Weekly Unfinished Tales and Short Stories from our Dataset
This daily collection presents a selection of short stories drawn from the extensive dataset generated by the “Unfinished Tales” project, an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to exploring the multifaceted dimensions of narrative creation. Each piece, a distinct narrative experiment, reflects the diverse thematic and stylistic explorations undertaken within our ongoing creative arts and research program. These daily showcases offer a unique window into the raw, evolving landscapes of storytelling, demonstrating the breadth of imaginative possibilities when traditional narrative forms intersect with contemporary research methodologies.
Beyond their intrinsic narrative value, these stories serve as crucial artifacts for our project’s core research objectives. They provide invaluable data points for investigating the efficacy of AI-assisted scriptwriting, allowing us to analyze how computational tools can inspire plot structures, character arcs, and genre blending. Concurrently, they inform our talent development stream by highlighting the emergent skills required for creative professionals navigating AI and immersive technologies, fostering digital literacy, and promoting interdisciplinary approaches essential for future narrative innovation. The collection thus functions as both a creative output and a dynamic research instrument.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
An Unsettling Hum and the Porcelain Owl
Author: Eva Suluk | Category: Magical Realism | Genre: Dark Comedy
The kitchen, shrouded in the bruised light of a January morning, feels colder than usual. Agnes, 78, stands by the counter, a chipped mug waiting for its tea, as a faint, unsettling hum begins to emanate from an unexpected source: a porcelain owl on a dusty shelf.
The Mire of Wakefulness
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Post-Apocalyptic | Genre: Contemporary Fiction
The world was a static hum, a low thrum against Jared’s teeth that vibrated through the cold concrete floor beneath him. He was stretched out, face pressed against something rough and gritty, the smell of damp dust and decaying metal filling his nostrils. His eyelids felt heavy, cemented shut with a kind of internal resistance, each blink a monumental effort against a suffocating pressure. He tried to remember where he was, or *who* he was, but his mind offered only a blank canvas, scarred with a deep, unsettling grey.
The Frozen Cipher
Author: Eva Suluk | Category: Cinematic | Genre: Mystery
The wind bit with a personal chill, clawing at my exposed cheeks and finding every gap in my layers. January in Bartleson was like living inside a freezer, the kind that hums with a deep, persistent ache. I’d walked for over an hour, past the town’s silent, frosted houses, beyond the last struggling lamppost, and now the only sound was the crunch of my boots on compacted snow and the sigh of the skeletal trees. It was exactly what I’d needed: a heavy, uncomplicated silence that somehow pushed the clutter out of my head, leaving a hollow for something new, something real, to fill. I knew Stacey would probably call it ‘brooding’, but it wasn’t. It was more like… waiting.
The Seaplane and the Sickbed
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Historical Fiction | Genre: Historical Fiction
The air hung heavy and still, the kind of summer heat that made your clothes stick to your skin even before dawn. The East Main Post awoke with a familiar rumble, the ‘Fort Rock’ preparing for its journey. My boots crunched on the coarse gravel as I walked towards the jetty, the scent of damp earth and woodsmoke clinging to the morning air. Already, the bay water shimmered with a dull, coppery sheen under a sky promising another relentless day.
The First Thaw
Author: Tony Eetak | Category: Poetic / Lyrical | Genre: Crime Procedural
The wind carried the brittle scent of freezing pine and something else, something metallic and sweet. Snow, fresh and undisturbed, stretched out like a shroud, broken only by the sharp, stark silhouette of the evergreens. It was a canvas, thought Graham, where someone had painted a very specific, very cold picture.
Design Notes and Applied Research
This collection, spanning genres from Dark Comedy and Mystery to Historical Fiction and Crime Procedural, alongside themes of Magical Realism and Post-Apocalyptic narratives, exemplifies the diverse skill sets honed within our program. Navigating such varied narrative landscapes requires sophisticated character development, intricate plot construction, and precise world-building. The exploration of Cinematic and Poetic/Lyrical approaches further demonstrates an advanced command of stylistic versatility essential for contemporary artistic practice. This comprehensive range underscores a robust development of adaptable storytelling competencies.
Engaging with these multifaceted narratives also served as a compelling experiment in understanding the digital transformation of storytelling. The varied demands of these genres and subjects – from the immersive potential of Post-Apocalyptic worlds to the intricate details of Historical Fiction – highlight how digital platforms can amplify narrative reach and audience engagement. This collection represents a successful exploration into expanding creative boundaries through contemporary artistic processes. It has proven to be an insightful and enjoyable endeavor for all involved.
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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