Do you need some fun LEGO trinkets for your desk? Perhaps even something that will inspire your words? Blocks chooses the best LEGO sets for a writer’s desk…
What does it take to be a writer? The truth is, whether you’re an aspiring wordsmith or a master of metaphors, anyone can enjoy writing creatively. It’s not all about exposing your soul with the written word, either – copywriting, technical writing and even non-fiction writing are equally important skills. Some writers are masters of the brick too, putting their storytelling talents to use with brickfilms, stories and even artistic pursuits like toy photography. Of course, anyone can appreciate the models the LEGO Group has made revolving around the craft of writing. The writers behind Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, certainly do.
All you’ll really need to get started is a desk and something to write with. That said, if your writing desk is looking a little plain, have no fear – here are five of the best possible LEGO sets for a writer’s desk, brainstormed just for you.
LEGO Ideas 21327 Typewriter
Though it may not literally put pen to paper, 21327 Typewriter is a beast, complete with one of the LEGO Group’s most impressive technical achievements. A simultaneous sliding carriage and tapping hammer function wows writers, LEGO fans and casual observers alike, all made possible by a spring-loaded piston and advanced gearing inside.
Of course, if you’re busy penning the next big novel, you’ll be looking at it more than you’ll be playing with it. Thankfully, this gorgeous, sand-green classic typewriter is detailed and stylish. This LEGO model is a marvel on a visual and technical level – ample credit goes to fan designer and Blocks alumn Steve Guinness, whose original idea sparked one of the LEGO Group’s craftiest models.
LEGO Ideas 21315 Pop-Up Book
Fee-fi-fo-fum. Many LEGO Ideas sets, like 21335 Motorized Lighthouse, 21305 Maze and the previously mentioned Typewriter are fully functional and intended to move. 21315 Pop-Up Book presented a unique challenge in that a storybook scene had to be fully realized the moment the book was laid flat. Fan designers Jason and Grant, with assistance from LEGO Designers Wesley Talbott and Crystal Marie Fontan, mastered the look and function of classic children’s literature in 21315 Pop-Up Book.
Much like a paper Pop-Up Book, it unfolds when opened, though this is impressively made with hinged LEGO bricks instead of thin paper. The set has two fairy-tale scenes to choose from – Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood – both fantastically detailed with equally great minifigures. This stunning model’s dark green and brown cover are gorgeous, featuring a unique 8×16 stud plate with a swirling title. Even if the ‘magic’ is inside the book, propping this up vertically on a desk makes a perfect display for children’s writers, poets and LEGO builders alike.
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71004 William Shakespeare
My kingdom for a minifigure. If you’ve got a sprawling manuscript with little room for error – or bricks – a simple minifigure may be the best fit for you. William Shakespeare from Collectible Minifigures 71004 The LEGO Movie is the perfect match for a smaller writing desk. The world-renowned playwright and thespian comes to mind when people say the word ‘writer’, making him the perfect desk accompaniment for anyone who’s ever written a story or lifted a pen.
The William Shakespeare minifigure is intricately detailed head to toe. He comes with two accessories – a white feather pen, and a scroll reading ‘To Build or Not To Build’. That is the question, isn’t it? He’s even able to grasp thin wires if you use a laptop or desktop when you write, too, though you’ll want to ensure they’re not so thick they’ll break his hands.
75978 Harry Potter Diagon Alley (Flourish and Blotts bookstore)
A stunning interior and gorgeous exterior makes the Flourish and Blotts section of 75978 Diagon Alley a great match for any LEGO Harry Potter fan. Its large windows let in lots of natural light, with stacks of books and a special book signing for Gilderoy Lockhart inside. It’s just as suitable on a bookshelf than on a writer’s desk, but its gorgeous detailing is almost unparalleled and so it deserves a spot where you’ll see it every single day.
The cobblestone pathway in front of the bookstore also lets you place your favourite Harry Potter minifigures and characters in clear view. This set gets bonus points if you write Harry Potter fan fiction, as you can display custom minifigures based on your original characters. The Flourish and Blotts bookstore section of Diagon Alley looks great alone or as part of the entire metre-wide set.
10270 Bookshop
Our last set may not be green like 21327 Typewriter, 21315 Pop-Up Book or Flourish and Blotts, but its detail will have your friends green with envy. ‘Birch Books’ and the attached townhome are both expertly designed, with the namesake birch tree looming in front and gorgeous tiling inside and out. It’s no wonder the model has been available since January 2020. In a catalogue of sets that often retire quickly, the 10270 Bookshop’s popularity has endured.
What’s nice about these two-part modular building sets (also seen in 10218 Pet Shop and 10190 Market Street) is they can make delightful bookends. They can also sandwich your manuscripts, poetry, and screenplays and keep them upright. That way, they’ll take less of your available space and make it easier to finish that autobiography of yours – ‘Me, My MOC, and I’.