Spy v. Spy Had it Right

A great villain is more than someone for your hero to defeat, and

describing your villain as big and bad isn’t enough. They have to

have motivations and attainable goals, just like the hero. So instead

of thinking in terms of a protagonist and an antagonist, imagine

your story as one where two (or more) characters have conflicting

goals. How do the aims of each IMPACT the other? How do each

REACT to the actions of the other? This banter between opposing

sides should drive the cause and effect structure of the narrative.

Often when writers get lost on where their story goes next, it

is because they are only thinking about what one side—normally

the hero—should do. When plotting out a scene, a short story, or

even a novel, imagine yourself playing chess alone. Move your

first piece with a bit of action, then immediately turn the board

around and play from the other side. Ask yourself what move

this side would make in reaction, then flip the board around

again. Keep going in this fashion until there is a victor. Not all of

these moves have to be “visible” to the reader in the final story,

but knowing what they are and why they were made will help

tighten the narrative and add depth to those wicked doers out to

thwart your hero.