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ERMA BOMBECK WRITERS' WORKSHOP NEWSLETTER
University of Dayton
April 2008
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Dear writer:
Wow, what a workshop! Here's what some of the attendees had to say:
“This was the first writers' conference I've ever attended, and I LOVED IT.”
“It's my third time and it gets better each time.”
“What is memorable is that the speakers stick around for the whole conference and are available to attendees”
“I was so impressed that the Bombeck family stayed with us for the whole workshop.”
“I felt like I was on a cruise ship!”
“I had a fabulous time. I made friends, stayed up too late, and came home with new tools to bring to my writing.”
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best), attendees gave the 2008 workshop an 8.9 (67% gave it a 9 or 10).
When asked, “Do you think what you've learned at the workshop and the connections you've made will result in selling more of your work,” 79% of attendees said it would “cover the full cost” or “cover far more than the cost” of the workshop.
Below you'll find articles and photos of the 2008 Bombeck Workshop. Hope to see you in 2010!
Keep writing!
Tim Bete
Stories about the 2008 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop
WRITTEN BY A BOMBECK...
SEVEN THINGS I LEARNED AT MY GRANDMOTHER'S WRITERS' WORKSHOP
Eleven-year-old Eva Bombeck, Erma's granddaughter, writes about her first experience at the workshop and reveals which speakers she thought were "hilarious." Read more.
WRITTEN BY FACULTY...
USA TODAY: I'm here today to talk to you about. .. oh, dear! by Craig Wilson
Participants at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop at the University of Dayton, her alma mater, carried notepads. Some appeared to be taking down my every word. A few scribbled so furiously, I was tempted to stop my talk and ask them to read back what I had just said since I didn't have a clue what I had just said. Read more.
UNEXPECTED BENEFITS by Carolyn Howard Johnson
Because unexpected benefits are, well . . . unexpected, I'll tell you about one in particular that came about when I was speaking at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop this spring. Read more.
FROM NEWSPAPERS...
DAYTON DAILY NEWS: GIVING WAY TO YOUNGER GENERATION by Mary McCarty
Eleven-year-old Eva Louise Bombeck — Matt's daughter — is an aspiring writer. (The middle name is the same as her celebrated grandmother's.) Michael Bombeck, not quite 2, ran around like he owned the place. Read more.
BRAIN DROPPINGS by Ron Rollins
Speaking of smart guys, if you ever get a chance to catch Garrison Keillor on one of his visits to the area, take it. Thursday night, April 3, he opened the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writer’s Workshop with his dry growing-up-Minnesotan stories that hilariously mix understatement and overstatement. Read more.
FLYER NEWS: DREAM COMES TRUE by Amy Tiedge
Luckily for me, I was awarded one of 19 student scholarships from the National Alumni Association to attend the workshop. During the weekend, I attended sessions like “The Renegade Writer’s Guide to Breaking into Magazines,” “Book Proposals and Literary Agents” and “How to Survive and Thrive Through the Creative Process.” Read more.
FROM MEDIA WEB SITES...
EDITOR & PUBLISHER: Garrison Keillor on Writing and Erma Bombeck
"My advice to writers is to get out," said the radio host, author, and Tribune Media Services columnist. "Writing is an obsessive activity. Walk for two or three miles everyday -- rapidly if necessary -- and get out and look at the world. When writing loses touch with the beautiful surface of the world, it loses its way." Read more.
NATIONAL SOCEIETY OF NEWSPAPER COLUMNISTS: Fresh from the Bombeck Workshop
Talk about a great conference! The Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop featured almost 30 experts with advice on writing, publication, promotion, networking and staying inspired. About 325 humor and general interest writers attended the two-day conference held at the University of Dayton on April 3-5, 2008. Read more.
ST. LOUIS WRITERS' GUILD by Mary Menke
Hey, I just got back (okay, I got back Sunday) from the Erma Bombeck Humor Writers Workshop in Dayton, Ohio and I’d like to share some of the things I learned. Read more.
WRITTEN BY ATTENDEES...
MISERABLE ENOUGH? by Sally Sheklow
The great humorist stood on the stage in his trademark red sneakers, red socks and matching red tie, and extolled the importance of an unhappy childhood for good humor writing. Read more.
TALES FROM THE CONFERENCE by Danny Gallagher
Since I waited too long to get a direct flight, I had to catch three puddle jumpers from Dallas to Kansas City to Hades and then to Dayton.Read more.
IS CAMEL MILK THE NEXT BIG THING? By Lara Bricker
So there I was on the way to the Erma Bombeck Humor Writing Conference last week in Ohio. I had hopped a taxi from the airport and was chatting with the little foreign cab driver. Eventually the conversation turned to what I wrote about. Well, I told him, I just had a book published called "How Do You Milk a Moose Anyway?" Read more.
TREND HUNTER MAGAZINE by Rosa Capacola
I thoroughly enjoyed this event, which is near and dear to my heart, as I practically grew up reading Erma Bombeck, who left us too soon on April 22, 1996. I can’t help thinking how much she would have enjoyed all of the wonderful tributes given to her by the attendees and event speakers this year. Read more.
I MADE OUT WITH GARRISON KEILLOR by Kelly Epperson
When it was my moment, I handed my camera over and had someone snap a photo. “Right here,” I pointed to my cheek. (I’d had a couple glasses of red.) Read more.
WRITER TRIES TO AVOID REALITY by Stephanie Fellenstein
I felt like I was back in college. Days centered on me. Heading out in shorts in the definitely chilly, but sunny, spring air just because it was the first time in months the temperature actually rose above 50. Read more.
I'M FUNNY HOW? by Michael Mackie
Last week I had the opportunity to visit the 2008 Erma Bombeck Writer’s Workshop in lovely Dayton, Ohio. Good thing …because my job mandates me to write things that are clever and catchy. Read more.
DEAR ERMA by Lynda Zielinski
I’m not giving up though. I know you got discouraged too, even stopped writing that first year in college. It took one special man, someone you admired and respected, to come forward and say those three magic words. No, not those. The important words: You can write. Read more.
DENA HARRIS' BLOG
Just back from the 2008 Erma Bombeck Writer's Conference in Dayton, my old stomping grounds. It was cold and gray when I arrived but the dirt was brown, as earth is supposed to be (not this red clay stuff forced upon us in North Carolina). Laughed a lot, made new friends, and even managed to learn a thing or two despite my best intentions to only drink wine, eat free desserts, and take guilt free long, hot showers. Read more.
HUMORIST'S GHOST INSPIRES LAUGHS IN DAYTON by Lois Swagerty
Overall, the conference was worth its price in laughs.And as for ending up Erma, a girl could do worse. Read more.
PAT COAKLEY'S BLOG
I heard Pulitzer Prize winning speakers, expert professional speakers–all over the past several days and this spontaneous comment–this is what I remember most. Read more.
GINGER TRUITT'S BLOG
The highlight of my evening, and I'm sure the highlight of this trip, was meeting Garrison Keillor! Read more.
PHOTOS...
VIDEO...
FIND YOUR VOICE
Humorist Garrison Keillor shared his advice on how to be a successful writer at the 2008 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. Read and watch video clip.
STAND-UP COMEDY NIGHT!
Watch ten minutes of clips from attendee stand-up comedy at the 2008 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. Watch it now.
INVOCATIONS...
Many attendees requested copies of the prayers given before each night's dinner. Here they are!
Humor writer of the month
ROB BLOOM
Rob Bloom is a comedy writer, screenwriter, and connoisseur of all things deli. He has written for the Cartoon Network, McSweeney's, CRACKED, Fresh Yarn, Monkey Bicycle, Funny Times, National Public Radio, American Public Media and the Travel Channel, among others. Visit his Web site.
Book giveaway
Each month we give away a book on writing to a few subscribers to our newsletter. If you're subscribed, you're entered to win! This issue's winners are:
* Linda Butler
* Jennie Leon Guerrero
* Susan Lewis
Who's publishing what?
WORKSHOP FACULTY
FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MARRIAGE: Bruce Cameron has published 8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter, the sequel to 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
FRUGAL, NOT CHEAP: Carolyn Howard-Johnson's book, The Frugal Editor, was selected as the best publishing book of 2007 by Reader Views Annual Literary Awards.
PAST WORKSHOP ATTENDEES
FIRST PLACE: Norm Cowie's book, The Next Adventures of Guy ... more wackiness, came in first-place for Fantasy/SciFi in Preditors and Editor's Reader's Choice poll in January 2008. One of his short humor stories appeared in the anthology The Heat of the Moment, in which all 21 authors and the publisher are donating their royalties to the victims of the San Diego wildfires. The Heat of the Moment was also a top-ten finisher in the P&E poll.
LAWYER JOKES? Tami Kamin-Mayer has been hired as the Ohio correspondent for Legalnewsline.com. She recently interviewed comedian Jackie Mason and wrote a profile about him and his latest humor book, Schmucks.
STRANGE STORY: Norma Sundberg has published An Odd Fable, the story of a princess who solves a serious situation with a dilapidated drawbridge in the little round Kingdom of Odd.
NATIONAL PUBLICATION: LouAnn Edwards had an article published in Marriage Partnership Magazine.
OTHER PUBLISHING NEWS
SOUPS ON: Kathy Shiels Tully had an essay accepted by Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating Brothers and Sisters. She saw the call for submissions in this newsletter.
Markets, contests and more
TOP 10 CONTEST: David Letterman's weekly top-10 contest. Read more.
HUMORPRESS.COM: Specializes in humor contests and publishing projects for writers across the United States (and beyond). Read more.
2008 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL: Considers published, self-published and independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, children’s books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, comics, e-books, wild card (anything goes!), poetry, science fiction, horror, romance, photography/art and biography/autobiography works. Read more.
2008 HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL: Celebrating books that deserve greater recognition from the film, television, game and multimedia communities. Read more.
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NETWORK WITH OTHER HUMOR WRITERS: Network with other humor writers. Join the e-mail discussion group for past attendees of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop and those who would like to attend in the future. Join now.
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SUGGEST A RESOURCE: If you have a favorite book or Web site, let us know at bete@udayton.edu.
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Copyright 2008, University of Dayton
