Story First Podcast

Brian McDonald & Jesse Bryan: Storytelling and the Underworld

This week’s episode is an archive conversation from my old podcast You Are a Storyteller, co-hosted with Jesse Bryan. We recorded this discussion shortly before the release of my graphic novel Land of the Dead, illustrated by Toby Cypress. In this episode, Jesse and I explore many of the ideas found in the book, including the journey into the underworld, transformation through hardship, and the separate but related idea of “angels from the sky” — figures who enter the land of the dead and help others see things differently. We also discuss story structure in everyday life and the idea that storytelling begins not with books or movies, but with ordinary human conversation. Land of the Dead was later praised by Gene Luen Yang as “Brilliant. Indispensable advice for writers in particular and humans in general,” and by Charles Johnson as “Magnificent. A pleasure to read.” If you enjoy this episode, illustrator Toby Cypress has also been a guest on the podcast in a separate conversation about storytelling, comics, and art.

Christy Mandin - The Difference Between Taste and Craft

This week’s guest is author and illustrator Christy Mandin. Christy and I talk about storytelling as a natural human behavior—something people do every day without realizing it. We discuss picture books, visual storytelling, knowing what you want to say, observation, creativity, reviews, craft, and the difference between what people like and what is actually good. This ended up being a really thoughtful conversation about how stories work and why they matter.

Seeing Structure in Everyday Life

This week’s episode is an archive conversation from You Are a Storyteller, my earlier podcast cohosted by Jesse Bryan. In this episode, Jesse and I discuss story structure in real life—how the foundation of storytelling isn’t film, television, novels, or even theater. It’s ordinary human conversation. People naturally slip into story when they want to explain something, make a point, justify themselves, teach, warn, or connect emotionally. In fact, it’s almost impossible to have a real conversation without quickly moving into narrative. We talk about how storytelling is a completely natural human behavior, and how many of the principles of story construction can be learned simply by paying attention to the way people speak every day.

Nadine Takvorian - The Benefits of Being a Perpetual Student

This week’s guest is Nadine Takvorian. Nadine is an author and illustrator whose work focuses on personal storytelling through images. Her graphic novel Armaveni draws from her family’s experience in the Armenian diaspora, using the visual language of comics to explore memory, identity, and history. In this conversation, we talk about storytelling—specifically stories told with pictures. Nadine shares how she developed her approach to the work, what she’s learned over time, and how she thinks about translating ideas and emotion into visual form. This is a thoughtful discussion about craft, process, and the discipline of learning how to tell stories in a way that connects.

Charles Johnson on "Digging Deep" into Your Craft

What does it actually take to master your craft? In this conversation, Charles Johnson breaks down the reality of becoming a writer—not as inspiration, but as discipline, iteration, and years of deep work. From writing six unpublished “apprentice novels” to throwing away thousands of pages in pursuit of something better, Johnson shares what it really means to commit to the process. This isn’t about shortcuts—it’s about developing taste, refining your voice, and learning how to solve creative problems over time. He explores: * Why most writers quit too early—and what it actually takes to get good * The role of revision, and why great work often means throwing most of it away * How “voice” isn’t something you choose—it’s something you earn through experience * Why storytelling is ultimately about logic, structure, and cause-and-effect * The importance of character, emotional honesty, and putting your work to the test At its core, this episode is about going deeper—into your ideas, your process, and yourself. Because the work isn’t just about finishing something. It’s about becoming someone capable of creating it. So the question is: Are you willing to do the work it takes to get there?