Yes. For some atheists this is true, but atheists come with as a vast variety of beliefs and philosophy's. Some atheists might say the meaning of life is just what you make it.
Many atheists will also say that the basic question involving absurdism, "what is the meaning of life?" is irrelevant and nonsensical. This way of thinking is a similar to the base ideas behind Buddhism, (minus the magic stuff). If you don't know much about Buddhism, I think it would interest you very much.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.