Battle Royale, 1984, Undisputed Truth (by Mike Tyson), Running with Scissors, and Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

Writing a story is a lot like driving a car. You need to have a very clear idea of where you want to go and what you'd like for your passenger (reader) to see. What places will you take them? What characters will you introduce them to? I think for starters, thinking up of a good plot is a good way to start any story. You need to know where your story is taking place before you can figure out how you want it to progress. 

I guess I like antagonists who have an actual legitimate reason to be angry at the protagonist. The best bad guys are the ones that can actually make a case for why they are actually the good guys. It makes the story dynamic more complex, and of coarse, it always helps if your antagonist is a just a complete and total badass.