Welcome to Story Deep Dive!

In this first episode of 2026, Dana and Rachel kick off their January book pick—Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson—with a craft-focused overview designed for writers who want to study why a story works, not just enjoy the ride.

Whether you’re a fantasy writer, romance writer, or story-obsessed reader, you’ll walk away with insights on four-act structure and escalating stakes, how a “heist frame” can power a rebellion plot, and how to introduce a big ensemble cast without overwhelming your reader.

You can also watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube!

Estimate Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome Back + New Year Kickoff

Dana welcomes listeners back to Story Deep Dive and sets the tone: bookish besties + editors + coaches breaking stories down like writers. They reveal the first pick of the year—Mistborn—and tease that January is always a “go hard” month for the show.

01:10 – Holiday Reads + What They’ve Been Reading

Rachel shares her holiday reading recap, including a standout comp read (The Fox Wife) and reflections on noir craft via Devil in a Blue Dress. Dana shares her own reading updates, including Fourth Wing and several nonfiction reads related to YouTube as she ramps up for a busy quarter.

08:30 – Building the 2026 Reading List + “Pearl-Clutching” Banter

They talk about finalizing their 2026 reading list, including Dana’s process of sampling books and rejecting picks that don’t meet the “Story Deep Dive” standard. The conversation turns playful when they reference intense books (and Dana’s tolerance levels), joking about easing into wilder picks “maybe in 2027.”

10:35 – Why January Picks Go Hard + Introducing Mistborn

Dana and Rachel joke about who should pick January next year, then pivot into why they chose Mistborn as the first study of 2026: it’s big, layered, and packed with craft lessons—especially for writers building plot-heavy stories.

12:05 – Spoiler-Light Summary: What Mistborn Is About

Rachel gives a quick, clean setup: Vin, a skaa thief surviving under the Lord Ruler’s brutal empire, is recruited by Kelsier—and discovers her “luck” is something more. The job isn’t just theft… it’s revolution.

Notable moment: Rachel jokes that Vin must learn how to be a Mistborn… “and how to wear a dress.”

13:20 – Episode Caveat: What This Overview Will (and Won’t) Cover

They set expectations: Mistborn has too much depth to cover in one episode. Rachel notes they will discuss the magic system, but more through the lens of how plot reveals worldbuilding rather than doing a full technical breakdown.

16:10 – Four-Act Structure + The Power of a Core Story Thread

Rachel explains why she uses Mistborn as a teaching text for four-act structure: it has a clear central plot question(overthrowing the Lord Ruler) and a clean escalation of stakes across acts. She highlights how subplots and complications feed the core mission instead of distracting from it.

Key insight: Strong pacing comes from tracking one central story thread and escalating pressure against it.

19:35 – “Heist-Flavored Rebellion”: What Makes the Plot Feel Fresh

Rachel breaks down the innovation: Sanderson uses the heist framework (specialists, roles, planning, execution problems) to drive what is fundamentally a rebellion story. Dana adds that this combination gives readers a familiar “container” for expectations while delivering it in an original way.

Key takeaway: Take a classic story engine and “flavor” it with another genre’s structure to create something fresh.

22:10 – Book One in a Trilogy: Deliver on This Book, Earn Book Two

They discuss how Mistborn works as a complete story while still setting up the trilogy. Rachel reinforces the principle: the best way to sell book two is to write a strong book one—no bait-and-switch endings, no “read the sequel to get the real payoff.”

Key insight: Close the loop on the main promise of this book, then let the ending raise new questions naturally.

25:20 – Ensemble Cast: How to Introduce Many Characters Without Confusing Readers

Rachel explains how Sanderson layers character introductions across chapters—adding one or two at a time so readers can anchor names, personalities, and roles. Dana notes the heist structure helps because each character is tied to a job, skillset, and story function, making them easier to remember and more distinct.

Key takeaway: Readers remember characters faster when they have multiple anchors: role, personality, relationship to the protagonist, and purpose in the mission.

30:10 – Training Scenes + Worldbuilding That Multitasks

Rachel highlights how Mistborn avoids long, repetitive training sequences. Instead, the magic is introduced in layers: overview → action in the story → deeper training later. This keeps worldbuilding scenes from becoming info dumps and ensures they still move plot forward.

Key insight: In books, training scenes must multitask—show growth, reveal rules, and advance the story.

34:10 – Vin’s Internal Lens: “Who She Is vs. Who She Can Become”

Dana calls out one of the most helpful lenses for writers studying Mistborn: Vin begins as an observer and survivor, and every challenge pressures the gap between her current identity and her potential. Kelsier introduces the possibility early, and the story keeps rubbing that tension until she changes.

Key takeaway: Transformation is clearest when the story constantly pressures the distance between “now self” and “future self.”

37:20 – Craft Encouragement: Masterworks Take Time

Rachel closes by reminding writers that Mistborn wasn’t Sanderson’s first draft—or his first book. They encourage listeners not to compare their first drafts to a polished, edited masterwork, but to use the episode as inspiration and a roadmap for skill-building over time.

About Mistborn

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Once, a hero arose to save the world. He failed.

Ever since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist controlled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler.

But hope survives. A new uprising is forming, one built around the ultimate caper, the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind, and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a street urchin who must learn to master the power of a Mistborn.

Where to Find the Book

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson is available in several formats. It’s also widely available in libraries and online retailers. Details on his website.

Next Episode:

In the next episode, Dana and Rachel will dive into plot—including how Mistborn maintains momentum through a central story thread, escalates complications across acts, and uses the heist frame to keep the rebellion storyline tight and propulsive. Be sure to tune in!

Join the Conversation:

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Follow Story Deep Dive on your favorite podcast platform and connect with Dana and Rachel to keep the discussion going—then grab the book and read along with us as we break down Mistborn over the next three episodes!

Connect with Dana and Rachel on storydeepdive.com to keep the conversation going!

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