Blogs

Erma Bombeck was funny, smart and she knew how to become famous. She must have had some sort of genius in that way, because she started out writing obits in Dayton, Ohio, and became a legend around the world.

Starting small and going big. She did it, and because of her, so many others have followed in her footsteps. Thanks to the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, many of us have found our voices and "gone big."

In my case, the word "big" means "sort of big." I won two honorable mentions at the EBWW, and to hear me talk about it, you would think it was the Pulitzer Prize. For me, it seemed that way. My Erma experience opened so many doors for me: writing gigs, a self-published book of flash fiction, which led me to my current publisher and two novels with a third coming out in 2019!

Yes. Erma started small and went big. If only she could know how many of us began our careers as writers with her as our inspiration. We are so very proud to call her our muse. Thank you, Erma. Thank you, University of Dayton and EBWW.

- Molly Campbell

Molly Campbell is a two-time Erma Bombeck Writing Competition winner and author of Characters in Search of a Novel, Keep the Ends Loose and Crossing the Street. The World Came to Us will be released soon. This piece is part of a series of videos, blogs and social media shout-outs by "Erma Champions" during the workshop's #25Kin25Days campaign.