A-NU-START (no.1)
Flying solo in a world up in the air.
Hello, and welcome to Rent’s Due.
First off, if you’re currently reading this, I want to give a quick shoutout to you. This endeavor of mine is still very new for me, so having at least another pair of eyes giving this a look brings me immense comfort. Seriously: thanks a bunch. I hope that whatever this becomes can be something that’s well worth your time.
You’re probably wondering what you’re even reading in the first place. Allow me to explain.
Who are you/what is this?
To answer your first question, and I mean this in the least tackiest way possible, if that makes any sense: I’m still trying to figure that out.
My name’s Raul Cruz, I sometimes go by RL CRZ or occasionally Whiskey Sawyer on the internet (like here!). I sometimes find it hard explaining to people just what it is I do, but to keep it within the confines of this medium, I’m a writer that’s been working for the last three-or-so years on sites like Looper and Collider. It’s a dream job that I always wanted to have; being able to tell stories about things that interest me (in those cases, mostly horror movies and BMX video games). But, like so many unforeseen events that have affected our lives in the past half-decade, that dream’s gotten harder for me to hold on to.
We’ve always lived in a constant state of uncertainty. Whether it’s the impending influence of political ideals or the latest breakthrough in technology, someone gets propped up to a higher status and someone else gets shafted. I’m not a journalist, but I like being able to write and occasionally get paid for it. Doing this at a time when companies are comfortable with mass layoffs and stooping to an embarrassing level of bootlicking for AI “writers” certainly isn’t the most ideal entry-point for anybody, but then again, when is there ever?
The harsh reality for writers today is that the remains of sites we loved before don’t care about us like they used to. That could change in the future, but we shouldn’t wait on them for what could possibly be years to pivot towards something that’s more in line with quality. We can’t. We’ve got shit to do. And if stories like what’s going on at Hard Drive and Sports Illustrated are any indication, we have to do shit right now.
So with that heavy lead-up out of the way, this is the spot in this article where I announce that I’m going to be writing independently. It wasn’t something that I thought I’d ever need to do. But to be brutally honest: it feels like the only way I can work on my craft and write freely today. The places I used to write before have turned into SEO-hungry machines, serving no one else but their own ad revenue and naive contributors who aren’t even paid a proper rate.
I’ll keep finding places to write pieces for like StartMenu and other sites that champion hungry writers and treat them fairly, but if I’m going to find a space where I can write about what I want/when I want, I’m gonna have to make that myself. That’s where Rent’s Due comes into play.
Ok so what the fuck is “Rent’s Due”?
Rent’s Due is a newsletter where I’ll be covering the most interesting, funny and downright wild things happening in our modern internet culture, from the perspective of a 25yo dude from Miami who really didn’t want to be a doctor. It’s a place where I’ll be talking about the strangest YouTube drama, movies and comics that I like, and observations about cool shit that I find in my daily (thankfully child-free) life.
To paraphrase from one of many writers I’ve admired, I want to tell stories that you might want to know about, and stories that I think you need to know about. Angles that get lost in the shuffle of immediate takes and accusations on the latest grifter. A work of art that is or isn’t cathartic to a weird part of our psyche. Even a cool band that I think you or your alt cousin might be into.
I may be able to keep telling these stories on other sites, but I know for sure I can tell them freely here, with quality and earnestness that respects you as a curious reader. I want to make this as fun and exciting for you as much as it is for me, so I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.
As it currently stands, the goal with Rent’s Due is to have at least two pieces a week: one towards the beginning of the week and one towards the end. I’ll definitely want to write more as the week goes on, but two is the pinky-sworn promise that I’ll make to you and myself.
Speaking of promises, you are in no obligation to pay for this newsletter. If you want to join as a paid subscriber, I don’t mind in the slightest, and it’ll help fuel me towards writing more stories and adding perks that’ll satisfy your hard-earned cash. In the meantime, all of the articles that will come out for the time being will be free, and will stay free regardless of any paywall. When/if I do any paid content in the future, I will let you know way ahead in advance.
I don’t want to bullshit you, and I certainly don’t want to bullshit myself, because I’m going into this with nothing but a few years of credits and my good name. I want to earn your trust and money, and hopefully someday I will.
Being creative is equally a beautiful and terrifying thing to do. Like anything in life, there’s risks and fears that will always rear its ugly fucking head in our doorstep. You can’t let fear dictate what you want to do in life. I can’t. Not at 18, not now at 25, and never again in whatever awaits me. I hope that the beginning of this will finally get me to start other things that I’ve been waiting and wanting to do for a while, like making videos and write for films/tv/comics/books/etc.
It all starts with hope, but hope is nothing if you don’t put yourself out there.
Rent is due, so time to do something about it.
Oh P.S. if you want to share this with other people that’d be sweet. Adorable, even. Ta-ta for now.
P.S.S. feel free to give me a follow on Twitter, Instagram, (linked above), and sub to my YouTube once it’s up and running if you feel inclined. No pressure, but I will fall in love with you for it.
I am excited. This is an exciting thing. I get to see inside your brain. Muahahahahah