Hey Reader,

I simply love beavers!

You might have noticed I sign off with a little beaver emoji. 🦫 I'm genuinely fascinated by beavers, and the more I learn about them, the more I admire them.

They're ingenious little creatures with a get-the-job-done attitude. They don't sit around holding board meeting after board meeting, debating and overanalyzing and waiting for the perfect moment. They simply head out and do exactly what they're meant to do. They see the water, they build the dam, and then create a solid foundation that transforms the entire landscape around them into a more viable ecosystem. No overthinking, no endless prep, just purposeful action.

And honestly, that's exactly the energy I want for you and your book. Write the book you want to write, don't overthink your rough draft, and simply go out there and get it done! 🦫

Let me paint you a picture... 🎨

🦫 When it comes to writing productivity, I am very grateful to be gifted with the ability to write up to 10,000 words a day, if I'm just working on writing a client's book or one of my own, and that's without the use of AI. And while I don't use AI to write or edit books, I do use it as an ideation tool. Although I'm an excellent ideator, AI will usually come up with an idea I haven't thought of, and that one idea usually sparks many more concepts or a new path forward when I'm writing.

However, and this is a big one for me, I live in the Pacific Northwest. For those of you unfamiliar with this area of the world, the summers are absolutely gorgeous with mostly sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-80s. However, when late September hits, the fall weather kicks in and it starts to rain. It rains sideways, on an angle, with the fog rolling in (no joke, I've seen it do this!). It sometimes feels like the rain is coming up from the ground! Not just rain, but it's gloomy and grey all day long, until MAY. Yes, the sun rarely comes out between early October and the end of May, which causes seasonal depression.

Now, this doesn't happen to everyone, but because my serotonin runs low already (that's the chemical your brain makes when it sees sunlight, and it keeps you happy, hence the term, "That person is so bright, cheerful and sunny!"), I can easily plummet into SAD or seasonal effective disorder. Basically, I don't want to get out of bed.

Not only does this effect my mood, but it also effects my physical health (I can watch my OURA ring health line plummet day after day) and of course, my productivity. So I have SAD lamps from Northern Lights, a Canadian company, and I use them DAILY. I can literally watch my health line skyrocket when I use my light!

So What Does This Have to Do with Beavers and Productivity?

💡 Find the tools that fuel YOUR process. Beavers don't build dams with their bare teeth and hope for the best, they use exactly what the environment gives them, branch by branch, to get the job done. For me, that means having the right setup: my computer and Google Docs, the right music, and a quiet space where I can clearly think. This lets me write up to 10,000 words a day.

☀️ Know what your body and brain need to show up. A beaver can't build if the conditions aren't right, and neither can I. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where the sun disappears from early October until May. With my serotonin already running low, that grey, gloomy stretch can send me straight into seasonal affective disorder, where getting out of bed feels impossible. So I use SAD lamps from Northern Light Technologies daily. That lamp is one of my dam-building tools.

🎯 Use what works for you, and skip what doesn't. Here's the beaver wisdom: they don't overthink it, they just use what works and get busy building. The right tools are the ones that fit how YOU write. If you hear someone rave about a tool and it doesn't sound like a good fit, don't force it. If you're not sure, try it for a month or two and see how it feels. Maybe it becomes essential, like my lamp, or maybe you move on. Either way, finishing and publishing your book comes down to pairing the right tools with the right mindset, then getting to work like the industrious little builder you are. 🦫

Want to give the gift of writing a book to a friend?

I recently published "From Idea to Outline in One Weekend," so that new and returning authors can take the right steps to find out their niche. It's a great gift to that special someone in your life who "has a book in their head" and never stops talking about it! Now they can take action, and stop wasting their time overthinking. They can complete their outline and be ready to write their rough draft in as little as three days!

​Get the complete playbook (for a friend!) that walks you through every decision, every exercise, and every step from concept to finished outline in three days.​

📖 📝 ✍️ 📖 📝 ✍️ 📖 📝 ✍️ 📖 📝 ✍️ 📖 📝 ✍️

💡Final Thoughts:

So as you sit down to write, think like a beaver. Gather what you need, trust your own instincts about what works, and then get moving. The perfect setup won’t write your book for you, and neither will endless planning. What finishes a book is showing up with the tools that serve you and the determination to build something lasting, one word at a time. You already have everything you need to start. Now go do what you were meant to do. 🦫

🔰💪🔰 Want to learn more? 🔰💪🔰

🎙️ Speaking of getting the job done like a beaver, Episode 57 is all about breaking the overwhelming process of writing a self-published book into manageable, bite-sized goals. A fellow podcaster in a coaching group recently asked me about my process, because the thought of writing a book paralyzes so many aspiring authors. It’s an undefined goal with no clear starting point, which leads to blank page paralysis, made worse by comparing yourself to finished bestsellers instead of focusing on your next step.

In this episode, I teach the critical mindset shift: moving from “I need to write a book” to “what is my very next step?” Our brains resist enormous, undefined tasks, but they respond beautifully to small, clear milestones where you can see progress and celebrate little wins. Your goal isn’t finishing the whole book. It’s completing your next milestone, whether that’s a chapter outline, a mind map, or writing 15 minutes three times a week.

I also cover how to build a realistic writing schedule and fiercely protect that time (because unprotected time always gets swallowed by daily life), why you should write one chapter at a time in whatever order feels easiest, and the absolute non-negotiable: hiring a professional editor. I share the story of a client who hired her 18-year-old niece to edit, only to have the book sound like a high schooler wrote it, requiring a complete and costly re-edit. 🎥 Watch Episode 57 and subscribe for more publishing insights.

​

👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯 👍🌟💯

🤝 Client Testimonial of the Week

Lynn has been terrific in helping me navigate the tough first steps of the publishing industry and I recommend her for anyone looking to get a good start!

-Archer Cole

Happy writing! 🦫

Your Publishing Partner,

Lynn "Elikqitie" Smargis

P.S. – Are you looking for a fresh set of eyes on your manuscript for a review? Grab a spot on my Self-Publishing Discovery Call calendar to find out how quick and easy this process can be!