Interview With Author Crystal Naldi
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m basically just a tomboy from L.A. who’s been obsessed with telling stories for as long as I could talk. I grew up reading and writing fanfiction, falling way too hard for fictional characters, and constantly thinking, “Okay but what if I made my own version of this?”
The older I got, the more I realized I didn’t just want to write for fun — I wanted to be a real author. I got heavily inspired by some seriously cool movies, mixed them all together in my brain, and somehow that turned into You Fight Like a Girl.
So far, I’ve written a full book series (five novels, possibly six, because I clearly don’t know how to stop), a novella called A Man’s Fight set in an alternate universe, and a few other projects I’m not ready to reveal just yet. I also love acting and filmmaking, so I’m always finding new ways to bring my stories to life.
Basically, I’ve been world-building my whole life — now I’m just finally letting other people into my worlds.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called A Man’s Fight, and it’s a companion novella to my main series, You Fight Like a Girl.
The title You Fight Like a Girl actually comes from an insult that’s usually thrown at boys, and since my main character is a man, I loved the idea of him flipping that insult on its head and turning it into a badge of honor. There are a lot of titles out there that say “Fight Like a Girl,” but I added the “you” because that’s how the insult is usually said — and it makes it feel more personal and a little more punchy.
A Man’s Fight was originally going to be called Fight Like a Man, but then I realized a million other people already used that title, so I switched it up and went with something that felt more unique.
The whole story was inspired by two movies I watched — one that had an all-girls fight club, and another with a sensitive gay male character that completely stole my heart. I couldn’t stop thinking, “What if he joined the girls’ fight club?” And that’s basically how You Fight Like a Girl was born. From there, A Man’s Fight became the what-if version — what if he never joined the club at all?
And once that idea got in my head, there was no stopping me.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if they’re unusual, but I definitely write whenever the mood hits. I usually carry my phone and a little keyboard with me, so when inspiration strikes, I can literally write anywhere. I’ll plug my keyboard into my phone, open Google Docs, and just go. I’ve written in my car, at the park, and even at my job during downtime.
Sometimes I’ll voice-type a few sentences or paragraphs if I’m feeling lazy, but most of the time I’m typing like my life depends on it. I also take a ridiculous amount of notes — on notecards, in random scratch documents, and in what can only be described as a totally unhinged jungle of ideas inside my Google Docs. It’s messy, chaotic, and somehow it all makes sense to me.
If inspiration shows up, I’m writing. No excuses.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m definitely more inspired by books and stories than by any one specific author. One of the biggest influences on me was The Green Mile. I loved the heart of it, the spirit of it, and how it absolutely wrecks you emotionally in the best way. That kind of gut-punch storytelling is something I’ve always wanted to capture in my own work.
The Outsiders was also a huge inspiration, especially for You Fight Like a Girl. I loved the scrappiness of the boys, the loyalty, the fighting, and that raw survival energy. It made me want to see girls written that same way, because growing up, I saw girls fight like that too. I was definitely one of them.
I’ve also been heavily inspired by manga like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, and a lesser-known one called Worst, which is actually pretty close in spirit to You Fight Like a Girl since it’s about high schools, gangs, and kids who solve everything with their fists.
I think it’s a beautiful thing that most stories are inspired by other stories. That’s how new worlds are born.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m mostly working on promoting my books — I mean, why do you think I’m here? 😂 But seriously, I’m building out my entire You Fight universe.
I’m promoting my main series You Fight Like a Girl and my companion novella A Man’s Fight, and I’ve been having a blast creating videos based on them. I made a live-action proof-of-concept trailer (basically a cinematic book trailer) for You Fight Like a Girl, and I’ve also been experimenting with AI trailers and videos, which has been way more fun than it has any right to be.
I’m also building a physical monthly newsletter based on my stories, working on turning my books into a mini-series style universe, and I’ll be recording audiobooks narrated by me as well.
So even though I’m technically working on one book series, it’s a whole ass mission — and I’m loving every minute of it.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I don’t really have a “best” method yet because I’m still brand spanking new and experimenting with everything. Right now I’m trying a mix of social media, email marketing, and building my own platform. I created my website, youfightseries.com, because I knew I needed a space that was completely mine — a home for my stories, my videos, and my growing universe.
I’m also working on doing more live-action videos on my YouTube channel where I’m on camera talking about my books, my process, and my projects. I’m planning author giveaways soon too, so definitely be on the lookout for that.
And honestly? Word of mouth is still undefeated. If I’m having a good conversation with someone, I’m probably telling them about my novels. You never know who’s secretly into underground fight clubs and enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s the oldest form of promotion in the world, and it still works.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My biggest advice is simple: never give up. Seriously. Don’t let anyone talk you out of the story that’s burning in your chest. And definitely don’t listen to haters — they’re usually just mad they never had the courage to try.
If you feel it in your gut that a story is right for you, write it. Don’t chase trends. Trends come and go, but stories that come from your heart and the essence of your soul hit way harder and stick around a lot longer.
Write the story only you can write. Be stubborn about it. Be proud of it. And don’t stop just because the road gets hard — because it will. But it’s worth it.
Always.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That’s a tough one because I’ve heard a lot of advice over the years, but the best advice I’ve ever heard is simply: just write.
I know some people say that’s terrible advice, but honestly, I think it’s the most important advice there is. Writers are amazing at procrastinating and getting stuck in our own heads. We overthink everything. We wait for the “perfect” moment. And meanwhile, the story just sits there.
So write. Put it on the page. Don’t worry about it being terrible. And by the way, I hate when people say your first draft is always terrible — that’s not true. You should believe your writing is at least okay. I can work with okay. I can’t work with terrible.
Most of this advice is stuff I picked up from other writers and then turned into my own rules for surviving the creative process. And so far, it’s working.
What are you reading now?
Please don’t judge me, but I’m not really reading anything right now. 😂 I usually read fanfiction, to be honest. Regular books just haven’t been doing it for me lately.
Right now I’ve been way more focused on writing, editing, and creating. I’m deep in my own story universe and trying not to get too distracted by other people’s worlds or get overly influenced while I’m building mine. That doesn’t mean I think people shouldn’t read or watch things for inspiration — You Fight Like a Girl literally came from two movies I watched — but at the moment, I’m locked in on my own projects.
So if I was reading anything, it would definitely be fanfiction. Always fanfiction.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Hollywood, baby. 😂
But seriously, what’s next for me is building my stories into something much bigger than just books. I’m absolutely looking into turning You Fight Like a Girl into a live-action TV series, and I’m also working on creating an AI mini-series based on my novels.
I’m dead serious when I say I’m building a cinematic universe around my stories. I want to expand this world in every direction — books, videos, mini-series, and a physical monthly newsletter where I deliver new stories set inside my universe straight to readers.
This is bigger than one series for me. I’m building a whole world — and I’m just getting started.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Easy. I’d bring The Green Mile and The Outsiders for sure. Those books live in my soul. I’d also bring some manga — definitely Naruto and One Piece — because if I’m stranded on a desert island, I’m gonna need adventure, friendship, and chaos.
And yes, I’d bring my own books too. Hopefully that’s not weird, but I genuinely love reading my own stories. I wrote them because they’re exactly the kind of stories I want to read. And honestly, that’s something I really believe in: write what you love. Nobody is ever going to love your story more than you do — not even your biggest, craziest, most stalkerish fan.
So if you’re gonna be stranded, you might as well bring the stories that made you and the ones you’d never get tired of.
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