You’re probably wondering why on Earth anyone would leap to this comparison. Story writing and gift giving? Seems contrived. Well, as someone who has completed NaNoWriMo 9 times in the past and spent some time learning the craft, it doesn’t seem that strange.

Amongst the teachers that I sought out when trying to hone my fiction craft, I found KM Weiland. She’s fantastic — an avid writer and a great source of story analysis. I remember a few key things from what I picked up from her, and one principle has stuck more than any other:

Good character arcs are about characters who start off wanting something, but realising they need something different by the end of the story.

The same is true of the best gifts. You go into the holiday season, or approach your birthday or a milestone occasion, and if you’re lucky people start asking you what you want. Sometimes you have an idea, sometimes it needs some thinking time. But it’s still only what you think you want at that exact moment.

Now consider something that you need. I’m not talking about those awful utilitarian presents that don’t bring joy — the mop bought for the person that hates housework, or the cooking lessons for someone who dreads the kitchen.

When I say need — I mean something that genuinely elevates your life in a joyful, lasting way. These are the absolute best gifts.

For example: a couple of years ago my wife bought me an espresso machine. I hadn’t asked for one. It hadn’t even occurred to me to put it on a list. But unwrapping it made me overjoyed.

It was something my life needed. I’ve used it nearly every single day since. And it was the perfect gift.