Where the Heart Is Days of Our Lives General Hospital Guiding Light Ryan's Hope Smith served as head writer for Days of our Lives from 1975-77, where she earned a salary of $285,000 a year, considered very high for that time, which included $35,000 just for "thinking creatively.
"[1] She won the "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series" Daytime Emmy Award for Days of our Lives in 1976 and 1977.
Smith succeeded Douglas Marland as head writer of ABC Daytime's General Hospital from 1979 to 1981.
With Smith as writer and Gloria Monty as producer, the show remained at the top of the daytime ratings roster.
Smith was reported to be the highest paid writer in broadcasting history when she left General Hospital in 1981, at $1 million per year.