Hey ! I've never read SoS but I follow you on patreon and with the Q&A of this week I became so curious that I just HAD to read it, I just finished the second book and I love it ! I think Levi is one of my favorite character of your works, I love his perso

Yay, I’m so happy you’re enjoying the series! Thanks for deciding to give it a try. :-)

And this is actually a fantastic question, not stupid at all. The answer might surprise people who haven’t heard me discuss it before:

The Seven of Spades’s identity and motivation were what inspired the entire series in the first place.

I knew who the Seven of Spades was, and why they do what they do, before I even knew who Levi and Dominic were. The whole series is structured around the SoS’ motivations.

When you’re writing genres like mystery, thriller, or action/suspense - in other words, plots with a concrete antagonist who the protagonist is trying to stop - it is so, so important to have a thorough grasp of who that antagonist is, what they want, and what they’ll do to get it.

After all, the antagonist is the one whose actions initially drive the plot. The protagonist may (and probably should) take a more proactive role later in the story, but in the beginning, they’re reacting to the antagonist. If you don’t know what the antagonist’s goals are, how can you know what those plot-initiating events are? How do you know what kind of protagonist is needed to oppose them?

I think it’s important in any genre to know the ending of your story before you begin, but with mysteries/thrillers, it’s essential.

Thanks again for the great question!