What Are Nifty Stories?

As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word "nifty" when referring to a cool car or a great suit. 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.

The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. 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." The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: "particularly good, effective, or stylish." www.JayStetzer.com



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 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 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. Stories that are nifty are stories that are priceless!" You can find great nifty stories on www.Jaystetzer.com www.JayStetzer.com