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"You can write!" says my new coffee mug that I purchased at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop.

That quote came from Erma's English Professor, Brother Tom Price, when she was a student at the University of Dayton. Erma said that those three little words changed her life.

This year, I attended several informative and interesting sessions as I laughed and learned how to improve my own writing. From learning how to brainstorm ideas and deal with writer's block to finding out the secrets to getting published in magazines and how to get a book published, the entire workshop was packed full of mind-boggling information.

Meeting new writers from 41 states and Canada is so much fun. Most of the writers were woman, but there were a few men, too. Attendees who were first timers were known as "Erma Virgins," and then there were many of us who had been there before. I am a third timer. Luckily, I got to meet Julie Watson from Wildwood, Missouri. She won first place in the writing contest in the human interest category. Her article, "The Gift," was a humorous and touching story about how her family adopted a dog from a rescue shelter. She was a warm, friendly person and, unlike I would have been, a humble winner.

Erma's family always attends and sadly, her husband, Bill Bombeck passed away this January at the age of 90. He had always been a great supporter of the workshop and of Erma's writing. He was quoted as saying, "Sometimes I feel like Prince Philip." He always encouraged writers to find their own voice, not to try to be the next Erma.

We were entertained by many comedy writers and comedians. John Grogan, the author of Marley and Me, presented an inspirational message about how his book got published and then became a movie. Most people wanted to know if he got to meet Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, who starred in the movie. He said he did get to spend time with them, especially with Wilson, who wanted to study Grogan's mannerisms and personality.

Every evening, the keynote speakers were hilariously funny. It's so good to hear a room full of people laugh out loud. Erma would surely be thrilled that this was happening all because of her inspiration.

My Bill always accompanies me on this writing journey. I introduce him as my chauffeur, my muse and my critic. Even though he doesn't let on, I think he enjoys this trip as much as I do. Who wouldn't? He gets to golf each day, enjoy the hotel pool and hot tub and spend every evening with me and 350 other funny people. Even though, he's reserved when it comes to laughing out loud, I know he's laughing silently on inside.

So, what did I bring home from this experience? Besides my Erma coffee mug, dirty clothes, several books and a notebook with lots of workshop notes, I have a renewed vigor for writing. Who knows, I might just finish my children's book or get an article published in a magazine. Until then, hopefully readers will also notice funnier and better columns. To quote Erma, "Writing a column was what I could do. I was too old for a paper route, too young for Social Security and too tired for an affair."

- Martha Peebles

Martha Peebles is a humor columnist for The County Journal newspaper out of Percy, Illinois. Her weekly "A Musing View" articles have delighted folks in rural Southern Illinois for the past 10 years. She's a nurse and medical assistant instructor who wants to be a famous humor writer when she grows up because she feels that laughter is truly the best medicin