Also, the Strategy Guide said something about broomsticks and ruined books being used to make stave and spell tomes... ? Has anyone ever done this??

The only thing for which I've found charcoal is used is a TG quest:
(Minor spoiler - I tried to be vague.)

There's a place called the Atronach Forge hidden under the College of Winterhold - I think you can use it to turn ruined books into spell tomes. I wouldn't be surprised if you could also use it to turn brooms into staves.

Some random items like those that you mentioned are used for the Atronach Forge beneath the College of Winterhold in the Midden. There's a list of the recipes/ingredients here: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Atronach_Forge Also, once you first find the forge and read the manual on the table near it, you can apparently start finding recipes for scattered around Skyrim (in random loot, on humanoid enemies, etc.) but I've seen nothing of the sort so far. Just note that the recipes in the link that say "require Sigil Stone" refer to the quest reward for the Master Conjuration quest, so those ones are inaccessible until you get 100 Conjuration and complete said quest.

Ha. That sounds about right. You find them in random spots and never pick them up, then all of a sudden you need one. I will take the next one I find.

Hmm... I'd be interested in a few Atronach staves....

The required equipment is present at the place at the time, but far be it for me to prevent a fellow hoarder from pursuing their neurosis. I actually have a lot of charcoal stored on my first character because I knew that we could cook and assumed we'd need charcoal for it.

Oh man. I've only been down their the one time for the CoW questline. Guess I should return, what being the arch mage and all that.

You'll need it during the TG quest.

Even if you don't use it too much, there's nothing like the feeling of confidence you have with a Staff of Storm Atronach in your inventory...and you can get it pretty early on.

Yeah, the Midden is definitely worth a return trip. Also look out for the gauntlet statue and the journal nearby - maybe there are more secrets to be uncovered...

Lol! This^^

You can find it onsite at the time you need it.

Silly question... this is Nord country, after all. Clearly it's for drawing rude words and pictures on your follower's face when he's passed out drunk.

The first time I saw Charcoal, I though it would be an ingredient in making steel, you know, add carbon to iron to make steel. Well, I grabbed every piece of charcoal I could as I was going through the game until I discovered I needed something else to mix with the iron to make steel........