Worlds in Progress
Presented here are short stories that exist as incomplete narratives, offering glimpses into moments rather than fully resolved plots. Each piece functions like an open door, inviting readers to step into a scene and engage with the unfolding action or dialogue, prompting curiosity about the larger context.
This project explores the intersection of human creativity and artificial intelligence. It stands as an experiment in how digital tools can act as a partner in the writing process, shaping new forms of storytelling and enhancing digital literacy. The goal is to observe new possibilities when a creative concept is given a fresh, algorithmic perspective.
This collection features compelling genres such as intense Dystopian Thriller, relatable Slice of Life, distinct Western Style BL, sweeping Family Saga, and shadowy Noir. These unfinished tales were crafted by Jamie F. Bell and Leaf Richards.
We invite you to participate actively with these works. Consider the implications of each moment, imagine the paths not taken, and allow your own creativity to contribute to the completion of these diverse narrative beginnings.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
Dive into a compelling collection of short stories featuring Dystopian Thriller, Slice of Life narratives, Western Style BL, epic Family Saga, atmospheric Noir, thought-provoking Surreal / Absurdist tales, rich Allegorical fiction, vibrant Contemporary Fiction, and detailed Historical Fiction. Our platform promotes digital literacy by exploring the evolving landscape of publishing, driven by creative technology and the innovative potential of AI-assisted narrative in the future of digital publishing.
Cobalt Scars
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Surreal / Absurdist | Genre: Dystopian Thriller
The air itself felt like a physical blow, a raw, cutting thing that scraped against the exposed skin of Trevor’s face. Snow, hard-packed and unforgiving, crunched under his boots with a sound that seemed too loud in the pre-dawn quiet, a quiet perpetually on edge. Above, the city’s skeletal architecture, once symbols of commerce and aspiration, now stood as monuments to the regime, their sharp edges silhouetted against a bruised sky that promised no sun, only more grey. Every exhale was a cloud, a fleeting ghost of warmth immediately stolen by the relentless winter.
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.
The Improbable Departure of the Rusty Valiant
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Surreal / Absurdist | Genre: Western Style BL
The air in Benji’s study hung thick and still, scented with old paper and lemon polish. A lone sunbeam, impossibly precise, cut through the gloom, illuminating a million motes of dust that spun like miniature galaxies. The only sound was the languid hum of a forgotten refrigerator in the kitchen and the distant, almost musical chirping of cicadas, a relentless, shimmering backdrop to a particularly uninspired Tuesday afternoon.
A Thousand Scattered Fragments
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Contemporary Fiction | Genre: Family Saga
The air in James Carter’s study was thick, tasting of old paper and the lingering, sweet dampness of a spring rain that had just passed. Outside, the world was hushed, but within the amber glow of his desk lamp, a digital storm was brewing. His fingers, surprisingly steady, navigated the labyrinthine corners of the internet, a nightly ritual of reputation monitoring for the Greenacre Collective, his family’s venerable publishing house. Tonight, however, the digital current had snagged something truly venomous.
Three Questions for the Ink Weaver
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Historical Fiction | Genre: Noir
The studio smelled of ink, paper, and a faint, almost metallic tang that might have been the spring rain struggling to break through the city’s grey. It was the scent of creation, or at least, the raw materials of it, a stark contrast to the sterile hum of my own office. My notebook felt heavy in my hand, an analogue anchor in a world tilting towards the digital, and I wondered, not for the first time, if I was chasing ghosts or simply a good headline.
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 an experimental, creative research project by The Arts Incubator Winnipeg and the Art Borups Corners Storytelling clubs. Each chapter is a unique interdisciplinary arts and narrative storytelling experiment, born from a collaboration between artists and applied AI researchers, designed to explore the boundaries of creative writing, automation, and storytelling. 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.
