So, although this book is short and took seven long years to write, and is truncated and halting, and is, yes, dark and maybe even a little sick in places, I remember the years during which it was being written as some of the richest and most magical of my life, full of hope and love and aspiration and the satisfaction of, finally, making something happen.
- George Saunders, on writing his first collection, CivilWarLandinBadDecline
What I love most about this quote is it's the truth. Just because what you work on might be dark or filled with unhappiness doesn't mean that you're unhappy or dark. In the end, a story is simply that--a story. And if it's a story that needs to be told, then you do your damnedest to tell it as honestly as you possibly can without worrying about what other people will think of you.