Nightmares, Plot Twists and Writing Psychological Thrillers | ft. Calvin Naraghi

March 31, 2026

Featured Guest:

Calvin Naraghi

Calvin Naraghi is a Amazon bestselling author in the realm of horror and psychological thrillers. With over 10,000 copies ordered, he has taken joy in sharing his love of suspense and chilling stories with others. Calvin currently lives in LA, where he is inspired daily by actors, directors, and other creatives that are each making exciting and captivating content for the world to see.

What happens when a nightmare turns into a full-blown thriller novel?

This week on Margs & Manuscripts, we’re joined by Calvin Naraghi, indie author of House Rules, to talk all things thriller writing, horror inspiration, and the very unhinged ways authors come up with ideas.

From waking up in a cold sweat with a fully formed plot to building stories around music and cinematic moments, Calvin walks us through his creative process—and why horror writers might actually be the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

We also get into:

The difference between horror vs. thriller vs. psychological thriller
Writing plot twists and unreliable narrators
Why dark stories can actually be… fun??
Turning ideas into books (without telling anyone you’re trying 👀)
The reality of indie publishing + social media growth
And yes… the absolutely unhinged Google search histories required to write these books

If you’ve ever wondered how thriller writers come up with their ideas, this one’s for you.

In This Episode

How a nightmare became a published thriller
Horror vs. thriller: what’s the difference?
Writing plot twists that actually work
The appeal of unreliable narrators
Indie author marketing + social media tips
Building a story from music and cinematic scenes
Why horror writers are (surprisingly) the happiest people

About the Book

The House Rules

Solve the clues. Complete the trials. Survive the night. The rules were simple. The party was anything but.

Every summer, a mansion way off in the New York countryside opens its doors. And with it, hundreds of guests arrive to enjoy what would be called the party of the year. For most, the invitation was everything, but for Lonnie Grambell it was the only thing. His whole childhood, he remembered his parents attending this party. But something must have happened the last time... something bad.

Because the next morning, he awoke to a dead brother, a one way ticket to boarding school, and a fuzzy memory he would spend the next eight years trying to remember.

All his life, Lonnie craved answers to what happened that night. And when his estranged parents finally invite him home for the summer before college, he will stop at nothing to find out. Accompanying his family, Lonnie enters the Blythorne Gala. Little does he know that stepping into the manor is the easy part, leaving is a different story.

But hey relax! It is a party after all...

BUY NOW