“I do my best work alone, in my jammies, with a carafe of coffee and a side of total desperation,” one writer confessed in a pitch to be selected for A Hotel Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck Humorist-in-Residence Program.
Another wrote: “I once managed a six-room hotel in the desert (filled with quirky characters and stories), so I know the quiet magic of clean sheets, steady Wi-Fi and uninterrupted thought. As I settle into middle age, I’m learning to claim space for my own voice.”
In all, the 2025 contest attracted 254 applications from 40 states coast to coast, Washington, D.C. and four countries — Australia, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.
What humor writer wouldn’t want to attend the University of Dayton’s wildly popular Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop and spend two all-expenses-paid weeks at a hotel in Dayton, Ohio? Free room service. A housekeeping staff. An omelette bar. A TV remote of your own. The sun rising over the Great Miami River (aka, the Dayton Riviera).
And, most importantly, a “Do Not Disturb” sign. Forbes says it “may be the best writing residency in the country.”
Dozens of remarkable authors, bloggers and humorists will review and rank the entries, narrowing the field for final judging by W. Bruce Cameron, bestselling author and humorist best known for his novel A Dog’s Purpose, and Wendy Liebman, an LA stand-up comic who’s appeared on late-night television and clubs around the country. All entries will be blind-judged.
The package is worth $5,000 for two grand prize winners, with cash prizes for finalists ($250) and honorable mentions ($100). The winners will be announced in November.
This year’s program, sponsored by the Bombeck family and the Marriott at the University of Dayton, attracted entries from a diversity of writers working on comedic novels, books of essays, plays, sitcom scripts and other humor-writing projects.
Their pitches were both compelling and funny.
“Erma Bombeck knew how to find humor in the relentless, ordinary chaos of life. Her legacy reminds me that comedy doesn’t always need to shout about headlines or politics to make an impact — it quietly reveals truth and sparks change through the small, relatable moments we all live,” one applicant wrote. “Dayton isn’t just a place that embodies Erma’s spirit of grounded humor and warmth. It’s a chance to hit pause on the mayhem and create something that gives voice to the uncertainty most of us are living so that we feel a little less alone.”
In a more lighthearted application, another writer fantasized about the joy of living and writing in a hotel room: “I hope to sleep diagonally across the bed, using all of the pillows to prop up my back and my metaphors.”
Besides the residency, the workshop also co-sponsors an international writing competition organized by the Washington-Centerville Public Library. The contest opens Dec. 2, with entries accepted until Jan. 6, 2026. Four winners will receive $1,000 and a free registration to the March 26-28, 2026, workshop.
The workshop offers virtual programs, too. Virtual Essay Cabaret, a free night of storytelling hosted by Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff of “Queen of Your Own Life,” takes place at 7 p.m. (EDT) on Oct. 14. Register here.
The popular Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop is the only workshop in the country devoted to both humor and human interest writing. Registration for the spring workshop will open at noon (EST), Nov. 5.