Introduction
Dena Higley (born September 26, 1958) is an American writer, speaker and author who grew up in East County, San Diego, the first of three children. She moved to Los Angeles as a teenager eventually graduating from the University of Southern California with a BFA in Theatre. Dena has been married for 25 years and is a mother of four children, including an autistic son, a daughter, an adopted daughter from Vietnam and an adopted son from Ethiopia. Her current non-fiction book Momaholic: Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Parent was released April 14, 2012. Dena was previously the head writer of the daytime soap operas Days of Our Lives and One Life to Live. In February 2015, Soap Opera Digest confirmed Higley's imminent return to Days of Our Lives, this time alongside Josh Griffith. The pair begin writing for the series on February 16, 2015, with their material airing on August 19, 2015. Higley was fired again in January 2017; she was replaced by Ron Carlivati.
Positions held
Days of Our Lives
- Head Writer: March 7, 2003 - August 8, 2003; April 23, 2008 – August 25, 2011
- Co-Head Writer: August 11, 2003 - August 18, 2003; August 19, 2015 - Present
- Script writer: September 2003 - November 26, 2004
- Associate Head Writer: 1985 - March 6, 2003; August 19, 2003 - October 2003
One Life to Live
- Head Writer: December 13, 2004 - September 10, 2007
Awards and nominations
Daytime Emmy Award
- Nominations: 1987, 1994, 1997–1999, and 2006, Best Writing, Days of our Lives
- Wins: 2008, Best Writing, One Life to Live
Writers Guild of America Award
- Nominations: 1987, 1991, 1993, 2001, and 2005, Days of our Lives
- Wins: 1999, Days of our Lives
HW History
| Preceded by Paula Cwikly Peter Brash | Head Writer of Days of Our Lives March 7–August 8, 2003 | Succeeded by James E. Reilly |
| Preceded by Michael Malone | Head Writer of One Life to Live (with Ron Carlivati: May 8–September 10, 2007) December 13, 2004 – September 10, 2007 | Succeeded by Ron Carlivati |
| Preceded by WGA Strike | Head Writer of Days of Our Lives (with Victor Gialanella: April 23–June 30, 2008) (with Rick Draughon: July 1–October 10, 2008) (with Christopher Whitesell: October 13, 2008 – June 13, 2011) April 23, 2008 – August 25, 2011 | Succeeded by Marlene Clark Poulter Darrell Ray Thomas Jr. |
| Preceded by Gary Tomlin Christopher Whitesell | Head Writer of Days of Our Lives (with Josh Griffith: August 19, 2015 – September 2, 2016) (with Beth Milstein: February 22, 2016 – September 2, 2016) (with Ryan Quan: September 6, 2016 – present) August 19, 2015 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |