15 Minute Writer

5 Ideas to Share Your Heart with the Gift of Writing

December 9th, 2011 Tags: creative writing, find time to write, how to write, how to write a tribute, writing encouragement, writing tips
Posted in Creative Writing, Gift of Writing

Have you ever wanted to give a more meaningful gift than something you buy? Are you experiencing tight finances? Have you thought about giving a gift of something that you write?

My friend and her husband had an unusual anniversary this year. As part of a special dinner they prepared and served, her four children, age 6-14 put on a skit they wrote and one of the daughters sang an original song she’d penned. The kids gave their parents the gift of writing. These gifts blessed their parents far more than anything they could have purchased.

Once a year at my writer’s club, instead of a speaker, we have a “night of sharing.” We read stories we penned that inspire us, make us laugh, and cry. For our Christmas party, we read Christmas stories & poems we wrote. We give each other the gift of our creative writing.

At our church, we have a Christmas talent show. Members put on skits or share stories they wrote or original songs. They inspire us and make us laugh. We will share with each other the gift of our writing and creativity.

Here are some ideas from my personal life. On my aunt’s 70^th birthday, I wrote her a tribute. The idea came to me when my sister said, “Why do we wait until someone is dead to let them know what we appreciate about them? Why not let someone know while they are alive? My aunt wrote me and told me how much my tribute meant to her. If someone you love has died, you can still write a tribute to give to those who loved them or a poem or story in their memory.

One time, my sister gave me what she called a “praise bouquet” filled with encouraging, affirming traits she saw in me. Her gift greatly encouraged my heart. I’ve done the same for her. We encouraged each other with our gifts of writing.

One of my adopted sons is especially gifted with words and has written me letters filled with encouragement. One of my adopted daughters has written me the sweetest little love notes or thank yous. These gifts of writing bless my heart.

A friend wrote something for my birthday, rolled it up, tied it with pretty ribbon, and put it in a beautiful gift box.  Her gift charmed me with her creativity and effort.

Another time, I wrote a Christmas story about one of my adopted daughters and got it published in the Chicken Soup book series. Even if I had not gotten it published, the story is there for her to bring back a special memory. I also wrote a story about some childhood memories to leave a legacy for my children and in this way give them the gift of writing.

What can you give in writing as a gift?

5 Ideas to Share Your Heart with the Gift of Writing

1. Stories – Write a story about a special occasion, a holiday memory like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation or a birthday or an event from an ordinary day that is worth sharing.
2. Drama – Write a skit or play and perform it for a special event or create an event to share it.
3. Song – Write a song and either sing it or have someone sing it for you.
4. Tribute – Write a letter of encouragement or a letter to honor someone.
5. Thank you – Send thank you letters on special days or holidays or for any reason to brighten up an ordinary day. Let people know you appreciate them.

Another idea is to give someone the gift of learning how to write. Do you know someone in your life who wants to learn how to write or who enjoys writing and would like to improve their writing skills? Do they have stories to share or a book they want to write? A perfect gift that would delight them is an online writing course. Consider the course I have to offer, “How to Write for Fun and Profit” with proven tips and strategies to make someone’s writing dreams come true!

However, you choose to do so, brighten someone’s day by giving them the gift of writing.

What ideas do you have? What have you done to share a gift of creative writing? Share with us in the comments below.

Letter Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Christmas gift Image: Naito8 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net