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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, author Calvin Naraghi shares what inspired him to write his new YA gothic horror book, The House Rules, and his creative writing process.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Calvin Naraghi about his life and career, the story of his new book, The House Rules, and what inspired him to write it.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
Hello, my name is Calvin Naraghi and I am a twenty-something from Southern California. The main thing to know about me is that I love to tell stories whether it’s through acting, writing, directing, or simply sitting around a bonfire with a S’more and a flashlight. It gives me an immense feeling of joy, like knowing you are in the good old days as they pass by.
However, becoming a storyteller for a living was never a path I saw myself pursuing. Before diving into acting and writing, I was a Structural Engineer at a firm where I designed buildings and houses around San Diego. After a few years, though, I realized this wasn’t where my passion lay. So this past year, I made the decision to flip my life on its axis and pursue something that terrified me. I moved to LA.
In all, I consider myself a very anxious and overthinking person, but as of recently, I have found myself constantly trying to push myself out of my comfort zone at any chance I can get. It has been quite a liberating experience and faced me with adventures I never would have expected such as solo traveling across Europe, attending the Emmys, and writing a book(which is the reason we are here today!)
When did you first WANT to write a book?
I think I have always wanted to tell stories, but the moment I really wanted to write a book was around eleven. At that time, I had this idea for a children’s book about dancing trees. It was a silly concept, but it was based on an inside joke I used to have with my parents about the trees that ran around the edge of our house. On windy days, when I was little, they would sway so aggressively and in my young head, it was almost as if they were dancing to an invisible music that ran through the air. Each kind of tree would shake its leaves to a different variation of dance and each one had a story that I wanted to tell. I didn’t end up writing this story because honestly, I didn’t even know where to start. But it planted a seed in me that writing could be fun and imaginative.
When did you take a step to start writing?
For me, I began writing because no one was casting me in the films that I wanted to be a part of. I was annoyed and found myself in this Catch-22 where you need to be in films to get cast in films, but you can’t get cast in films without having been in them… So the loophole I made was that I would just write my own stories. It started with little scenes that I would write for me and my friends, and then it grew into short films and eventually a feature film. And with each project, I realized how much I loved being the storyteller. I was creating worlds and it was invigorating!
A year after beginning this writing process, a new idea for a story hit me. It felt different than all the rest I had come up with. It contained layers of fantasy elements, overwhelming settings, and fast-paced action. I knew if I wrote it as a short film or low-budget feature I would be shortchanging it. Whenever I wrote those kinds of stories, I always wrote with the limitations of how I could reasonably film it or how I could keep this within my budget. I didn’t want to do that to this story. So my next idea was to write it as a book. What I’ve always loved about books is that your imagination is the only constraint looming over you. You can be as outlandish as you wish without holding anything back. Over the next few weeks I planned out some exposition and characters, and then began the process of writing my first novel.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
The idea of “The House Rules” first came to me in August of 2023. I started writing the first draft around early September and finished right at the end of December. After which, I took a six-week break to reset my head and then dove back in.
Over the span of this year, I wrote about five more drafts(with the help of editors, beta readers, and a proofreader) and eventually reached my final manuscript in August of 2024. At this point, I then moved over to publishing, which included the design of the book, getting it uploaded onto book reading platforms, and beginning to market it to the public. I finished the majority of this around September 2024 and am now excited to be releasing it this October 15th!
What made you want to write The House Rules?
I wanted to write my debut book because the plot intrigued me. It dances around so many genres and finds ways to catch you off guard when you least expect it. At the start, I already had an idea for the beginning and end and that left the middle with so much room to play. I got to be so creative with the plot and every time I got to write I was excited by what I would uncover in this fictional world. Also what I love about this storyline is that it comes off as this thrilling and action-packed plot, but at the base of all that it simply tells the tale of a boy trying to find the confidence to believe in himself. I thought the main character would have a lot of relatable characteristics that the audience could find themselves in and at the end of the day everyone couldn’t help but root for him to win.
What were your biggest challenges with writing The House Rules?
The biggest challenge was overcoming perfectionism, or as I like to call it, the first draft killer. In the beginning, I was moving through the first few chapters at a snail’s pace. In my head, every paragraph I wrote was wrong and every idea I made was just a placeholder for something better down the road. It took a solid month of trial and error to eventually realize that I would never finish this book if I kept living in the past. I had to just write and deal with the faults later, which was agonizing to my psyche, but ultimately helped me get through that initial pass without quitting.
Another big challenge I faced was having the plot change from under me. You can create an entire outline, but in the moment things can change. Characters could build connections that you didn’t expect and small plot points can gain more meaning than they intended to. On one hand it is quite exciting because it keeps you in the moment. However, on the other hand, you find yourself sometimes having to erase and backtrack so that you don’t completely lose the overarching story you’re abiding by.
What was your research process for The House Rules?
I went in a lot of different directions when researching for this book. Since the setting takes place on the East Coast, and I live on the West, I did a lot of digging into New York and its surrounding states. I learned a lot about the area and how I could use it to incorporate certain ideas into the structure of my book. Alongside that, I also did a lot of physics and biological research, as this book has a lot of scenes that required extensive knowledge on the durability of the human body and how it is affected by various elements.
Without wanting to give much away, I will end by saying that I deep-dived into many different niche topics and each proved to be more interesting than I expected. Some of which without context, were electromagnetism, biogenetics, and a history of writing styles through time periods.
How did you plan the structure of The House Rules?
Going into this book, I did not create a full outline. I had plot points of what I wanted to occur throughout, but I did not want anything to be set in stone. I found that while doing this method had its perks, it also had its drawbacks. The main drawback was that I often found myself going in blind. I never knew what was around the corner and it would cause me to write my characters into dead ends and then have to find creative ways to dig them out. Opposite to this, the main perk was that I could write freely between plot bullets and it gave me more space to be in the moment.
If I could go back and do it again, I think I would lean more towards creating a solid outline. I am happy with the way my story turned out, but I think a lot of time could have been saved in the process. There were days where I felt so lost and had to wait for creativity to strike before I could jump back into writing. I am not saying you need a scene-by-scene plan, but at least having a general roadmap for your characters to follow could make things easier.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did The House Rules need?
I did have support with editing. After my initial draft, I administered the aid of some of my friends and family to be beta readers for the book. With their helpful(and surprisingly honest) reviews, I made a new draft. It was at this point that I felt confident enough in my writing to start reaching out to professional editors. First I found a developmental editor, which is someone who goes through your draft and lets you know what plot points are working, how to grow your characters, how to improve your dialogue, and how to fix your tone. I found this step to be very crucial in my writing process and it opened me up to ideas that I had not even thought of.
From this advice, I edited another two drafts and then reached back out to the same editor to do a line/copy edit. This time they went through and made sure my writing was properly readable (improved sentence structure, word choices, and pace). After this, I proceeded to make another draft or two and then got a proofreader to sweep through my final manuscript and fix all the grammar, verbiage, and tenses.
Overall, editors are highly crucial to writing, because they are honest and insightful. A good editor will show you things about your writing that you had perhaps never noticed on a conscious level. Mine definitely did and I think I would not have gone through with publishing this book if I did not have their solid advice at the beginning to push me forward.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a book?
The first piece of advice I would give to aspiring writers is to just try. If you have a story you are passionate about, then please give it a chance. People too often sell themselves short, because they think how could it be them? But at the same time, why can’t it be them? Anyone has the capacity to make something great and if it’s made with passion then people will be drawn to that. An idea that always kept me going during this process was this quote by Susan Jeffers. She states, “Be afraid and do it anyway.” It is such a simple line and yet the idea that you don’t have to move past fear to move through life is so brave and empowering.
Also, the key thing to know about writing a book is that the worst thing that can happen is that it isn’t good. But even this isn’t something to worry about. Most people’s first drafts have problems and need to be fixed—plots need to be adjusted and characters could end up altered or erased. But to even get to the point where you are judging your first draft, would mean that you have officially written a book, which is something to be so incredibly proud about!
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
Yes, I have a book lined up that I am excited to start writing! I came up with the idea for it around the same time as the book I am currently publishing, but I let it take the backseat. This book is not horrific or thrilling like my debut book, but instead is a coming of age historical fiction. Without giving away too much, the main idea is that when faced with the idea that their town could be destroyed, a group of teenagers decide that they will need to go on a road trip to save their home. The only problem is that none of the kids have ever left the town before and they aren’t quite sure what they are to expect on the other side. What I love about this book’s concept is that it draws together the glorious troupe of a found family, while also following a journey of self-discovery.
And, finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
I really am! I look at my book with pride and I really hope a lot of people find joy in reading it. This whole journey has been eye-opening and I am honestly still shocked that it has occurred. While I had a mixed bag of easy days and hard days along the way, I can say definitively that this was worth all the effort. Just the idea of having my story immortalized in a book, sends a chill down my spine. I am thrilled to be launching this book this October and I can’t wait to hear people’s reactions.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
My young adult, gothic horror book, “The House Rules”, will be available on Amazon on October 15th! You can purchase an ebook or paperback, or can download the Kindle copy for free with KDP Unlimited.
My website is www.calvinnaraghi.com
Author instagram: @calvinnaraghi
Personal instagram: @cbnaraghi
Tiktok: @calvin_logic
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