Scenes Without End
The content presented here takes the form of interrupted storytelling, where the arc of the plot is deliberately left open. These incomplete segments function like overhead conversations or found letters, providing context and character without a finalized destination. It is a structure designed to engage the reader’s mind, asking them to bridge the gaps between what is written and what is implied.
At its core, this project is an examination of the synergy between human creativity and applied artificial intelligence research. It explores the potential of digital tools to assist in the drafting process, fostering new methods of scriptwriting and storytelling that enhance digital literacy and creative workflows in the interdisciplinary arts.
Covering themes of personal growth and ecological awareness, this selection spans Contemporary Drama, Coming-of-Age, Romance, and Environmental Fiction. The works featured in this post are authored by Jamie F. Bell and Leaf Richards.
You are invited to read these excerpts and assume the role of a co-creator. Let the themes resonate and construct your own ending to the stories begun here.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
Discover how our latest short stories bridge the gap between Contemporary Drama and Surreal or Absurdist narratives, incorporating elements of Environmental Fiction and Cyberpunk. We are committed to the future of publishing, utilizing creative technology to foster digital literacy through Gritty Realism and Cinematic Romance. Join us as we explore AI-assisted narrative to create compelling Coming-of-Age tales.
The Cold Breath of Fir and Exhaust Fumes
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Cyberpunk | Genre: Contemporary Drama
A thin layer of frozen drizzle clung to everything, turning the city into a landscape of treacherous sheen. The air bit with a metallic cold, tasting of petrol and distant pine, as the last vestiges of late afternoon light faded into a bruised purple, promising an even harsher night. Every breath was a small, visible cloud, quickly swallowed by the general gloom.
A Fading Signal
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Gritty Realism | Genre: Coming-of-Age
The air in the small office hummed with the strained silence that followed a shouted exchange. Dust motes, disturbed by the sudden movements, danced in the weak, autumn light that struggled through the smudged windowpane. Outside, the last stubborn leaves of the maple tree across the street clung to their branches, a defiant splash of ochre against a bruised sky. Inside, the battle for ‘Local Lens’ was far from over, each person in the room stiff with a mixture of anger, frustration, and a profound, quiet exhaustion.
A Fine Dusting of Memory
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Cinematic | Genre: Contemporary Drama
The world outside Julian’s window was beginning its annual transformation, each nascent flake a whisper on the pane. Inside, a familiar quiet settled, heavy with the promise of a long winter and the inescapable echoes of a past he’d tried, futilely, to bury beneath warmer seasons.
A Concession of Crumbs and Corner Seats
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Romance | Genre: Romance
The seniors’ centre solarium, typically a bastion of quiet, afternoon napping and lukewarm tea, was punctuated by the low hum of ancient fluorescent lights. Dust motes danced in the anemic winter sunlight filtering through the slightly grimy panes. Arthur, a man whose posture had long since succumbed to the gravitational pull of accumulated grievances, eyed the empty floral armchair with the predatory calm of a seasoned chess player contemplating a checkmate. It was *his* chair, on Tuesdays. Everyone knew it. Or, at least, he believed they should.
The Heat in the Concrete
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Surreal / Absurdist | Genre: Environmental Fiction
A freezing alleyway in downtown Winnipeg where a supernatural plant provides warmth.
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.
About the Author
