Debra Salonen Debra Salonen wrote her first screenplay at age 11 for the television series Flipper. The plot involved the older brother's romantic interest in a young girl, presumably Debra. Don't ask, it wasn't pretty. She turned a job as a stringer with a Central Valley newspaper into a full-time position as a feature writer and assistant editor. The exposure to human-interest stories also fed Salonen's writer's soul, conjuring up a wealth of imaginary characters and situations.
Modern fiction provides the modem to touch people's lives.
If your characters are real, in the sense they face real problems and possess real hopes, wants, needs and flaws, people can identify with them. My stories are about imperfect people who must learn life's lesson, heal old wounds and find inner forgiveness before they can truly love another person. I think these are universal themes most people, men and women, can relate to. Salonen, who lives in a small rural community near Yosemite, credits the support of her family, husband Paul and children Kelly and Jon Paul, with a hand in her success. I need my own space and quiet time to work.