The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop has been dubbed the “Woodstock of Humor.” But for Creators Syndicate columnist Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, the spring workshop felt closer to “a church tent revival where Erma's mantra is affirmed again and again: ‘You can write!’”
The Erma spirit — equal parts encouragement, community and creative spark — echoed throughout the three-day, sold-out gathering. “The camaraderie and genuine encouragement fuel my soul,” Feldkamp wrote in a nationally syndicated piece. “I have made lifelong friends and met crucial mentors at this conference.”
Robin Raniero Norris, of Nokesville, Virginia, likened the experience to a rock concert. “It starts off calm and quiet, then there's a bit of a welcoming, buzzing chatter, and by the last day it’s a rock concert. The lights can be bright and swirly, and the sound can be energetic and intense,” she wrote in a post-workshop blog.
For longtime attendee Angela Verges, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, the gathering always comes with its own unofficial rules: “Sleep is optional, overeating is expected, and laughter is guaranteed.”
Cheryl Bailey of St. Paul, Minnesota, left ready to get back to work: “I opened my laptop to finish my manuscript. Your workshop was just what the doctor ordered.”
Writers shared nearly two dozen pieces inspired by the 2026 workshop, and we posted a 25th-anniversary video and hundreds of photos:
My Magical Robe by Debra Solomon Baker
Message Received: The Erma Story by Jyl Barlow
We Can Write Hard Things by Mary Bufe (Webster-Kirkwood Times)
My Weekend at Erma: Finding the Funny When Life Feels Heavy by Pamela Chandler (Dayton Daily News)
How to Slay as a Humorist-in-Residence by Gretchen Cion
The Erma Effect by Cindy Eastman
Erma Bombeck Recap and Humor Writing Advice by Bob Eckstein
Just Shut Up? by Grant Faulkner
Erma’s Legacy Isn’t Just Humor. It’s Belonging. by Bonnie Jean Feldkamp (Creators Syndicate)
Erma and I Were Photobombed by Glenda Ferguson
Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop Hosts Global Writers for a Weekend of Fun by Abigail Finke (Flyer News)
Courage, Confidence, Comedy, Cancer by Rhonda Havig
Meet the Keynote Speakers: Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop by Riley Howell (Flyer News)
The Sounds of Silence by Carol White Llewellyn
Favorite Takeaways by Leighann Lord
The Ingredients of a Successful Writing Career by Tiffany Yates Martin
Musings From the Erma Bombeck Workshop: ‘If they wanted you to write about them, they should have been nicer’ by Mary McCarty (Dayton Daily News)
A Rock Concert by Robin Raniero Norris
Continuing Education in Humor Serious Business by Marcy O’Brien (Times Observer)
Look Ma, I’m a Writer (Not a Brain Surgeon, But Still) by Yuliya Patsay
Frozen Avocados by Jen Pen Richards
What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Be Funny — A Guide for the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop by Angela Verges
Video
A Woodstock for Writers, short film produced by Flyer Media to honor the 25th anniversary of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop
Photography and Illustrations
Numerous photo albums and one of illustrations created by artist-in-residence Bob Eckstein can be found on the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop's Facebook page. Julie Walling Noeth captured most of the photos, which so beautifully show the joy.
Mark your calendars: the next Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop is slated for March 30-April 1, 2028.
(Illustration by Bob Eckstein, artist-in-residence.)