Dena Higley

Higley grew up in East County, San Diego and was 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 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.{{cite news|title=Exclusive! Major Writer Switch at Days!|url=https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/exclusive-major-writer-switch-days/|access-date=February 24, 2019|work=Soap Opera Digest|agency=American Media|publisher=soapoperadigest.com|date=February 9, 2015}}{{cite web|author=White-Nobles, Omar|title='Days of Our Lives' Fires and Head Writers; Dena Higley and Josh Griffith to Take Over|url=https://tvsourcemagazine.com/2015/02/days-lives-fires-head-writers-dena-higley-josh-griffith-take/|website=TVSource Magazine|publisher=SoSource Media LLC|access-date=February 24, 2019|date=February 9, 2015}} Higley was fired again in January 2017; she was replaced by Ron Carlivati.{{cite news|title=Breaking News: Higley Out, Carlivati In At Days|url=http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/breaking-news-higley-carlivati-days/|access-date=February 24, 2019|work=Soap Opera Digest|publisher=American Media, Inc.|date=January 24, 2017}}{{cite web|author=Fairman, Michael|title=Ron Carlivati IN as Head Writer At Days of our Lives; Dena Higley OUT!|url=https://michaelfairmantv.com/ron-carlivati-in-as-head-writer-at-days-of-our-lives-dena-higley-out/2017/01/23/|website=On-Air On-Soaps|publisher=Michael Fairman Soaps, Inc.|access-date=February 24, 2019|date=January 23, 2017}} Higley, formerly a member of Writers Guild of America West, left and maintained financial core status during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.{{cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/wga-outs-fi-core-members-109825/ | title=WGA outs fi-core members | website=The Hollywood Reporter | date=21 April 2008 }}

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 - July 18, 2017)
• 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

Dena has been married for 25 years to Mark and is a mother of four children, including an autistic son Connor, a daughter Jensen, an adopted daughter with physical disability,{{cite web|url=https://www.hopetocope.com/dena-higley-a-perfect-mess/|title=Dena Higley: A Perfect Mess|author=Stephanie Vozza|date=February 1, 2015|access-date=February 24, 2019}} from Vietnam Adelle, and an adopted son Helio, from Ethiopia.{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/archive/inspired-by-her-autistic-son-vol-70-no-16/|title=Inspired by Her Autistic Son|volume=7|number=16|magazine=People|date=October 20, 2008}} Her current non-fiction book Momaholic: Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Parent was released April 14, 2012.{{cite book|author=Dena Higley|title=Momaholic: Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Parent|publisher=Thomas Nelson|year=2012|pages=235|isbn=978-0849947360}}

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

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{{Succession box|before=Paula Cwikly
Peter Brash|title=Head Writer of Days of Our Lives|after=James E. Reilly|years=March 7–August 8, 2003}}

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{{Succession box|before=Michael Malone|title=Head Writer of One Life to Live
(with Ron Carlivati: May 8–September 10, 2007)|after=Ron Carlivati|years=December 13, 2004 – September 10, 2007}}

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{{Succession box|before=WGA Strike|title=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)|after=Marlene Clark Poulter
Darrell Ray Thomas Jr.|years=April 23, 2008 – August 25, 2011}}

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{{succession box|before=Gary Tomlin
Christopher Whitesell|title=Head Writer of Days of Our Lives
(with Josh Griffith: August 19, 2015 – September 2, 2016)
(with Beth Milstein: February 22 – September 2, 2016)
(with Ryan Quan: September 6, 2016 – July 18, 2017)|years=August 19, 2015 – July 18, 2017|after=Ron Carlivati}}

{{S-end}}

{{Reflist}}

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Category:University of Southern California alumni

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Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:American soap opera writers

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:American women soap opera writers

Category:21st-century American women