“I hear that getting in is like getting tix to see Bruce Springsteen in Atlantic City. So, I've got 9 a.m. PST marked on my calendar. I have set alarms,” one writer confessed in the days leading up to the opening of registration for the March 26-28 Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop.
That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much.
In the first 15 minutes, 148 writers had hit the “register” button. An hour later? 212. Nearly 33 hours later, the workshop sold out, and writers began joining the waitlist.
Hundreds of storytellers and humorists will make a creative pilgrimage to the University of Dayton, Erma Bombeck’s alma mater, in the spring for three days of laughter, learning, inspiration, networking and, yes, a slice or two of cake. They hail from 43 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, Ireland and Spain. Ohio leads the pack with 61 registrants, with California clocking in with 23. Nearly half are first-time attendees.
Two writers sweated when registration opened at noon on Nov. 5, but scored tickets.
“There’s nothing like trying to register while also trying to catch a flight and having to ride an underground train without Wi-Fi at the stroke of noon, knowing that you’re going to have transfer to another train before you’ll even have a hope of getting internet access. Combine that with throwing my wallet with my credit card in it into the deepest darkest recesses of my backpack never to be found again, and you’ve got a recipe for fun, fun, fun,” wrote David Volk, a humor writer from Seattle.
Across the country in Severna Park, Maryland, Joanne Anderson faced her own registration adventure. “I was visiting my 99-year-old aunt who lives out of town and ran out into the parking lot to register at noon. I did not have a strong signal on my iPhone, so I drove down the street a bit until I did. Phew!” she reported.
Meanwhile, longtime attendee Janie Emaus took a calmer approach. “I sat at a coffee shop in Baja with a cappuccino, huevos rancheros and mi hermana waiting for the link. Finger hovering until the moment of registration. Then off for a quad ride, a swim and a margarita!” she said.
What’s behind the workshop’s enormous appeal? In the words of author and writing coach David Henry Sterry: “Pound for pound, this is one of the greatest writers’ conferences in the world. So many amazing, incredible, funny, inspiring, uplifting writers.”
Sterry and his wife, Arielle Eckstut — better known as The Book Doctors — are pumped to return to Dayton to host Pitchapalooza, their popular, high-energy, book-pitching event. The couple, working with Kwame Alexander, spun the idea into America’s Next Great Author, the first reality show created by and for writers. They’re part of an extraordinarily talented slate of keynoters and presenters.
Didn’t snag a seat in time? We’re offering Erma Home Schooling, which consists of livestreams of the five keynote addresses and four exclusive workshops on humor writing. (Please note that the in-person workshops will not be included in this package.) Registration opens Dec. 5. Read about the keynoters, faculty and sessions here.
Whether you’re traveling to Dayton or planning to tune in from home, we welcome you!