15 Works Of Creative Writing That Will Make You Question Your Existence

As a writer, I’ve been told that my job is to make you feel something. And as a human being, I believe this is true. One of the best ways to do this is through creative writing, as it allows us to not only share our feelings with others but also process them ourselves to make sense of them. 

Creativity can help us reflect on our lives and make sense of the things that happen around us and even the things we wish would happen but never do.

Here are some examples:

Creative Writing Masterclass with Phil Earle: Inspiration
Takeaways
1. Creative writing can delve into profound themes like existence and purpose.
2. Thought-provoking literature can prompt readers to reflect on their own lives.
3. Fiction and poetry offer unique avenues to explore existential questions.
4. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to evoke deep emotions and insights.
5. Writing that challenges perceptions can inspire personal growth and self-discovery.

1. Hack Your Procrastination Habit

Some of us have a procrastination habit. Others, like me, are simply cursed with it.

What is it? It’s the tendency to put off things that need to be done until they absolutely can’t be postponed any further. It’s not all bad though; sometimes, procrastination is just a way to avoid doing something that we don’t feel like doing right then and there. 

But then there are those times when our avoidance becomes so bad that we fail at completing the task completely–and those failures can snowball into bigger problems later on down the line (if you ask me).

How do we beat this habit? How do we hack our procrastination habit? Well…I’m glad you asked!

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2. From Here to There: A Story of Transition

The story of a woman who is transitioning from male to female, “From Here to There: A Story of Transition” is an account of the journey from one gender to another. It’s told in three parts one for each stage in the physical process of transitioning: before, during, and after. 

In this piece, we see how it feels for our narrator as she faces challenges at work, at home, and on the street. She also encounters people who are either supportive or antagonistic toward her decision; what makes their reactions so different?

The second piece is written from a man’s perspective as he transitions from female to male (FtM). 

We see how his family reacts differently than they did when he first came out as gay several years prior; we also get insight into some surprising changes that happen inside him during this time. This piece gives us an intimate look into his psyche while experiencing similar challenges that our transwoman narrator faced earlier in her story.

Finally, there’s “From Here To There which tells a similar tale but with significantly different details: instead of being about someone going through gender reassignment surgery (GRS), it takes place over several months while someone undergoes hormone replacement therapy (HRT). 

Instead of focusing primarily on external factors like social pressure and support networks within families/friends etc. this version points more inwardly at internalized feelings such as guilt over wanting something different than what others expect or want for you things like that might seem small but are pretty big deals when you think about them logically!

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3. “Brotherly Love”

Brotherly love is an interesting concept. It can be both a force for good and evil in the world, depending on the context. Brothers know that they love each other very much, yet they can also be jealous of each other or competitive with one another. 

They may even sometimes feel that their parents prefer the younger brother over them because of his cuteness or easier temperament (and parents aren’t always right).

But then again, brothers are there to protect each other when trouble rears its ugly head; they help each other through tough times and celebrate together when things are going well for both of them; they share secrets, and yes sometimes playfully roughhouse around in ways that make their momma cringe at what might happen next (but she secretly loves it!).

Brotherly love is serious business but also fun as hell when you’re having it!

4. What if the world were ending?

This story follows a man who is trying to understand his place in the world. He decides that his most important task, as a human being, is to write a book about his life thus far. 

He will chronicle every minute detail of his existence from childhood memories to job descriptions to relationships with friends and family members and compile it all into one comprehensive narrative about what he has learned.

In this way, he hopes that he will be able to find some meaning in his life; perhaps then he can better understand why we are here at all.

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5. Why I Don’t Own a Television

Television is a distraction. It’s a waste of time. It’s an addiction, and it wastes your money and energy. In addition to all this, it also takes up precious space in your home! There are many different ways to get creative with writing and watching TV is not one of them (unless your neighbor has a show that they don’t mind you watching).

If you’d like to write something more than just “I don’t own a television,” try writing about why you don’t own one: what do you do when people come over? How does it affect your relationships with friends and family members? What kind of shows would be enjoyable for someone who chooses not to have one?

6. On Letting Go

This poem is about the process of letting go. It’s not the same as giving up or forgetting, and it’s certainly not the same as forgiving or moving on. But if you can identify with the speaker’s struggle to move forward after losing someone they love, then this poem will be especially meaningful to you.

The speaker tells us that “letting go” is something we do every day it’s how we let in new experiences and people into our lives but also how we let go of old ones who no longer serve us.

7. Footwork

This is the story of a boy who was born with no feet. The boy’s parents are poor and cannot afford to pay for surgery, so they have to watch their son suffer day in and day out. One day, however, some stranger comes along who offers them help but at what price?

This is one of my favorite stories because it’s so real (and also because it reminds me of myself). It’s about a boy named Jimbo who has no feet because he was born that way, but he doesn’t think much about it until all his classmates start calling him “lame.”Well, then things get rough! 

So rough that eventually, Jimbo decides he’d rather just die than face another day in his life without any feet at all. But before he does that yes! He goes on a long trip through outer space where everything looks like waterfalls and rainbows (I mean maybe not exactly but close enough). 

This story is great because even though Jimbo dies at the end I still totally feel like there’s hope out there somewhere for everyone else who has trouble fitting in too well either socially or otherwise; if only we could all be more open-minded then maybe someday soon something wonderful will happen?

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8. The Glass Box

The Glass Box is a short story that recounts the life of a man named Brian as he learns to cope with his girlfriend’s death. The author, John Gribbin, writes in the first-person perspective and presents events from Brian’s point of view so readers can feel what he feels.

The story begins with Brian waking up in an unfamiliar room where he has been sleeping for several days. He looks out onto his balcony and sees that it is raining heavily outside. This gives him an idea to go out into town despite being depressed about his girlfriend’s death because he thinks that getting some fresh air might help him feel better emotionally.

Brian goes to get dressed but finds all of his clothes wet so instead puts on some dirty old ones that are lying around near where he slept (even though they smell bad). After putting them on, Brian heads out toward town but stops when someone calls out to him saying: “Are you going somewhere?”

9. Eulogy for a Dead Cow

“Eulogy for a Dead Cow” is an interesting short story by Barry Lopez. The story is about how a woman grieves and deals with the death of her husband who died after being trampled by cows. She is talking to her son, who is a farmer, about how she lost her husband because of cows. 

It’s not just any cow though; it’s the one that came up behind him and trampled him to death because he was too busy building fences around his farm.

In this story, we learn about the importance of remembering those who have passed away and what they stood for during their lives. In this case, I think it would be safe to say that our protagonist would have preferred if her husband had taken pride in his work instead of worrying so much about money and fencing off the land (or whatever).

10. That’s What Friends Are For

This is the story of two boys who are bullied. The first is a boy named Kevin, and the second is his friend Joey. Kevin has a dream one night that he’s been invited to spend time with Joey at his house. 

When he wakes up, it turns out that his mother has sent him on an errand to go pick up some groceries for her but she forgot to give him money for them (and she was too busy worrying about whether or not she should go see her ex-husband/his father). 

So Kevin has no choice but to go get the groceries himself in fact, it’s important enough that he needs help from Joey for this mission to succeed!

As soon as they get there, however…

11. Oblivion

The story begins with a man and a woman who has been in a relationship for some time. The woman has recently suffered from amnesia, and the man is trying to help her remember their relationship. He tells her about how they met, what it was like when they first fell in love, and the moments that defined their relationship.

However, she doesn’t remember any of this she doesn’t even recognize him as her boyfriend or partner anymore!

The man tries desperately to jog her memory by showing her photos from their past together but nothing works; she seems not to recognize anything about herself or their life together at all!

Questioning the nature of existence and life’s meaning is a profound theme in creative writing. Immerse yourself in a collection of thought-provoking literary works that invite you to question your existence and explore the depths of human experience.

12. My Life In One Sentence

In the short story “My Life in One Sentence,” author Dan Rhodes tells the story of a man who is trying to write a novel. He has been doing this for seven years and is frustrated that he cannot find the right words to express his ideas. He has also recently had some personal setbacks, which make it difficult for him to focus on his writing. 

In this story, Rhodes uses an unreliable narrator who speaks directly to us as readers he often breaks the fourth wall, talking about how strange it all seems and how out of place he feels among other people. 

This makes us question what perspective we should be taking toward the narrator’s life: are we meant to sympathize with him or mock him? The ending leaves room for both interpretations: either way, you’ll probably find yourself questioning your existence after reading this cleverly written piece!

13. Makeshift Monuments

“Makeshift Monuments” is a wonderful short story by Steven Millhauser, who takes us into a world where all the monuments have been destroyed in an unnamed war. It’s said that this war happened so long ago that no one can remember when it was fought.

In this world, there are only “makeshift monuments” left for people to gaze upon: old buildings that once housed famous sculptures but are now empty spaces with crumbling walls and broken windows.

The main character is a sculptor who spends his days trying to recreate these famous works from memory (and not doing very well). He knows he needs better materials if he wants his statues to achieve true greatness but those materials don’t exist anymore in his world of makeshift artworks.

14. The Truth about Ever Afters (and Happy Endings)

This is a short story about how it’s not always a happy ending. Sometimes it’s better to end a story before it becomes a tragedy, even if you know your characters will never get what they want. 

Sometimes the best way to write something is to leave things open-ended, so people can make their conclusions about where it went wrong and what could have happened instead. 

And in this case study of a love story gone awry, we see that the writer understood that sometimes after all the work you put into crafting your manuscript the editing and revising, and re-revisioning you have no idea where things are going to end up anyway!

The most important thing here is that as writers we should always be aware of our ability (or inability) to write endings; doing so helps us build toward them with more purpose than just setting up random plot lines with no closure at all.

15. What if the whole world was listening?​

In this episode, we’re going to talk about what I like to call “works of creative writing.” These are pieces of writing that will make you question your existence, the way you view the world, and how you fit into it.

The first step is figuring out why these works were created in the first place. It’s not just random writers sitting down and spouting off words (although some may do that). 

Writers have something they want to say it could be as simple as “what if this happened?” or as complex as “how can humans evolve past their differences?” We’re interested in hearing from people who want us all to think differently.

Conclusion

This article is intended to help you discover your creativity and give you the tools to start writing. You must take the time to learn how best to express yourself in a way that will make your words stand out from all of the rest. 

The following examples should help get you started on this journey, as they show just how creative writers can make their work memorable by taking ordinary everyday experiences and giving them new meaning through their work. Hopefully, after reading this article, it will inspire more people to try their hand at writing something original!

Further Reading

Explore these additional resources to deepen your understanding of creative writing:

Immerse Education – Creative Writing Examples Discover a collection of creative writing examples and gain insights into various writing techniques and styles. Visit Immerse Education for inspiration.

Study.com – What Is Creative Writing? Learn about the definition, types, and examples of creative writing. Explore the world of creative expression at Study.com.

Study Smarter – Creative Writing Explanations Delve into explanations and insights about research and composition in creative writing. Enhance your knowledge at Study Smarter.

FAQs

What is creative writing?

Creative writing refers to the art of using words and imagination to craft original and expressive pieces of writing, such as stories, poems, and essays.

How can I improve my creative writing skills?

Improving creative writing skills involves consistent practice, reading diverse literature, experimenting with different writing styles, and receiving constructive feedback.

What are some common types of creative writing?

Common types of creative writing include fiction (novels, short stories), poetry, creative nonfiction (personal essays, memoirs), and scripts for plays or screenplays.

How do I overcome writer’s block?

Writer’s block can be overcome by changing your writing environment, setting small goals, taking breaks, practicing freewriting, and seeking inspiration from different sources.

Is creative writing only about fiction?

No, creative writing encompasses various forms of expression beyond fiction, including poetry, creative nonfiction, memoirs, and scripts. It’s a versatile field for artistic exploration.