Writers’ Spring

Shaima Al.Abri

College of Education, English

The great Greek philosopher Epictetus said that ‘‘if you wish to be a writer; write!’’ It seems that most of the famous writers have applied this principle, maybe unconsciously, to begin their writing journeys. They start writing down whatever comes to their minds even before realizing that they are writers. However, these random pieces of writing don’t emerge from the blowing wind. Indeed, it's said that ‘‘writing reflects the writer’s personality.’’

A number of classical writers such as Mark Twain, Alexandre Dumas and Charles Dickens based their novels and plays on their personal life. Those writers have faced a lot of hardships during their life which shaped the themes that they wrote about. For example, Great Expectation and Oliver Twist show the poverty and betrayal that Charles Dickens himself had.

Some writers may not have this kind of wretched and dramatic life, but that doesn’t prevent them from producing a piece that worth reading. The others’ life and the situation in the society become the sources of inspiration for those writers. Their novels, poems or plays are the mirror that carries for the readers their simple experiences which they may have never noticed.

The Arab spring becomes the Arab writers’ inspirer these days in all kinds of writing. They tend to write about patriotism, loyalty and freedom. In the annual TV competition "Poet of the Million" that has started a few months ago, most of the poems talk about the previous topics. The life itself is the spring that satisfies the writers’ thirst.