Weekly Unfinished Tales and Short Stories from our Dataset
Welcome to our daily collection of short stories from the ‘Unfinished Tales’ project, an ongoing creative arts and research program. This initiative was undertaken primarily for the joy of exploration, allowing us to experiment with narrative and learn what we can do at the intersection of art and technology.
These narrative fragments serve as a rich dataset for our research into AI-Assisted Scriptwriting, providing raw material for generating new plot structures and alternative story arcs. Furthermore, they are instrumental in our study of Talent Development, helping us understand the evolving skills creative professionals need to manage AI-driven tools, enhance digital literacy, and foster the interdisciplinary approaches essential for future storytelling.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
A Murmur in the Frost
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Allegorical | Genre: Slice of Life
The air in the community hall was thick with the scent of lukewarm coffee and the damp wool of winter coats. Outside, a blizzard had begun its slow, deliberate crawl, pressing against the windows like a curious, heavy spirit. Inside, a round table, scarred with decades of craft projects and bake sales, served as the epicentre for five young adults, their faces illuminated by the flickering fluorescent lights and the stubborn glow of a projector displaying a chaotic spiderweb of ideas.
A Summer’s Oar, A Year’s Reckoning
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Sports Fiction | Genre: Action-Adventure
The morning air on Lake Wabanaki held a sharp, clean bite, even in the heart of July. Mist, thick and grey, still clung to the water’s surface, slowly retreating before the sun’s reluctant climb. Already, the reedy edges of the shore buzzed with the nervous energy of young competitors. Canoes, like colourful, elongated beetles, bobbed impatiently against the rickety dock, their paddles clattering in eager hands. A faint scent of damp cedar and stale bug spray hung in the air, punctuated by the shrill calls of distant gulls.
The Frozen Seedbed
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Allegorical | Genre: Slice of Life
A deep winter morning clings to the small community arts centre in Northwestern Ontario, where a diverse group of young adults, emerging artists, and passionate individuals have convened. Inside, the chill of the boreal landscape is held at bay by the quiet warmth of shared purpose, coffee, and the clanking of an old radiator. This is a roundtable discussion, a delicate crucible where individual artistic ambitions are meant to forge into a collective, a non-profit arts organization. The air is thick with anticipation, tinged with the faint scent of damp wool and old paper, as the participants prepare to navigate the complex, hopeful journey of creating something lasting.
A Frosty Agenda
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Allegorical | Genre: Slice of Life
The air in the community hall hung heavy with the scent of old coffee, damp wool, and the faint, metallic tang of a furnace straining against the sub-zero temperatures outside. Four young adults, bundled in parkas and scarves, sat around a scratched laminate table, the low hum of the fluorescent lights a persistent companion to the sparse winter light filtering through the high, grimy windows.
Light Through Frozen Glass
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Allegorical | Genre: Slice of Life
Cold, weak sunlight, filtered through a large window caked with frozen condensation, barely illuminated the long, scarred pine table. A thick, grey sky pressed against the glass, hinting at fresh snow. Inside, the air was warm, thick with the scent of lukewarm coffee and the subtle metallic tang of an old radiator. Five young people huddled around the table, their breath misting faintly whenever the door to the draughty hall briefly opened.
Design Notes and Applied Research
This collection’s focus on Slice of Life and Action-Adventure genres provided a compelling lens through which to examine skills development. By utilizing the frameworks of allegorical narrative and sports fiction, our creators explored themes of discipline, incremental progress, and the mastery of complex abilities. These pieces effectively demonstrate how character-driven stories can articulate the nuanced processes of personal and professional growth.
The juxtaposition of these established storytelling forms with our program’s digital-first approach made for a valuable experiment. Participants engaged directly with the digital transformation of the arts by using new tools to construct and disseminate their work. The resulting collection stands as a testament to this dynamic and engaging inquiry into the future of narrative craft.
About the Project
The Unfinished Tales and Short Stories collection was an interdisciplinary arts and narrative storytelling experiment in 2025. It was part of a creative arts and participatory research project by The Arts Incubator Winnipeg and the Art Borups Corners collectives. It focuses on two key areas: AI-Assisted Storytelling and Scriptwriting, exploring AI tools for generating ideas, plot structures, and story arcs; and Talent Development and Training, studying digital skills, literacy and training needs for creative professionals by experimenting with AI and immersive technologies to inform future projects. Funding and support were generously provided by the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program and the Government of Ontario. We thank them for supporting the arts, digital transformation, and applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) research.
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