Key Takeaways
A messy room became the engine for a suspense story: every physical action (“kettle stored,” “window up,” “power strip unplugged,” “more zip ties out,” “socket back,” “extension back”) advanced a single, continuous narrative. The tone shifted on request—from atmospheric to sharper, magazine-paced scenes—while the packaging stayed commercial: bilingual title (El Piso Vacío / The Empty Flat), optional pseudonym, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) categories and pricing inside the 70% royalty band. Guarantees of wealth were rejected; professional readiness and discoverability took their place.
Story & Details
A simple dare, a strict rule
The premise was disarmingly practical: make the floor completely empty. Each time an item moved—kettle, lamp, power strip, small table, dishes, tape measure, pen, trash bag, keys, notebook, rubber band, loose page, pens, level, knife (only as a symbol), more zip ties, wire-cutter, vernier caliper, pin press, Roxtec block, Velcro, Jokari wire stripper, pliers, tape, screwdriver, outlet and extension restored—one new story beat landed. Early lines lived in hush and dread. Boredom flags were raised—and heard.
From game to craft
Gamification got momentum going: tiny wins, short bursts. Then the craft took over. The story was rebuilt in second person to quicken the pulse, later re-threaded into a continuous piece that expands only when the room does. “Show the entire updated text each time” became a constraint that kept coherence visible.
Commercial spine from the start
The suspense text traveled in two languages, under a clean, sellable pairing: Spanish/English versions with a neutral pen name if desired. Kindle Direct Publishing remained the publishing path: price between 2.99 and 4.99 USD for the 70% royalty lane (territory and file-size rules apply), shortlist categories such as Psychological Thriller, Domestic Horror, and Short Reads, and use cover art that reads at thumbnail size. A passive “let the listing do the work” approach—clear metadata, strong first page, Kindle Unlimited eligibility—replaced any promise of viral fortune.
Honesty beats hype
Requests for certainty—“make it millionaire”—were met with clarity. No one can guarantee outcomes in publishing. The work can be made excellent, ready, and discoverable. That is the promise. Not more.
Pacing pivots that stuck
When the mood dulled, the narrative turned: shorter sentences, harder cuts, and moments where the apartment seemed to “return” objects (a glint where a wall should be). The result was a living manuscript whose end arrives only when the floor truly is empty.
Conclusions
Suspense doesn’t need a cabin in the woods. It needs rules, friction, and follow-through. By tying a real cleanup to a strict narrative mechanism—one action, one advance—the project stayed honest and strangely tender. The publishing plan is practical, bilingual, and market-aware. The story remains open on purpose; when the last object leaves the room, the last line will know what to do.
Sources
- Stephen King, “My Books Were Used to Train AI,” The Atlantic, August 2023. https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2023/08/stephen-king-books-ai-writing/675088/
- Kindle Direct Publishing Help — eBook Royalties. https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G200644210
- Kindle Direct Publishing Help — eBook List Price Requirements. https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G200634560
- Kindle Direct Publishing Help — Categories. https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G200652170
- Kindle Direct Publishing Help — Price Your Book. https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G200641280
- YouTube (institutional): “Getting started with KDP — webinar recording,” Amazon KDP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B06r94wp08
Appendix
“El Piso Vacío / The Empty Flat”
The bilingual title used for the suspense short story; Spanish and English versions were developed in parallel to widen reach.
Pseudonym
A neutral author name selected for market clarity and brand flexibility; optional, with the alternative of using a legal name.
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Amazon’s self-publishing platform for ebooks and print; the 70% royalty option applies within specific territories and conditions.
Short Reads (Amazon category)
A discoverability lane on Amazon highlighting brief works by reading time; useful for compact, high-impact fiction.
Gamification
A lightweight point/reward frame used to overcome inertia and create initial momentum for cleaning and writing.
Power strip / outlet / extension
Household electrical components featured as plot cues (“zapatilla de enchufes,” “socket,” “extensión,” translated from Spanish); used to stage tension without graphic content.
Zip ties (“cinchos,” translated from Spanish)
Plastic fasteners that produced recognizable “snaps” in the text; their recurring sound became a pacing device.
Roxtec block
A blue modular cable-sealing block; its removal imagined as opening a dense, breath-holding void.
Jokari
A branded wire-stripping tool; deployed as an uncanny contour left behind after removal.
Velcro (“abrojo,” translated from Spanish)
Hook-and-loop fastener; its tiny “rip” was written as a miniature sigh.
Vernier caliper
A precision measuring tool; used as a closing image measuring air at “zero,” then withheld until the actual empty-floor end exists.
Continuous narrative device
A rule: every physical action updates a single, coherent manuscript; full text is shown on each update to keep continuity visible.
Knife (symbolic use only)
Kept strictly as a reflective image; no instructions or self-harm content. The symbol stands for decision, not injury.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 