Being a writer, I often get asked this question, “What would be a good gift for my writer friend?” First of all, you should be buying me gifts instead of asking what to gift your other writer friend. Second, you can literally buy us writers anything that’s good, after all, writers are people too; we all love a friend who gifts us a Gulfstream.

Jokes aside, here are a few things that I could think of. I wouldn’t fault anyone who gifted me these, some may even make me more productive at my work. Your friend will probably like them too.

1. Steelseries 7G

The 7G is actually a gaming keyboard, but it’s a worthy upgrade for writers. It’s a heavy, rock-solid keyboard high on technology and made with quality in mind. Its design is clean and has a minimal appeal to it, coupled with that design are features like USB and audio ports, gold plated switches and connectors, multimedia controls and an unrivaled lifecycle of 50 million keystrokes.

But here’s the real kicker for writers – the keys are made of mechanical switches and not membranes, what does it mean? Increased tactile response (you feel you’re typing on an advanced typewriter) and response time. Writing is an even greater pleasure when you have the 7G by your side.

2. Bose QuietComfort ™ 15

Noise is often the greatest enemy of creative people; it takes away the most important ingredient needed for creativity – focus. Loud people in coffee shops. Cars honking outside the house. Coworkers creating a ruckus in the cubicle next to yours. Noise is everywhere. How can you block it? Simple, just put on these active noise-cancellation cans and you’re good to go. You don’t even need to play the music; you can just turn them on and enjoy your little oasis of silence anytime, anywhere.

If you’re an active person and need something that can accompany you to the gym, go for the Bose IE2, they clamp themselves inside your ear and won’t fall off no matter what you do.

3. iPod nano

What’s a great pair of headphones without a music player to match? Sure you can lug around the music on your iPhone or Android, but they’ll never beat the nano at its game. The nano is so compact that it will fit inside your closed palm. It features a multi-touch screen, easy clip on design and flawless user interface. It also has a inbuilt accelerometer which helps you track your workout, workout data can be uploaded to the Nike+ website where you can create fitness goals and challenge your friends.

Don’t know which watch to wear? Just hook up your nano with a watchband, choose from the 18 different dial designs and you’re got yourself as awesome watch.

4. Echo Smartpen

If a pen is mightier than a sword, then Echo Smartpen can give a Kitana a run for its money. This pen is a Dictaphone, portable storage drive and music player all rolled into one. The pen allows you to write on paper and then electronically transfer those notes onto a computer with the help of a Micro-USB Connector. If you’re a journalist, you’ll benefit immensely from the recording feature, forget about shorthand and scribbling furiously into the paper – just turn the recorder on and Echo Smartpen will capture 3D audio.

What’s 3D audio? It’s recorded with the help of a binaural microphone, so when you play back the audio; you get a spatial awareness of where the sound is coming from – almost as if you were sitting in the place where the recording was done. Just get it, James Bond would.

5. Ultrabook

Tired of lugging around that heavy, old laptop? It’s time to replace that drag with an ultrabook. These laptops are incredibly thin, consume much less power and are light on your lap. Sure, they’re a bit on the expensive side, but what you pay for is portability and productivity. Low power consumption translates to more battery time on the go. Some even come with illuminated keys so you can type in dark places.

If you’re not quite sure which one to go in for, check out our guide on the four best ultrabooks in the market right now.

6. A great notebook

What’s better than a notebook? That’s right – an awesome notebook. For times when you couldn’t be bothered with firing up a laptop to pen your thoughts down, it’s impossible to go wrong with the regular pen and paper. Notebooks also make for great personal journals, safe from hard drive crashes and accidental deletions.

If you’re considering buying a notebook for the first time or as an upgrade over your current one, look no further than the Moleskine. They’re durable, have a great feel to them and are just expensive enough for you to not want to lose them. Want to truly make your notebook your own, go for Arc Customizable notebooks. Arc allows you to customize the notebook inside and out, depending on your personal needs and taste.

7. Idea Paint

Sometimes, having a bigger canvas for imagination helps ideas flow more easily. Idea Paint is like whiteboard and chalk reinvented. Idea Paint can be applied to any surface in your home or office to turn it into a message board to share ideas, make lists, draw figures and diagrams, and basically anything you can imagine.

Anything you write or draw is permanent but can be wiped off with a supplied cleaning solution and erase cloths. The pens come in five colors, i.e. black, blue, red, and green.

8. Cuisinart Espresso Maker

Personally, I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but I hear it’s quite the rage among writers and other creative types. So without making obviously fake statements like, “Nothing better than the smell of freshly ground Ethiopian coffee to kick start your mornings,” I present to you the Programmable Espresso Maker from Cuisinart.

This is a professional grade coffee maker with which you can make single or double espresso, cappuccino and latte, just the way you like it, without ever leaving the comfort of your home.

Well there you have it. 8 gadgets and tools to help improve your focus, productivity and perhaps even make writing fun. But what if you’re short on ideas? Here are 6 things to write about when you’re facing writer’s block. We hope you found some great gift ideas here. What would you add to this list?

8 gadgets and tools every writer must have

About Ankit Rana