Revisiting Fictional Friends

I started doing something yesterday that I haven't done in a very long time.

I started outlining a book.

Quite a few years ago, while trying to participate in NaNoWriMo, I had this idea for a story — a young woman who goes back to her hometown, saves her family's business, falls in love, and lives happily ever after. Your classic made-for-TV Hallmark romcom. While I never managed to get the story sorted or the side characters figured out, I did have the main character nailed down, and I love her.

I've often heard that the best way to write fiction is to incorporate some of yourself into your characters. When I look at my main character, I'd say she is 75% me and 25% who I wish I could be — a beautiful blend of fact and fiction. She's the girl my eight-year-old self would have looked at and said, "Wow, she's amazing. I hope I can be her when I grow up!" That doesn't mean she's perfect; in fact, she's far from it. She's full of flaws, and I think that's what makes her so lovable.

So yesterday I sat down and started to figure it out. I started to breathe life back into her and build her world — a world that feels like opening the door and stepping back home.

I managed to get about half a chapter and half an outline done, which feels like a great first step for the first 24 hours of creation. The next step will be fleshing out the full outline. I'm not someone who writes fiction in a straight line — it never goes from start to finish. Chapters get written out of order, and the story stays a little chaotic until I sit down and piece it all back together. That's exactly how this one will go too. I have the opening part of her life figured out; I just need to work out the rest.

What I can tell you is that alongside our female lead, there's a love interest — and we are leaning hard into the romcom cliché of him being her best friend's brother, because who doesn't love that storyline. Her love interest might not be what we've come to expect from this kind of story, but that could be wishful thinking. I haven't met him yet, so time will tell who he is meant to become.  Then of course there's the best friend: quirky, weird, with zero filter, but fiercely loyal and always ready to defend everyone's honor. But I think the character I'm most excited to write is the aunt. She's eccentric and witchy, has lived a life dedicated to breaking every rule, and is a combination of the greatest women I know. 

It feels good to be "creating" in a way I haven't done in a long time. Even though I spend a lot of time in the pages of my notebooks, it's rarely in the form of pure creativity and fun. I am really looking forward to working my way through the process of writing fiction again and creating characters that serve no other purpose than to entertain and get out a giggle or two from their readers. 

Hook, Yarn, Repeat

When I was around ten years old, my grandmother taught me how to crochet. The lesson itself was simple - just making a long change of stitches, frogging them and starting again. I absolutely love it! From there, I taught myself other stitches before setting the hobby down when I was in high school. 

In my late twenties, I picked the hobby back up again. It was on a whim after seeing a hat that I loved and had the random thought, “I could totally make that for myself”. I did make myself the hat, along with many other hats, and added animals to my pattern library. I tried my hand at blankets and scarves, but quickly realized I didn’t have the patience for repeating the same pattern and colors over and over. Somewhere in my mid to late thirties, I set crochet aside again after the pressure of “monetizing” my hobby became too much and drained all the fun out of it.

A few weeks ago, I was hanging out with Sam, my eight-year-old niece. One of the things I love most about her is her complete lack of filter and her willingness to say exactly what’s on her mind, wherever we may be. Out of nowhere, she announced that I should start a crochet club at her school. She had the whole thing planned—twice a week after school, held in the gym, because the activities room “wouldn’t be big enough.”

When I asked her why she thought I should do that, she enthusiastically replied, “Because you’re really good at it! You’ve made stuffed animals—my owl, my unicorn, even Baby Yoda.” Then she added the best part: “And as a bonus, I’d get to crochet and hang out with you.”

Before continuing, it’s important to know one more thing about Sam: she is fascinated by the idea of things being passed down through families. Over the past year, we’ve had many conversations about inherited objects, traditions, and skills. That, combined with her excitement about crochet, planted a seed.

I had absolutely no intention of picking crochet back up. About a year ago, I destashed nearly all of my yarn: roughly 150–200 skeins. I kept my hooks only because I couldn’t find them at the time. Most of my finished pieces had been gifted away, and any scraps worth saving were recycled. Starting again would mean starting from nothing. And in this economy? No one has time for that.

But isn’t that how some of the best hobbies work? You’re sure you’re finished with them… and then they quietly find their way back to you.

After that conversation with Sam, I realized how much I missed crocheting. I missed sitting on the couch while binge-watching shows or listening to audiobooks. I missed having something to do with my hands that didn’t involve doom-scrolling or taking up much space. So I decided to start crocheting again.

Not only that—I decided to document it.

One of my favorite parts of any hobby is recording the process, so I’ve chosen to add another journal to my 2026 (and beyond) journal stack: a crochet journal.

The same grandmother who taught me to crochet was also a seamstress. After she passed, I remember wishing I had something that documented her work—not every project, necessarily, but the patterns she loved, the notes she made, the modifications she used. There is something incredibly special about having a tangible record of someone’s process and progress.

That’s what this journal will be.

It will document the projects I make, patterns I love, and the yarns I use. One of my favorite hats—the one I wear constantly—is beginning to show its age. I’d love to remake it, but while I think I still have the pattern, I have no idea what yarn I used. This journal will make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Someday, this journal will be given to Sam. I don’t know when—but it feels right that it eventually becomes hers. She’s the one who sparked this idea. She reminded me how much I love creating fiber art, and I love the thought of leaving her something that shows my process, my progress, and the things I hope to make along the way.

So this journal and project are dedicated to her.

May you always remember how incredibly smart, magnetic, creative, empathetic, caring, and loving you are. You are the best part of my life, and I am endlessly grateful to get to be your (cool) aunt.

A Year in Notebooks

 I’ve kept some form of a journal for most of my life, but in recent years my practice has expanded beyond a single notebook. What started as a place to write my thoughts and dreams has become a collection of journals, each with its own role. Together, they help me capture and remember different parts of my life.

Daily Journal:
I’ve been keeping a journal since I was 15. It’s become a constant companion, always within arm’s reach, so I can brain-dump anything that’s on my mind. I use it to document trips I’ve taken, nights out with friends, weird things my pets have done, and to work through periods when my mental health is in the toilet. Some entries are more meaningful than others; some are simply observations of a relatively ordinary life.

List Journal:
I love a good list. They end up in the margins of planners and scattered throughout my journals. While that gives me space to remember things in the moment, those lists usually get lost once the planners and journals are archived—and I’m not one to revisit completed notebooks. That’s why I started a list journal. It’s a place to keep track of everything I want to remember that doesn’t quite live anywhere else: trails I want to hike in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, plants for my witchy garden, dishes I want to make, my ideal relationship and partner, and this year, a section for my favorites of 2026.

Media Journal:
For the last few years, I’ve kept a reading journal. I loved having a space to track everything I read, but over time, I realized I also wanted a place to keep track of more than the books I have read. I wanted to track the TV shows I’ve watched, movies I’ve seen, and even the video games I have played. I’m hopeful it will help me to remember what I’ve read and watched, but I am also curious to see how I consume media throughout the year—what holds my attention, what I abandon, and what I keep coming back to.

Tarot Journal:
One of my goals for 2026 is to return to my tarot practice. It’s a big part of my spiritual life, but it often gets pushed aside for other, more exciting pursuits. This year, I’m committing to a daily draw. Each morning, I’ll pull a single card to help guide my day and strengthen my ability to read the cards. This isn’t going to be anything fancy—I’ll be using the weekly, preprinted planner to track which suits I draw and jotting down a sentence or two about each card’s meaning.

Weaver Tarot Journal:
Alongside my daily draw, I’m starting a dedicated tarot notebook. This will hold deck studies and any readings I do outside of my daily pulls—full moon spreads, new moon spreads, random check-ins, and more. It’s a space devoted entirely to deepening my tarot knowledge.

Commonplace Journal:
I’ve inadvertently been keeping a commonplace notebook for years. It holds notes from webinars, song lyrics I love, quotes, and magazine clippings that felt important but didn’t have a home. I don’t work in this notebook often, but I love knowing it’s there as part of the lineup.

One of my favorite things about journaling is how personal it can be. From the notebooks we choose to the themes they hold, it gives us another outlet for expression and creativity. I’d love to know—what does your journal or notebook collection look like? Are there any journaling projects you’re planning for this year?