A couple years ago, I decided to do all my Bible reading from a physical book rather than my phone. The reason was simple—when my kids watch me, I want them to know exactly what I’m doing. When I’m on my phone, I could be doing anything from checking emails to watching Instagram reels to writing down book ideas. But there’s only one thing I’m doing if the Bible is in my lap.

This practice has been hit or miss in the last year and a half, but the idea has trickled into other areas of life. I edited my entire 153k word novel in a huge binder, good ole pen and paper style. As I reflect on the fresh year, I’m moving back to writing in notebooks again.

My word for 2026 is ROOTS.

Root (n.) the part of a plant that grows underground, gets water from the ground, and holds the plant in place.

This choice was influenced by many sources, but here are some of the ones I can remember:

• This episode on crop rotation from the Novel Marketing Podcast
• This post about tending creative ideas by Grant Herbel
• This reminder that creativity springs from a life well lived by Dr. Claire Honeycutt
• This book about creativity (I’ve mentioned it before) [affiliate link]

Simply said, roots ground us. And if we keep them healthy, the whole plant thrives.

This has been a busy season for me, but I’m not out of it yet. And if I keep holding onto the mindset that I’ll tackle XYZ once things calm down, well… I’ll miss the most fruitful planting time. So what’s next is merely a redefinition of normal.

I’m no longer blessed with hours of uninterrupted time when my mind is at its best. Usually my open hours come at the end of the day when any small distraction leads me down a winding trail of unproductiveness. Every time I open my laptop, my mind goes blank and I commence autopilot. And if my email tab is already open… game over.

But here’s the beautiful thing about an open notebook—it patiently waits for those small pockets of time. No flickering notification bubble, no reminders of everything I forgot to do, no dreaded eye strain from a screen. And a notebook can go where a computer can’t.

Aside from the convenience of writing in a simple notebook, the practice reminds me of who I am—a writer. Something about shaping the words first with my own fingers causes me to reconnect with the girl I used to be, back before the time of publishing and social media, when writing was a joyful task and not an item on my to-do list.

Those roots run deep, thank goodness, for I’ve been neglecting them.

I used to handwrite every first draft because it forced me to slow down, consider each word, and savor the process. Typing up the second draft allowed for the revisions that had been simmering away. Because when you hand write, there isn’t room for edits along the way. Only pressing on into the story’s great unknown.

I want to write like that again. To fill up pages with words without care for word count or formatting. To let myself be free from the pull of false connectedness and shallow community. Because those other things will always be there to lure me. Some days I’ll give in. But when I sit down as a writer, I want to live up to that name.

This year, I have a book to write. I need to write it—not only because it’s part of an unfinished story, but because I must keep writing. To prove myself, in a way. But also because there’s nothing quite like writing a pen dry and beginning a new chapter. That feeling has been absent for some time now, so it’s time to tend the roots.

And tending starts with slowing down. Will I sacrifice some of my efficiency for the sake of the journey? Possibly. But I also know that when stripped of other options, writing becomes imperative.

So I’ll see what happens. Maybe this year will result in a different fruit than previous ones. And I’m quite looking forward to smelling the roses along the way.

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Want to write a book with me? Now through the month of April I’ll be drafting Holly’s Portent, book two of my Anchor and Vessel series. Take the challenge and labor alongside other writers to tend your garden and grow something beautiful. I can’t wait to wander a while with you!

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