Return to Russell’s Rules
Hey Y’all,
First and foremost, I owe you an apology. I know I don’t have a huge following on Russell’s Rules, but it wasn’t cool of me to completely abandon the project. While my lack of dedication wasn’t a complete choice, there were times when I likely could’ve published to Russell’s Rules if I had prioritized my time better. I think one of the largest issues is that I wasn’t sure until recently if I wanted to continue the project. Writing for CBR was a wonderful experience, but it was also incredibly time-consuming. Between that and the birth of my firstborn son in June, I have had little-to-no time for my personal projects.
That said, I decided recently that this space is one of my most underutilized assets, and I haven’t been giving my blog the justice or time that it deserves. From now on, I intend to release at least 5 new blog posts a week. Ideally, I will upload a blog post every weekday, but I will elaborate more on that later in the post. Overall, this post is meant to serve as an apology for dropping off the face of the earth, some insight into what to expect from Russell’s Realm in the future, and a huge thank you for sticking around.
What Happened & Where Did I Go?
To be completely transparent, working for my first publication was a lot harder than I expected. The somewhat unruly output demands coupled with the relatively low pay rate meant I had to write an extreme amount to try and survive. The work was grueling, but I enjoyed it. For a time, I felt like I was one of the leading anime authorities for CBR, and I even began to publish reviews for the site. During my time on the review team, I got to collaborate with Sony Pictures to watch several anime before they even aired. It was one of the coolest things I have experienced with article writing, so far. However, around the same time, something much cooler happened.
My firstborn son was born in June, and it has been everything that I had ever dreamed. Is it difficult? For sure. Yet, there is never a day that goes by that I am not extremely thankful for my son. My daughter has absolutely loved getting to know her little brother, and she has been a huge help taking care of him. Nevertheless, with two very active children, I haven’t been able to get into the writing routine I am used to. We also moved houses, meaning that there was a brief period where I wasn’t able to work at all. Unfortunately, during that time, I lost my job at CBR and have been desperately looking for a new publication to write for. Although things are finally beginning to look up.
The move might have been somewhat difficult, but the transition has been amazing for my family. Both my children have absolutely flourished in our new rental home, and the extra space has done wonders. My son is growing like a weed, and it has been an absolute blessing to see him take an interest in the world. Slowly watching him develop a personality is one of the biggest gifts I have ever been given. In the same breath, my daughter is becoming an empathetic and incredibly smart little girl. She tackles every challenge with dedication and ingenuity, and I am ridiculously proud to be her father. That is a sentence I have said many times since she was born, and I am sure I will continue to say for the rest of her life.
At this point, I have yet to find a new publication to work for. I have found several ghostwriting gigs, but they are not exactly what I want to pursue. One is even a cookbook specifically for dogs. Nevertheless, I believe these seemingly unrelated projects are each bringing me a step closer to accomplishing my true dream. Every step I take, including writing in this blog, pushes me forward. After all, the only thing you can do at the end of the day is try your best to do the next right thing.
A New Beginning For Russell’s Rules
This post is primarily meant to serve as a new beginning for Russell’s Realm. I intend to provide more formatted blog posts and a lot more variety concerning their content. Before, I was just throwing words at an empty page, but now I intend to write with more direction. I even plan on implementing a pseudo-writing schedule so you will have a better idea of what to expect from the future. My goal, at this moment, is to write seven blog posts per week on a variety of topics. Previously, I was only writing self-help articles, but I intend to branch out from now on.
I really enjoyed writing reviews for CBR, so I think I will continue to do so on this page. However, I will be reviewing a much wider range of topics than just anime. I intend to publish: essay, novel, short story, poetry, TV, movie, and video game reviews on a variety of genres. Basically, if it interests me, positively or negatively, I will likely write about it on Russell’s Rules. That said, I am always open to taking a look at whatever y’all want me to review.
I have finally gotten the confidence to start publishing some of my own work on the site. Aside from just reviews, I will likely publish my own short stories, essays, and poetry. Feel free to leave any criticism you feel is necessary, as it is widely appreciated. I desperately want to improve as a writer, and the only way to do that is to listen to genuine criticism. Either way, I look forward to showing y’all my work and hearing your thoughts.
Thank You For Sticking Around!
Whether you’re still here after a while or just seeing this for the first time, I appreciate you more than I can say. I have been blown away with the support I have received and I am so blessed to be in the situation I am. Even though I don’t have a stable position at the moment, I am sure that I will find one soon. Even when I do, I promise that I will not abandon this blog again. Thank you again for your continued support and patience. Here’s to the REBIRTH OF RUSSELL’S RULES!
-Russell
