Want to Hear Nifty Stories?
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by: chuckseltzer
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Word Count: 465
As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word "nifty" when referring to a cool car or a great suit of clothes. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more "cultural" experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. However, it was only when I found myself using the word in my description of my own stories that I needed to define it. Actually, it was a listener who called my material "nifty stories," and that comment sent me to the books. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: "very good, very attractive," etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: "particularly good, effective, or stylish."
Whats so nifty about nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches using a concrete example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. The stories I chose for my Fables in Four Minutes and World Full of Stories CDs are good examples of nifty stories with subtle messages.
Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always in vogue. Stories such as these hold the listeners attention long enough to send their message effectively. Any stories of worth are nifty stories. Similar Articles World stories --
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