Hi
I did this the wrong way around, because your latest post appeared on my New Posts feed, therefore you'll find some nitpicking from me, because your explanations are back here...
You do not need to post your personal info and photo, it is only needed if you are making certain claims where your true identity is required. I've never even done an intro post.
My misunderstandings come from the fact that you keep titling your stories "Short story". Only when I arrive a t the end of the story do I see it is not the end....
I suggest you do not post stories with the idea that readers will click on your link that takes them out of Steemit. Only a few die-hard fans will do so. Also, please, as you did in your latest, mention that there are sequels, or else we have to presume there is not and the story loses the impact it should achieve.
Since you did ask that criticisms are kept short, I'll stop now
:)
Thanks for the response. While I don't agree that a short story always needs a clean, completely resolved ending, I do realize that the sample size I've posted so far is mostly pieces with somewhat open endings. Not everything I write is like that, but a portion of it is; I'll try to mix things up a little bit in the future. I do plan on continuing to use the phrase "short story", however, unless the content is extremely short - in those cases, I might use the phrase "flash fiction" instead.
As a reader, I have always had a soft spot for short stories which resolved only the main plot point, and left things somewhat unresolved otherwise, even to the extent of resolving the main plot point with the introduction of a bigger one (which is less part of the current story than an implied part of the next one, whether or not the writer is the one to provide the next story). It is, in a sense, as if the writer is leaving room for the reader to take over the characters when they put the pen - or keyboard - down. That is not the only formula, or even the most successful, when it comes to writing shorts, but it is one of the story structures I reach for when I'm starting something new and nothing specific comes to mind.
Some longer pieces use the same formula, whether or not a sequel is intended; for example, the novel Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt ends in this manner, and McDevitt does not seem to have ever intended to write a sequel. It's an amazing book all the same.
If you don't think I resolved the main plot point of a short piece in a satisfactory manner (and it's certainly possible), feel free to comment and suggest what happens next, or create your own post where you continue the story to what you think would be a more satisfactory ending. I'll be happy to give such content upvotes and I would also likely provide links to your posts from my own, provided it was within the standards I set for my own content (PG-13 rating equivalent, written in English, decent though not necessarily perfect spelling and grammar, etc).