Saturday, 3 October 2026
October Theory for Writers: Finish the Year Fresh Instead of Fatigued
The last ninety days of the calendar year have a magical tone about them as we have settled into the autumn work, school, and sports schedules with the unvoiced understanding that the current year is coming to a close. An ending that is a prequel to the new year and its promises. Some of us do a deep cleaning in the fall. Others shove the dust aside to deal with later. Either way, October kicks off the closing quarter of the annual calendar game of getting through life one day at a time. Here I offer some ideas for how writers can make good use of the theory while staying focused on health, creativity, and the present moment.
‘O’ IS FOR OPEN
Open a book, any book, to a random page (to the page of today’s date works.) Copy one sentence from that page into a journal or a blank page. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and repeat the sentence in your mind three or more times until a new idea pops into your thoughts. Write the new idea down and keep writing if inspired.
‘C’ IS FOR COUNT
Count things for a whole day. Consciously stop and count things/people/ideas as often as you can remember to do so for one day. Journal at the end of the day about the experience. Recognizing patterns is a great way to train your mind to organize your stories. Count your blessings is a refreshing journal moment too.
‘T’ IS FOR TALK NICE
Talk nice to yourself in your journal instead of beating down everything and everybody. Just for the rest of the year, write balance into your journal pages. Consciously recognizing the pros and cons of just about everything can improve mood and self-esteem.
‘O’ IS FOR ORGANIZE
Organize something, anything! Digital or tangible, spend one hour of one day in October sorting, donating, and trashing at least one of those piles or drawers or stashes. Promise to repeat this in November and December. Write this into your planner if you think you’ll need the nudges. Cleaning out a closet or a junk drawer can create an amazing feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.
‘B’ IS FOR BUILD
Build something calming and relaxing into three or more days a week for the rest of the year. Five minutes of resting on your back with a cloth over your eyes. Short walks. Listen to quiet music or nature sounds for five minutes. Sit still for five minutes inside of someplace crowded like a coffee shop and cultivate being calm in the midst of chaos. Practice counting breaths or a meditation method of your choice. Builds mental clarity and focus.
‘E’ IS FOR EXERCISE
Exercise 20-minutes a day, five times a week. Gentle movement is fine but include a cardio workout once a week if you can. Sitting and lifting small hand weights IS cardio! Better energy, improved confidence, and physical strength are some of the side effects.
‘R’ IS FOR REFLECT
Reflect on the last nine months of the year, use the above ideas to select Reasonable goals to end this year, and Reach out to another writer this month either in person, online, on the phone, or mail an actual card or letter to them! Stamps are pricey, but one won’t break the budget.
OCTOBER IS FOR TAKING THAT STEP FORWARD INTO THE MAGICAL UNKNOWN ONE MOMENT AT A TIME.
The end is always the beginning if you want it to be.
Write on!
~Joy
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JOY E. HELD is a busy author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of
Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)
Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)
The Mermaid Riot (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Young Adult Historical Fantasy
Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Adult Historical Romance
She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:
West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.
New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.
Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.
She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.
She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.
She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.
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