A Great Source of Nifty Stories on the Internet
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by: chuckseltzer
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Word Count: 481
I grew up with the word "nifty" as a standard descriptor in my vocabulary. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.
Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. 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!"
What makes nifty stories nifty? 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 characters may act out the meaning of the story. It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And there may be a different message for each listener. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Think of the difference between an Aesop fable and a tale from the Arabian Nights. Which one do you prefer to hear? 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 are memorable. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always stylish, regardless of the era that spawned them. Stories such as these hold the listeners attention long enough to send their message effectively. Nifty stories are a treasure! Resourses Great stories . Storytelling . Inspirational stories . Humor stories .
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