Great Source of Nifty Stories!

03/13/09

As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word "nifty" when referring to a cool car or a great suit. 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. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories. Short 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 own description of my 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 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!" Storyteller

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 stories that are nifty are ones that entertain as well as enlighten. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories are memorable. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always "stylish," regardless of the era that spawned them. These stories are naturally very attractive. Nifty stories are a treasure! Check out my website at www.JayStetzer.com for some nifty stories!