writing

Subplots: When Do They Suck?

Posted on December 2, 2024 by B.C. Johnson

I saw this topic spring up online recently, and it got me thinking: what makes a subplot bad? As a writer, it’s an important question—the fewer bad subplots, the more money we make. The more money we make, the faster we become eccentric weirdos hammering away on a typewriter in our custom-built, cliff-perched, storm-wracked Enya castles.

I mean, the more fulfilling art we can make or whatever.

So, how can we avoid the dreaded D-level B-plot?

Here are a few subplot issues I struggle with, both in what I’m reading/watching and what I’m writing:

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Categories: writing | Tags: b plot, b.c. johnson, bad b plots, good b plots, how to write a subplot, subplots, writer advice, writing | Leave a comment

Cover Reveal: GRAVEDUST

Posted on September 4, 2024 by B.C. Johnson

At long last, the moment a few of you (dedicated and largely good-looking yous) have been waiting for. Or I’ve been waiting for. Waiting, is the headline.

Revealing the cover of the fifth and final chapter of the Deadgirl Saga:

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Categories: Books, Deadgirl, publishing, writing | Tags: b.c. johnson, book cover, books, cover, cover reveal, deadgirl, gravedust, lucy day, young adult | 3 Comments

DEADGIRL: DAYBREAK Releases Today

Posted on February 20, 2024 by B.C. Johnson

It’s here, at last, this second: the prophesied 4th novel in the Deadgirl series. Grab it on Kindle or Paperback by clicking on those very words right now, or add it on Goodreads by clicking that word. The internet is fun.

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Categories: Books, Deadgirl, News, publishing, Review, writing | Tags: author, b.c. johnson, books, daybreak, deadgirl daybreak, lucy day | Leave a comment

DEADGIRL: DAYBREAK Gets a Publish Date (and a Cover)

Posted on January 8, 2024 by B.C. Johnson

Hey everyone! If you’ve been following me or my books, you know it’s taken a while for this last novel in the Deadgirl series to hit the streets, as the kids say (the kids do not say this). Turns out a three-year serious family medical journey and a pandemic is a real kick in the nards to creativity.

Anyway! I have good news and hopefully not bad news for those excited to read the final adventure of Lucy Day and Team Deadgirl.

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Categories: Books, Deadgirl, publishing, writing | Tags: adventure, andy garcia, angel, announcement, author, b.c. johnson, bc johnson, books, buffy, cover announcement, cover art, daybreak, deadgirl, deadgirl 4, deadgirl 5, deadgirl daybreak, deadgirl gravedust, debut, horror, lucy day, publish date, writing, young adult | 2 Comments

Deadgirl Mentioned in Offbeat-YA’s “Tell Me Something Tuesday”

Posted on April 4, 2023 by B.C. Johnson

Roberta from Offbeat-YA is awesome, and she picked me/the Deadgirl books for the Tell Me Something Tuesday topic, “What Are Some of Your Favourite Indie/Small Pub Authors/Books?”

Check out the full article by clicking right here.

Categories: Books, Deadgirl, News, publishing, writing | Tags: bc johnson, blog, books, deadgirl, indie publishing, offbeat ya, roberta r, self publishing, small publishing | 1 Comment

Fan-Fiction is Fun: The Yellow Pike

Posted on December 2, 2021 by B.C. Johnson

This hilarious exchange on Reddit — where someone discovered that their childhood memory of Stephen King’s book IT was actually an IT/Criminal Mind fanfic — reminded me of my own forays into fan-fiction.

Most of them are happily lost to time (*cough*DragonBallZ*cough*), but I remembered that I wrote one a few years back that still exists (that I don’t hate).

I wrote this Destiny fan-fiction when I was really into the game. I then posted it on Reddit, because, I don’t know, I’m a huge fucking dork. Please enjoy this short story about friendship, sacrifice, and invulnerable space ghosts. And yes, the Titan “Stella” was my Destiny character.

Obviously, I don’t own any of this shit and it’s for parody or whatever is the most legal.

Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story . . .

“The Yellow Pike”

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Categories: Fanfic, Video Games, writing | Tags: destiny, fan fiction, Fanfic, pepik, pike, reddit, stella, yellow pike | 2 Comments

Barely-Hanging-On Author’s Log, Supplemental

Posted on July 16, 2021 by B.C. Johnson

So, the final Deadgirl book is taking a long time to come out, you may have noticed. And believe me, it’s weighing on me pretty near-constantly. But for the tiny group of Constant Readers, I figured you deserved an explanation before I started drifting into George R.R. Martin territory.

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Categories: Deadgirl, writing | Tags: daybreak, deadgirl, drafts, process, publishing, writing | 1 Comment

Sneak Peek: The 1st Chapter of Deadgirl Daybreak

Posted on January 13, 2021 by B.C. Johnson

I present, here and now, a sneak peek of the first chapter of Deadgirl: Daybreak. The full book will arrive on Kindle and paperback this year, which apparently is 2021.

Why leak the first chapter? Because, well, you’ve been waiting for it. Maybe, I don’t know your whole deal. But if you HAVE been waiting for the fourth and final Deadgirl book, I figure it’s only fair I share a little aperitif while you wait.

Presenting to you now, the first chapter. If it changes in the final, published draft, well, them’s the brakes. But enjoy!

As you’d expect, this chapter contains MASSIVE SPOILERS for the end of the 3rd book, Deadgirl: Goneward. Also, minor spoilers from the Daphne novella. Proceed with caution!

Or don’t, I’m not your mama.

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Categories: Deadgirl, writing | Tags: author, bc johnson, daybreak, deadgirl, deadgirl saga, lucy day, supernatural, writing, young adult | 2 Comments

What Am I Up To?

Posted on July 24, 2019 by B.C. Johnson

So, what have I been up to lately? This:

What I’m Reading

Image result for dark tower

I just plowed through the entire Dark Tower series by Stephen King for the second time, and I have some shocking and terrible news for you: it’s still incredible. I first started reading the series when I was around 15 years old, and was forced to wait painfully for the last four books to come out.

Being able to read them all back-to-back provided a slightly different experience. But, overall, yeah. I think it’s still my favorite book series of all time. It’s so epic and surreal and strange, with a truly unique world (well, worlds) that feel 100% real. Even the weirder meta elements in the last few books work really well for me.

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Categories: Deadgirl, Diary, Movies, Review, writing | Tags: amwriting, civ vi, civilization vi, dark tower, deadgirl, gentlemen bastards, it, lucy day, republic of thieves, resident evil, resident evil revelations 2, scott lynch, stephen king, worst chefs in america, writing | 2 Comments

Why “Deadgirl: Daybreak” is Delayed

Posted on April 2, 2018 by B.C. Johnson

Because I suck.

END OF BLOGPOST

Okay, But Seriously Why is “Deadgirl: Daybreak” Delayed?

At the end of “Deadgirl: Goneward,” which is also the last book, there’s a little tag saying “Deadgirl: Daybreak” will drop in Spring 2018. As you may or may not be aware, it’s Spring 2018. And as you also may or may not be aware, you don’t own “Deadgirl: Daybreak” because it’s not possible to own it. Why? Well, mostly because I failed.

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