The third archetypal spy novel plot is “On The Run.” Though Jason Bourne movies come to mind, it’s a bit more subtle. In an “On The Run” plot, the protagonist finds something the antagonist doesn’t want known. The antagonist knows the protagonist has found it, and the protagonist has to run for their life so they can get back to their organization and reveal what they’ve learned. An interesting twist in this plot is that on occasion the protagonist isn’t an operative at all but an amateur caught up in danger they don’t understand. The ultimate prize of such a plot is, well, survival. (Think almost every episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Burn Notice, or Scarecrow and Mrs. King.)

The “On The Run” plot falls into one of two subtypes of plot: Straight Run or Conspiracy. In a Straight Run plot, the protagonist does know who the antagonist is. In the Conspiracy plot, the protagonist must, while running for their life, figure out what exactly the issue is and who is behind it.

The Straight Run

The inciting or triggering event for this plot is an incident in which the protagonist is involved—along with the antagonist. This involvement results in the protagonist realizing they are in danger from the antagonist, the “Oh, s**t” moment.

However, the antagonist can’t go to the authorities because either the antagonist has gotten to them first and told them the protagonist is the baddie or the antagonist has the authorities in their pocket.

That puts the protagonist “on the run,” eluding not only the antagonist but the authorities as well. At this point in the plot, the protagonist draws one or more allies into their escape. If you want, you can use this as an opportunity to introduce an optional romance element with one of the allies.

The protagonist and their allies attempt to stay one step ahead of the antagonist and the authorities, i.e., eluding capture and death. A plot twist here is to have the protagonist or an ally captured but they manage to escape, or to have the protagonist risk attempting to free the captured ally. This would feed into the romance element.

At this point, perhaps during captivity by the authorities, the protagonist convinces the authorities they aren’t the problem, that the real baddie is the antagonist who has duped them. As a result, the protagonist and the authorities now work together. They confront the antagonist and stop them . . . or not, that is if you like ambiguous endings or are setting up a sequel.

Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household and North by Northwest by Ernest Lehman are prime examples of the Straight Run plot. Alfred Hitchcock made the latter into a highly successful movie. Though not essentially spy novels but more thrillers, Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca does conform to this plot, as does Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith.

The Conspiracy

In this plot, the protagonist is a witness to an event associated with a group of antagonists, but at first, the protagonist doesn’t realize the antagonists have nefarious plans. The protagonist may also not know exactly who the antagonists are. (More than one antagonist immediately cranks up the tension.)

Upon the realization that these antagonists are really baddies, the protagonist has that “Oh, s**t” moment and goes on the run.

The rest of the Conspiracy plot elements are similar to the Straight Run plot. The protagonist can’t go to the authorities because the antagonists have pegged the protagonist as the baddie or controls the authorities. The protagonist is now on the run from multiple antagonists and the authorities. Here, an ally or allies comes into play as does the optional romance interlude. Capture, death, and/or torture are eluded, or the protagonist and/or ally is captured and escapes or is helped to escape. In the process, the protagonist finally learns the identity of the antagonists and convinces the authorities who the baddies are. Together, protagonist, allies, and authorities confront the antagonists and stop them or don’t. That ambiguous ending, you know, or the set-up for a sequel.

John Buchan’s The 39 Steps (published in 1915) and Six Days of the Condor by James Grady are prime examples of the Conspiracy plot. Six Days of the Condor is a fascinating and complex novel, so much so that when it was adapted as a movie in 1975, the plot was simplified into Three Days of the Condor. Grady also wrote several sequels. Other Conspiracy spy novels are Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, Nevil Shute’s On The Beach (a personal favorite), and Fail-Safe by Eugene Burdick, among many others.

Go On The Run

As you can see, the “On The Run” spy novel plot is open to many complex plot ideas and high levels of inspiration. Though many of the examples are 50+ years old, they are classics and are good reads. Give “On The Run” a try in your own writing and give it your own twist.

We’ll wrap up the four archetypal spy novel plots in a few weeks with the fourth and final one, “Playing Defense.” Think Ian Fleming’s Thunderball.