Shadows on the Threshold
In this selection, the narrative thread is intentionally severed, leaving the reader with a collection of unfinished tales that hover between the mundane and the extraordinary. These pieces capture the essence of a scene without dictating its outcome, operating as incomplete sketches of a larger world. The format relies on the tension of the unsaid, asking the audience to piece together the context from the clues provided.
Rooted in the intersection of interdisciplinary arts and applied artificial intelligence research, this project explores the capabilities of digital tools in modern scriptwriting and storytelling. It serves as a practical study in how technology can assist in the creative workflow, enhancing the writer’s ability to generate diverse and complex scenarios.
This post features an eclectic mix of genres, ranging from the transformative journeys of Coming-of-Age stories to the eerie atmosphere of Supernatural Noir. It also includes the lighter puzzles of a Cozy Mystery, the sharp edges of Satire, and the depth of Literary Fiction. The authors responsible for these intricate fragments are Jamie F. Bell, Eva Suluk, and Tony Eetak.
Take a moment to read these stories and consider the possibilities that lie beyond the final sentence. By engaging with these open-ended narratives, you become a co-creator, determining the fate of the characters and the resolution of the plot.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
This compilation bridges the gap between the eerie atmosphere of Supernatural Noir and the comfort of Cozy Mystery, while delving into complex themes through Literary Fiction and Satire. Featuring eclectic elements like Time Travel Paradox, Post-Apocalyptic Survival, and Stream of Consciousness writing, these short stories exemplify the diversity of contemporary publishing. We are driven by a mission to enhance digital literacy by experimenting with creative technology and AI-assisted narrative. Whether through Swashbuckling Romance or intimate Coming-of-Age tales, we are charting the future of storytelling.
Pine Pitch and Duct Tape
Category: Slice of Life | Genre: Coming-of-Age
A living room in late November, besieged by the elements of a premature Christmas. Outside, the autumn wind howls; inside, a man battles a tree.
The Amperage of a Ghost
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Time Travel Paradox | Genre: Supernatural Noir
The air in the booth was thick enough to drink, a humid cocktail of diesel fumes from the generator, atomised sugar from the candy floss stand, and the sharp, metallic tang of ozone that always leaked from his machine. Artie worked the rag in slow, hypnotic circles, buffing the great copper sphere until the distorted faces of passersby swam across its surface like ghosts in amber. This was his world: three metres of particle board, a string of bare, fly-speckled bulbs, and the constant, low-frequency hum of The Static Tamer.
Larry’s Empty Stand
Author: Eva Suluk | Category: Post-Apocalyptic Survival | Genre: Cozy Mystery
The smell of wet leaves was a thick blanket over Clearwater Narrows, heavier than usual this autumn. It clung to the rough-hewn cabins, seeped into the cracks of the old dirt road, and whispered through the skeletal branches of the maples that lined the almost-empty lake shore. A low, persistent wind hummed, a mournful song against the silence that seemed to have deepened since the Event. There was a chill in the air, not just from the season, but from a quiet, almost imperceptible shift in the community’s heart, a small, worried flutter that had nothing to do with firewood or dwindling rations.
The Glutton’s Graveyard
Author: Tony Eetak | Category: Stream of Consciousness | Genre: Satire
The forest pressed in, a sprawling, indifferent cathedral of amber and rust-coloured leaves. The air, crisp and tasting faintly of pine resin and wet soil, offered a fleeting chill that promised winter. Jesse swung the axe, a rhythmic, satisfying thud against the stubborn trunk, a physical conversation with something that had stood silent for decades. Sweat beaded on his brow, mingling with stray pine needles, a small rebellion against the cool air. It was a good ache, a honest one, unlike the dull, systemic thrum of his own unease with… well, everything else.
The Kilometre of Forgetting
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Swashbuckling Romance | Genre: Literary Fiction
The vibration is the first thing you forget and the last thing you remember. It works its way up from the floorboards, through the cheap foam of the seat cushion, and settles deep in your teeth. Outside, the granite shields of Northern Ontario slide past, indifferent and immense. Sharon watches them, her reflection a faint, tired ghost superimposed over the blur of jack pine and swamp.
About the Project
By design, these stories have no beginning and no end. Many stories are fictional, but many others are not. They are snapshots from worlds that never fully exist, inviting you to imagine what comes before and what happens next. We had fun exploring this project, and hope you will too.
The Unfinished Tales and Short Stories collection is part of an experimental, creative arts and research program by The Arts Incubator Winnipeg and the Art Borups Corners collectives. Each chapter is an interdisciplinary arts and narrative storytelling experiment focused on two key areas: AI-Assisted Scriptwriting, where researchers explore using AI to generate story ideas, plot structures, and alternative story arcs to enhance creative development; and Talent Development and Training, where the project studies the necessary skills for creative professionals to manage AI and immersive technologies in production, helping to inform future training curricula. The project was made possible with funding and support from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program and the Government of Ontario. We thank them for supporting the arts, digital transformation research and innovation in Ontario.
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