8 Inspiring Author Quotes That Will Brighten Your Day

Authors might not always be the cheeriest bunch -- heck, some of them even complain about the act of writing itself. But it'd be hard to disagree with the fact that when they do decide to articulate their bouts of optimism, they do so in a way that is deeply moving.

These 8 inspirational quotes, said by writers from William Blake to Harriet Beecher Stowe, are bound to brighten your day.

Excerpted from Whatever You Are, Be a Good One: 100 Inspirational Quotations Hand-Lettered by Lisa Congdon [Chronicle Books, $14.95]: