Looking for Nifty Stories?
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by: chuckseltzer
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Word Count: 451
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 alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. 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.
Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. 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, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as "good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial." A thesaurus gives synonyms such as "peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy," all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!"
So how do I define nifty stories? The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. 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 by example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. 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 do you prefer to hear? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening 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 stylish, regardless of the era that spawned them. These stories are naturally very attractive. Nifty stories are worth their weight in gold!
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