Dear Santa:
I’ve been good this year. I didn’t lose my patience with the editors who took weeks to respond to my queries or inquiries as to the whereabouts of my overdue invoices. I made myself available for 6 a.m. phone interviews and rewrites that needed to be finished ASAP. I read through stupifyingly tedious press releases, sat through boring webinars and listened intently to sources who rambled or talked so quietly I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I blogged, tweeted, stumbled, linked, Facebooked and live chatted. While I may have come off as heavy handed when editing some of the writers I work with, my intentions were good and their stories were better because of it.
All in all, I’ve been more nice than naughty. So in case anyone asks, here’s what on my Christmas wish list:
1. An iPad. I’d really like one, but I still can’t justify the cost of getting it for myself.
2. An ebook reader. The next best thing to an iPad – and I’d use it for work, honest.
3. A charger/stands for my Droid. So I could use it to listen to music when I’m working at my desk.
4. Ear buds that fit my ears.
5. A subscription to the Wall Street Journal. After letting mine lapse a half dozen years ago, it’s time to re-up, and there are some pretty good deals for the print-online combo.
6. A stash of my favorite pens. It doesn’t matter that most of the writing I do is with a keyboard, if I need a pen I want it to be one I like using.
7. An ergonomically correct desk chair. Oh wait, I already got that one for myself.
8. A gift certificate for a massage. For post-deadline stress reduction. After a day’s worth of editing other writers’ material, my shoulders are so tense they feel like they’re touching my ears.
9. A second monitor. Because they say two screens are better than one and I’d love to find out for myself.
10. A gift certificate to my favorite bookstore. So I can treat myself to books I’ve had my eye on but wouldn’t buy for myself.
What’s on your Christmas wish list?
I want Santa to give me a gorgeous new Web site that reflects how I’ve changed and grown as a writer. And I want him to send me to a major writers’ conference in Paris or Ibiza. That’s all.
Heck with the writer’s conference – just fly me to Paris for a week, that’d be the ultimate Christmas present!
Michelle
Aside from everything you’ve mentioned above (great list), I would love to receive entrance to a few writing conferences next year. But the iPad would do nicely as well. 🙂
Great addition Alison, I could think of a couple writing conferences around here I’d love Santa to pay for me to go to as well.
MVR
I would like a Coupon for Free Writing Day.
And I would like this to be Groundhog day.
:))
Not sure what Free Writing Day is. Can you explain? But a coupon for “Mom, we’ll take care of ourselves and everything around the house so you can write for 24 hours straight if you want to” does sound pretty good!
Michelle
Thats exactly what I mean.
I’d love an iPad, too, but like you, it’s not in the cards this year. I bought a speaker/charger for my iPod a few years ago, and use it all the time, though, so I’d definitely recommend one. I think mine was only about $30, not that it gets the highest sound quality.
“6. A stash of my favorite pens. It doesn’t matter that most of the writing I do is with a keyboard, if I need a pen I want it to be one I like using.”
YES!!!
I am a pen fanatic. Don’t know why because my hand can’t ever keep up with my mind (and still be legible) but there is nothing better than the feel of a good pen as it glides across the paper.
Great post Michelle. And I am with you on the ebook reader. I am thinking about buying my wife the Nook color just so I can have her hand-me-down Nook 1.0 🙂
Sal: Always happy to hear from another pen fan. My current favorite is the Bic Grip Roller, in black. My husband’s law firm uses them as giveaways, which is why I got one. Love it. I do the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle, always in pen, and this one’s perfect for it. Not too thick, not to thin, glides across paper, and makes my printing look good too.
Michelle
Michelle
And I always thought I was a pen dork 🙂 I could honestly spend an hour testing out different pens. I don’t think I have tried that one, but I will make sure to pick a couple up when I go back to the store.
I usually go between the Zebra F-301 and the Cross Century Sport Steel Blue Ballpoint Pen. They both have a good weight, rather fine lines and don’t smear.
I write in all caps and rather small. My English teacher in 9th grade actually failed one of my papers because she couldn’t read my writing without a magnifying glass – ever since then, I have always typed my papers 🙂
I love the pen idea. I can’t tell you how many I’ve misplaced this year! They must have fallen into the black hole along with several of my socks.
I hear there are digital recorders (or programs for them, maybe?) that can transfer taped interviews into Word documents. I’m not super techie so I’m not sure how this happens. But since I can’t hand-write as fast as I can type, I would love to have one of these for in-person interviews.
Do you mean a digital recorder that would transcribe audio into text, like a robo-translation service? I haven’t heard of that either. If another WordCount reader knows of such a device, please let us know.
MVR
The iPad is at the top of my list too. Like you I’ve had difficulty justifying the expense. But I think it would be great for keeping up with blogs.
As for the massage – hey – you deserve that any day of the year!
Thanks Jennifer. I love massages but never make time for more than one a year; I’m hoping that putting it on my wish list will double or triple that.
Michelle
So very, very with you on the second monitor. Nothing makes editing or composing easier than two screens. I need to write from multiple documents… seamlessly.
For me, the issue with that is I don’t have the desk space for it, so I’d have to add “new desk” to the list.
I would also add the Jambox, which I would use for Bluetooth conference calls as well as music: http://www.jawbone.com/product-jambox-overview
And ladies, I have an iPad. Let me say this: it’s a great way to keep up with emails, blog reading, e-book reading and composing (via Pages, 9.99) on the go. But it sounds like I’m describing a netbook, doesn’t it? 😉
Thanks Lindsey, I’m officially jealous. And I hear you on the second monitor – I don’t have room on my present desk either, but if I got a second screen I’d made it work some how.
Michelle
Seems like an iPad is a new toy that most of us would like to find under the tree! I’m with you as well on the pens. Fortunately, my mother-in-law buys me several two-pack sets of my favorite, the Zebra F-301 fine point pen, quite a few times during the year. And yes, a gift certificate for books is ALWAYS welcome in my stocking.
A few more writing jobs would be nice too, but that’s something I myself need to work on 🙂
I’m not familiar with those pens Jeff, I’ll have to check them out. I personally don’t like too fine a tip though.
As for writing jobs, do your job well & they’ll come to you.
Michelle
Wow, what a nice blog! I didn’t even know about it until I did an image search for ‘writer christmas’ and your blog came up with the great pic of Santa on the computer. Once I arrived I had to spend a bit of time checking out all the great content.
Denise: Welcome to WordCount! Glad you like it enough to stick around. Guess I need to work on upping my exposure in the New Year so more writers like you can find me.
Michelle
I´d like Santa Claus to fill my “cajón de sastre” with creativity, original ideas and resources to help me in my quest to be a better writer.
I will read your blog attentively. Glad I´ve found it.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Rosina
Thank you Rosina.
Michelle