them—an original story, the tale of how you met, a compilation of their favorite quotes, etc. You can print it yourself, give it to them as a digital file, or have it printed with a company like Shutterfly or BookBaby.
Order a fandom-themed cake: If you’re wanting to splurge, a fandom-theme cake (or other snack/dessert) will absolutely surprise and delight anyone.
If you found these ideas helpful or have anything to add to them, leave a comment below! I'd love to hear what you do to celebrate the people closest to you (or to treat yourself)!
Until next time,
Madison