About Sfth

History of Straight From The Heart

Not many people know that the current Straight From The Heart is a resuscitated version or more appropriately –‘risen from the dead’ version. The earlier Straight From The Heart was created in November 2005. A platform to showcase my writings. Before joining blogger, I used to submit my poems to different online poetry sites. Since I was new to this whole idea of blogging, I spent more time reading rather than writing. It was only after a few months that I got used to publishing content on the blog. The first serious post that I remember was “When in pain - Blog it” which was written after I read different blogs where the authors had talked about their personal lives.

I even re-published a few posts on the new Sfth.

Silent Moments with Dad
Guess What?
Life...


Over a period of time, on the suggestion of a friend, the blog became more about poems.

One day, I took a back up of the posts and deleted it. I believed that publishing my work online on my blog like this was not safe. Sadly, I even had an experience with Plagiarism.
The post: I Hate Plagiarism was written after that and it still exists on Sfth.
After a lot of thinking and a lot of mails from the readers, Straight From The Heart was re-born in 2008.
The first post published was Making Your Dreams Come True.

Sentimental and Sensible posts categories still exist on Sfth but the new Sfth is more about poems and short stories / short story series.

From 2005 to 2012, I might have grown as a writer but one thing has not changed. Sfth is still what it was. It is a place where words mean more than just words. When I had created the blog in 2005, it did not take me much time to decide about the title. The new blog could have been called something else, but I could not imagine using another name. I am a person who believes in doing everything straight from my heart and as a result my poems, stories all are the way they are – straight from my heart. I still publish my poems on a few online sites or in magazines but THIS is my home. Here I can be what I want to be. People come, read and many relate to what is written here. They write to me and tell me that Sfth means a lot to them and such mails encourage me to go on.

Several friends have tried telling me that I should not publish poems and stories on blog for free reading. They might have a valid point but then being the person that I am, I believe, have always believed that it is more important for me that people enjoy reading. Free or paid, it did matter to me for some time though I am not sure now. If I think like this, then how do I plan to fulfill my long cherished dream of getting published and of being paid for my writing? I seriously do not know. What I know is that Sfth would continue to exist.

Description of Straight From The Heart


Sfth is all about feelings/emotions/sentiments and perhaps that is the reason many people relate to the posts published here. Different authors have different writing styles. Many authors like to describe a scene set up or the appearance of the character, many pay attention to the minute details that go in the making of a novel. They are descriptive in their way, I am descriptive in my own way. I like to pay more (close) attention to the emotions of the characters. Instead of describing a scene set-up or involving many characters or having different sidetracks to the main storyline I prefer to concentrate on the few characters and their feelings. Many authors have vast vocabulary, they use words which sometimes, readers like me need a dictionary to understand meaning of, I write in simple words, making it easier for the readers to imagine the story unfolding in front of them, making them a part of the story, making them assume that they are sitting on a couch and watching the characters weaving their life around them. That is how I write, how I love to write.

Amidst the busy lifestyle, Straight From The Heart is a place to relax. Forget about the tensions of life, remove your shoes, sip some coffee and unwind!

There are people who have gone through the entire site in one sitting, in a couple of hours and encouraging mails from such readers tell me that the decision I had taken years ago to re-create Sfth was right, is right.

When to NOT READ Straight From The Heart

• Milk is boiling on the gas burner.
• There are chances that the dog might pee on the expensive carpet
• You have an appointment
• Your seniors are waiting for you in the conference hall for the meeting to begin
• You have to take your children to school
• You still have to do your daily chores
• Your favorite serial (daily soap) is about to start on television

I think you got the idea.


When to READ Straight From The Heart

• The cup of coffee is in your hand, warm enough to take an easy sip
• The dog has emptied his urinary bladder and your expensive carpet is safe
• You are back from the appointment
• You have finished giving presentation and the meeting is over (successful or not)
• Your children are in school eating away the heads of their teachers instead of yours
• Your daily chores have been taken care of
• You have finished watching your favorite serial.

Once again. I think you got the idea.

Apart from getting feedback about the poems, stories and articles published here, I get mails from readers who share their thoughts/feelings with me. I consider myself lucky that they feel comfortable talking to me through whispered words.

A few people write to me about Virgo Woman post on Sfth and I tell them that I do not have any knowledge of Zodiacs. This post is a compilation of posts from various astrology sites.