Writing Gifts for the Holidays
By: Anna Hallett, Director, The Writing Party (Writing Gifts for the Holidays)
This year use your writing gifts for the holidays to create something meaningful and memorable for your loved ones. Compose a tribute, poem, letter, or memoir and wrap it up in a festive package. A personal and heartfelt bit of writing means so much to mom, dad, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child, or friend.
A Tribute
We all love a compliment. We love to be appreciated and remembered. A tribute piece will make your recipients feel good about themselves. This is an opportunity to tell friends and family what you admire about them. You can tell someone thank you. Or you can recall a fond memory. You can tell someone why he or she is your hero.
You tribute gift can be a few lines or a few pages. As you write, think about the person and what you respect and appreciate. Honor the recipient by describing an important event, maybe a time you felt proud of him or her, or an action that improved your life or made the world a better place. Recall an accomplishment. Describe his or her impact. Write about how much you love him or her.
Writing a tribute to someone you care about is a precious gift. It is so important to let people know how much we love and respect them. A written tribute is a gift that can be read and enjoyed again and again.
A Poem
A poem written by you is a priceless keepsake to be treasured. Poetry is a powerful medium for strong emotions. When writing a poem as a gift, consider penning an ode, song, or tribute poem in honor of the recipient. Your gift will show someone how special they are to you. When writing your poem, use words, images, places, actions, people, or objects to bring your subject to life.
A poem is an opportunity to celebrate a loved one. You can write an ode that sings the praises of the recipient. Describe how a person makes you feel and what makes him or her unique. If you are musical, you can write a love song. Make your lyrics passionate and describe what you love about the person. When writing your poem or song, use words with strong sensory impact to paint a picture. Use rhyme and meter to create a luscious flow. Arrange lines and stanzas to organize your story.
A Letter
You probably have a few special letters tucked away in a drawer, in a box, or hidden between the pages of a book. Why do you keep them? Because they are the dear words of a loved one—irreplaceable and invaluable. A letter is a tangible piece of those you love preserved forever.
To create a meaningful letter, a real “keeper,” don’t hesitate to be sentimental. Let your friend, sibling, child, parent, or whomever know how you feel about him or her. Express your love and say how grateful you are for something she has done for you. Share a cherished memory or describe your pride in him. Tell your friends and family why they are so important in your life. You can also let them know how you are doing. Talk about your hopes and fears. Share some constructive and kind advice. Encourage them in a positive and supportive way. And remember to say, “I love you.”
To make your letters extra special, use fancy stationary and maybe add a touch of perfume. For a gift that lasts, try writing multiple letters to be read over several months or years. Find a decorative box and a pretty bow to package your letter(s) and provide a beautiful keepsake for recipients to use to store and save all of their treasured epistles.
A Memoir
Gifting a memoir allows you to pass on a piece of yourself to future generations. When we are young, we may not fully appreciate the stories of our relatives and may not listen as closely as we should. But eventually we get to an age when we are desperate to hear those stories of our family’s history. Right now, you have the opportunity to put your life into the words that your family will treasure.
Perhaps you have experienced something amazing or unusual in your life and you want to write a memoir. Or perhaps your experience is not amazing or unusual but is a pivotal moment that has great meaning to you. Others may read your story and be moved by it or be able to relate it to their own lives. As you consider which moment to choose, reflect on how your story will impact, inspire, and empower your reader. Determine what message you would like to impart and use it to focus your writing to create a compelling piece.
A successful memoir will motivate readers to see the world from a new perspective and, perhaps, change their attitudes, opinions, behaviors and may even change their lives. Your memoir gift does not need to be a book. It can be a short story, vignette, letter, list of events or timeline.
Packaging Your Gift
Once you have written something special for someone, it’s time to package it. If it’s a shorter piece, maybe a poem or a tribute, print it (or write it) on nice paper or over an appropriate photograph and put it in a frame. (Bonus points if you know calligraphy.) To enhance your gift, you can add drawings, decorative embellishments, or photos. You have now turned your writing into a work of art to hang on the wall or display on a table.
If your writing is longer, you can print it and put the pages into a report cover to protect it and give it some pizzazz. You can design or draw a nice cover to go with it. A scrapbook full of photos is also enhanced with written descriptions of the experiences and how you felt. If you have written a piece of significant length, you can do some research and find someplace that will produce a professionally printed and bound book to give to family and friends.
A Gift from Your Heart
Words are powerful, beautiful art. Words bridge the gap between generations and bring life to love and memories. Writing binds us across shared experiences and opens windows to peer into worlds we have never seen. When you write, you reveal the secrets of your soul and the longing in your heart. Your words are your gift to the world, the future, and your family.
This year, use your talent and skill as a writer to create a one-of-a-kind gift for those you love.
For more writing ideas, order The Writing Party Inspirations or contact us to schedule a Writing Party event in your area, for your private group, or as a corporate team building event.
To see other writing inspiration ideas like Writing Gifts for the Holidays, check out The Writing Party Articles Page.
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