What Are Nifty Stories?
Posted by admin on Nov 7, 2008
When I was a kid, I often heard the word “nifty” in reference to things like fancy cars and outrageous fashion. 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. More..
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. 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, 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!” See more..
So how do I define 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 stories that are nifty are ones that entertain as well as enlighten. There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.
Nifty stories are stories that teach. 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. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Any stories of worth are nifty stories. You can find great nifty stories on www.Jaystetzer.com
The characters may act out the meaning of the story. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. 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.
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I grew up with the word “nifty” as a standard descriptor in my vocabulary. It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. 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. 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.
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Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor.
You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories.
They make up the mythical soil out of which the stories grow. Myth forms the basis for many world stories. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.
By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons.
It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I anticipated that my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent.
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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. 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 tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Conflict. Famine. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support.
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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 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. There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.
For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message.
Not only those high points, but those exasperating moments as well. A good example is the memories I have of buying gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Gifts for birthdays. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior.
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I have many memories of my life as a young parent. Some of them are downright exasperating! A good example is the memories I have of buying gifts for my children. Holiday gifts. Gifts for birthdays. Gifts rewarding good behavior.
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One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Birthday gifts. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique.
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So how do I define 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.
Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example.
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Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. 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. ”
What was my listener describing when he called my 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.
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” The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish. ”
So how do I define 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.
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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. 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.
Today I tell many of the stories I heard as a child. The stories are ageless. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.
Why seek out inspirational stories? First, consider the barrage of daily news and information. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect.
They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!
There is priceless humor in virtually every genre.
Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Mark Twain Ogden Nash. All of them were storytellers. Priceless humor their brush.
Priceless humor.
Priceless humor involves situations which most of us have experienced. The lost keys. The misunderstood comment. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.
You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales.
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jaystetzer. com you can find memorable inspirational stories. On the “Listen” page of my website, click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from the World Full of Stories CD are good examples of inspirational stories. From the CD Parking in Manhattan, “Service with a Smile” brings a great message to the listener.
They make up the mythical soil out of which the stories grow. Many world stories derive from mythology. They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.
Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings.
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Daily habits and geography. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. And one of the benefits is to see how world stories come directly from the cultures of origin. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia.
Longer stories are likely to be more subtle in the lessons that result. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. 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.
This was a great post. Thanks a million for the post.
I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Some of them are downright exasperating! A good example is the memories I have of buying gifts for my children. Holiday gifts. Birthday gifts. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior.
This post was awesome.
Your blog is really helpful.
To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Priceless humor.
Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. What is the reason for it? Simple answer number two. We learn best when we are laughing.
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This was helpful stuff. I want to thank you for posting this.
And I hoped my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that is memorable long after the gift is given. A memorable story is that kind of gift.
Their stories grow out of this mythical soil. Myth forms the basis for many world stories. They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.
Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons.
Keep the good posts coming. I’ll be back for sure.
Geography and daily habits. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. And one of the benefits is to see how world stories come directly from the cultures of origin. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia.
Holiday gifts. Birthday gifts. Those occasional gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. Most of the time it was rough going.
Great post. Great stuff.