Tune in Tomorrow by Randee Dawn
Reality TV and the land of the Fae — two halves of a story that most people would never think to combine. But Randee Dawn’s debut novel Tune in Tomorrow is far from your average read. As K. L. Romo writes in her review, “[j]ust like Alice after dropping down the rabbit hole, readers enter a wonderland of otherworldly creatures and humans playing themselves in the mythics’ version of a soap opera.” This leap through a fairy ring transports us alongside Starr into an enchanting land of fantasy, fame and all the trappings of modern media, both the good and bad.
After ten years bussing tables and taking orders at a New York City diner, Starr Weatherby is beginning to lose faith in the idea of her “big break.” But a chance encounter in her place of work changes everything — Starr is picked as the newest contestant on Tune in Tomorrow, a delightfully entertaining reality TV show. At first, it seems like the perfect kickstart to her career in the limelight. But Starr soon discovers that the enchanting quality of this show is far more literal than she previously imagined. And if she’s learned anything from old fairytales, it’s that when it comes to being in the presence of supernatural creatures, you must always watch your back.
Randee Dawn joins us to discuss her initial inspirations for Tune in Tomorrow, as well as what could be next in store.
Q: Where did the idea for Tune In Tomorrow come from?
A: As with any book, a lot of places! But specifically — after a few books my agent sent out didn’t find publishing homes, she suggested I “try something different.” It was enough to make me dare to write something close to home (I used to work for a soap opera magazine) and something funny (I’ve always been fairly serious before, and still write serious stuff). But Tune in Tomorrow actually started out as an outline for Choice of Games, an online text-based game company, that I couldn’t complete. So, I took the outline for that story — and refashioned it into a novel!
Q: How did your degree in broadcast journalism and your background writing for entertainment publications help shape the framework of the book?
A: Over the years of covering film, television and the music industry, I’ve met a lot of creative people — which is to say I’ve met a lot of creative personalities. Some are sweet through and through, some are clearly “acting” the part and some are downright pains in the butt. But I love exploring the creative process and seeing how the sausage gets made — which means going behind the scenes and understanding how each cog and gear comes together. And yes, that is a mixed metaphor! One note: I do have a broadcast TV degree, but I’ve always stayed in print media. Fact is, I love to write!
Q: Tell us about your protagonist Starr Weatherby — was she inspired by anyone in particular, and talk about the issues she faces.
A: I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some of me in Starr — she can be clumsy, but is enthusiastic and tries to help, even if it doesn’t always work how she wants. She’s single-minded about her goals, like I am with my writing. But her unique challenges (such as being pursued by the show’s lothario, who has a hidden agenda; and being targeted for bullying by the show’s diva) are not things I personally experienced. That’s where Starr comes into her own and shows us she can be resilient and undaunted. I have a button that reads: “Do no harm, but take no shit.” (The words appear in the book, too.) That’s something Starr lives by, along with her mantra to “be the mango.”
Q: You present an interesting side to reality TV — tell us how the show for which Starr becomes a part plays a key role in the book.
A: Tune in Tomorrow, the TV reality show/docusoap, is the show where Starr gets her big break. One of its directors and executive producers, a faun named Jason, sees her doing an improv routine where she’s a singing mango — and he falls in love with her unique brand of broad talent. Once on the show, Starr realizes quickly that it’s scripted (as some reality TV is), and that it’s got roots in soap opera. But it’s also reality TV — because the mythics who watch the show believe that this is really how human beings behave! We (as humans) love fantasy’s basic elements: swords, wizards, castles, dragons. Well, it turns out they love our mundane lives just as much!
Q: One reviewer says that you have “single-handedly created a glittering new genre: the Backstage Comedy Fantasy Romance.” Tell us how the book fits that description.
That’s not just one reviewer, that’s the award-winning Ellen Kushner, and I’m beyond flattered by her words. But yes — there are a lot of elements in this story stew: We’re behind-the-scenes at a TV show and learn how the chaos of making a series that runs five days a week for an hour can be (like real soaps); there’s a love triangle between Starr and two of her fellow actors; there are bizarre, hilarious shenanigans; and there’s a mystery (Starr’s predecessor disappeared and no one will talk about her). But there’s also a discussion of what immortality feels like to those who live it, and at one point the diva explains how women aren’t permitted to age as actors – they become invisible. So there’s a lot going on.
Q: What would you want readers to take away from this book?
A: Hopefully the desire to read more from this world! But also to have enjoyed the roller coaster ride Starr is on and cheer her journey. If they also get an insight into the way immortality isn’t the great gift we might think it is, or to reconsider what it means to find your calling, then find a place to share it, then that’s a bonus. Starr feels “called” to the stage most strongly in the moment she’s discovered (when she is doing improv as a singing mango) — and realizes that she can do anything whenever she can summon her inner mango. We should all feel that way about something — we should all know how to “be the mango.”
Q: What is your next project?
A: That depends on how Tune in Tomorrow does! I have a few chapters already written for a sequel — not directly with these same characters, but in the universe. After all, mythics consume other entertainments beyond a docusoap, right? So that’s in the works. But I also have a full novel I completed during the pandemic that’s a romance taking place in a world where women are superpowered – and I’d love to see that come into the light. Plus, I’m always working on short stories for anthologies and magazines, though they tend to be a little darker than the rest of my work. I can’t wait to dive into whatever does come next, though: I’m out here, being my own mango!
About Randee Dawn:
Maryland-born Randee Dawn is now a Brooklyn-based entertainment journalist who scribbles about the glam world of entertainment by day, then spends her nights crafting wild worlds of fiction. She’s a former editor at The Hollywood Reporter and Soap Opera Digest, and these days covers the wacky world of show business for Variety, The Los Angeles Times, Emmy Magazine and Today.com. Dawn’s obsessive love of all things Law & Order led her to appear in one episode and later co-author The Law & Order: Unofficial Companion. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and online publications; she also dreams up trivia questions for BigBrain Games. Once a month she can be found hosting Rooftop Readings at Ample Hills Creamery in Brooklyn. When not writing, she’s focused on her next travel destination and hangs out with her wonderful, funny husband and fluffy Westie. She admits she reads way too many books and consumes far too many mangoes.
