I ask this question because we talk about how some of the writers on Soap Opera's are hacks but who are some of the great storytellers? Can you give me examples of why they were great? I think if Soap Opera's are going to survive, they need better writers.

The great Henry Slesar from the long departed "The Edge of Night", he could write excellent mysteries interwoven with the soap aspects almost seamlessly. I still miss that show to this day.

Claire Labine.

Why she was great. She wrote some of General Hospital's most praised and prized storylines. Examples are BJ's Heart, Stone AIDS storyline, and Monica's cancer storyline. Her work was amazing. She could do touching and controversial so well. When she left and Guza took over. The show went downhill. :(

Its gotten a little better now that Maria Arena Bell has been let go at Young and the Restless. You wonder with the success of all the dramas out there (Desperate Housewives, Revenge etc.) if all the good writers are in primetime now.

Its gotten a little better now that Maria Arena Bell has been let go at Young and the Restless.

She was just recently let go. The episodes currently airing are still Maria's material.

The writer or writers (Bell Senior?) responsible for the transfer of Lauren Fenmore and Sheila Carter from "The Young and the Restless" to "The Bold and the Beautiful" in 1992-1993. Some of the most fondly remembered storylines EVER! :talk:

I liked Al Rabin when he wrote for Days of Our Lives. I saw an interview with him once on our local news and he was talking about how women would write him and tell them what they like to see, and he wrote accordingly.

Doug Marland
Henry Slesar
Agnes Nixon
Michael Malone, during his 90's tenure at One Life to Live
All the writers on DAYS during the early - mid 80's. I watched almost religiously during those years and it was must-see soap at that time.

From ATWT, Bridget and Jerome Dobson, and from GL, Nancy Curlee.

Claire Labine & Paul Avila Mayer - Ryan's Hope
Harding "Pete" Lemay - Another World
Bridget & Jerome Dobson - Santa Barbara

I liked Al Rabin when he wrote for Days of Our Lives. I saw an interview with him once on our local news and he was talking about how women would write him and tell them what they like to see, and he wrote accordingly.

Good for him!! :cool: Too bad other writers wouldn't follow that example.

I ask this question because we talk about how some of the writers on Soap Opera's are hacks but who are some of the great storytellers? Can you give me examples of why they were great? I think if Soap Opera's are going to survive, they need better writers.

I think that the best soap opera writers were:
Henry Slesar
Agnes Nixon
Irna Phillips
Gordon Russell
Robert Candella
Harding Lemay
Gary Tomlin
Peggy O'Shea
Gabrielle Upton/Gillian Houghton
Lou Schofield
Art Wallace


Michael Malone was very good after a co-headwriter was hired on One Life to Live. His early scripts were very inconsistent. I did not view her work on Another World, but I understand that many fans did not like it. Also, his return to One Life to Live (which I did see) was disasterous.

I think that the best soap opera writers were:
Henry Slesar
Agnes Nixon
Irna Phillips
Gordon Russell
Robert Candella
Harding Lemay
Gary Tomlin
Peggy O'Shea
Gabrielle Upton/Gillian Houghton
Lou Schofield
Art Wallace


Michael Malone was very good after a co-headwriter was hired on One Life to Live. His early scripts were very inconsistent. I did not view her work on Another World, but I understand that many fans did not like it. Also, his return to One Life to Live (which I did see) was disasterous.


I also wonder about Irving Vendig. I think that I would have liked his work. He created Three Steps to Heaven, Perry Mason (on radio), The Edge of Night, and Hidden Faces. He wrote for Search for Tomorrow, The Clear Horizon, and Paradise Bay.

I also think that Roy Winsor was very talented. He created Search for Tomorrow, Love of Life, The Secret Storm, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Ben Jarrod-Attorney at Law, and co-created Another Life. Additionally, he wrote for Somerset.