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Expressive writing stands in contrast to two other more popular ones: product-based and process-based approach, given its therapeutic potentials to the authors.  It encourages writers to express their deepest emotions to negotiate their traumatic experiences and emotional burdens. Attempting to portray both students’ engagement, the data gathered include weekly drafts and end-of-the-class reflections from 25 students in the Creative Writing class. Personal interviews with selected students are completed as the data triangulation. The half semester-long data gathering allows in-depth understanding. The preliminary data suggested that the degree of student engagement is above 80%. The study is to present an analysis of 15 pieces of writing and reflections from five selected students. The early findings showed the dynamics of the students' story development in the flash fictions and their gradual improvement of engagement. This study enriches the EFL expressive writing study and the students' engagement in the class.

creative writing, expressive writing, students’ engagement, students’ performance