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(Reposted by permission of the author, Sharon Short. This piece originally appeared in the Dayton Daily News Feb. 16, 2014).

Tomorrow at 8 a.m. marks the deadline for the 2014 Erma Bombeck Writing Contest. Entries may be made online.

If you've hesitated to send in your humorous essay or human interest story, there are plenty of reasons to still do so, explains Debe Dockins, community outreach and development coordinator of the Washington-Centerville Public Library.

"The grand prize of $500 and registration to the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop are of course strong incentives," says Dockins. "But we find that all kinds of people - men and women, young and older - like to enter the contest. Everyone has a story to tell, and finding a voice to tell it in a meaningful and compassionate way - or a humorous way - is important."

While the competition is stiff - hundreds enter - Debe adds that judges attempt to give "constructive criticism and advice to every writer. Erma would have really liked that. We honor her memory as we go through the judging process, and we hear from entrants that they appreciate judges taking time and providing advice about making the pieces stronger."

An initial panel of judges review all entries; finalists are sent to the final judges. (Full disclosure: I have the honor of being one of the judges. At both the initial and final rounds, pieces are blind-judged. The judges do not know the identities of the entrants.)

Erma Bombeck was one of the most beloved humorists of all times. A 1949 University of Dayton graduate, Erma lived with her husband and family in Centerville, Ohio, and touched readers around the world with her witty and wise columns and books about life's everyday trials - and funny moments. A beloved luminary from and of the Dayton area, Erma passed away in 1996.

"A local writer, Sarah Rickman, formed a committee in 1997 to explore having a contest in Erma's honor," Dockins says. "And so the competition began that year, focusing on the areas that Erma mastered - humor and human interest."

In 2000, the Bombeck family began donating Erma's papers to her alma mater, the University of Dayton. Teri Rizvi founded the biennial workshop that year; she is currently co-director with Annette Taylor.

"Teri thought it made sense for the University of Dayton to include a writing competition as part of the workshop, but realized that Washington-Centerville Public Library had one in Erma's name. It made sense to partner," Dockins says.

Since then, the writing competition has been co-sponsored by Washington-Centerville Public Library and the University of Dayton.

"Our entries and our judges come from all over the country. I think that speaks to both Erma's legacy and to the fact that the kind of writing she really championed is as appealing to writers and readers as ever," says Dockins who, as a teenager, was a fan of Erma's work.

"I still remember reading If Life Is A Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing In The Pits and laughing out loud," she says. "Now, I feel lucky to coordinate the writing competition held in Erma's name."

- Sharon Short

Sharon Short writes the weekly "Literary Life" column in the Dayton Daily News. She is the director of the Antioch Writers' Workshop and an accomplished writer. She has published two mystery series, a book of columns and the recent novel, My One Square Inch of Alaska.