Dana grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and is a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA. After early forays into acting, guest-starring on shows like "Family Ties," she turned to writing. Her screenplays include "Fatherhood," starring Kevin Hart, the romantic adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel, "Safe Haven," directed by Lasse Hallstrom; "City of Angels," starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan; "For Love of the Game," directed by Sam Raimi; "Blink," directed by Michael Apted, and "Life or Something Like It," starring Angelina Jolie. She was the creator and executive producer of "What About Brian," an ABC television series produced by J.J. Abrams that aired for two seasons, and creator/executive producer of the CBS television series "Reckless."