Leighann Lord

Join us in Dayton, OH, for the 2024 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop! Registration Opens: 12:00 PM EST | Wednesday, November 15 Once you begin your registration, you will have 30 minutes to complete your transaction. Only one ticket can be purchased at a time. Cost: $499 USD - ONE DAY ONLY, Nov. 15. After Nov. 15 - Registration is $524 USD Full scholarships will be available for University of Dayton students, courtesy of the Alumni Association. Hotel Room Block: A special room block rate of $145/night is available at the Marriott at the University of Dayton. Upon completion of your conference registration, you'll receive a link to book a hotel room. Online booking is preferred. You must use the link provided in your confirmation email to recieve the group discount rate. Refund Policy: Any cancellation received on or before March 1, 2024, is entitled to a 75% refund. No refunds will be issued after March 1. Registrations are non-transferable. Sellout/Waitlist Details: When registration sells out, a waitlist ticket will become available. If a space opens up, those on the waitlist will be offered the chance to register on a first come, first served basis. If you recieve notification that a waitlisted spot has been made avaialble for you, you have 24 hours to respond and complete the purchase of your ticket. Here's the line-up of keynote speakers: Beth Lapides, creator, host and executive producer of Uncabaret, which she has shepherded through more than 25 years of weekly live shows, TV, CDs, streaming and touring. The Los Angeles Times calls her the “godmother of alternative comedy.” Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels for adults and teenagers. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was the inaugural Oprah’s Book Club selection; it was adapted into a film starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Zibby Owens, author of three books; creator and host of the daily podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books; and founder and CEO of Zibby Media. Vulture dubbed her "NYC's Most Powerful Book-fluencer." Wade Rouse, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of five memoirs and 12 novels. Writes fiction under his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, to honor the Ozarks seamstress whose sacrifices changed his family’s life. Writer’s Digest named him “The #2 Writer, Dead or Alive, We’d Like to Have Drinks With” (he was sandwiched between Ernest Hemingway and Hunter Thompson). Anna Quindlen, novelist and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction and self-help bestseller lists. With her special blend of grace and humor, stand-up comedian and author Leighann Lord returns to emcee. In other special features, New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein will live draw during the workshop, and Barbara Fant, our very own Erma Poet Laureate, will write an Erma-inspired poem and perform it live. Plus you'll choose from dozens of hands-on workshops with gifted faculty. Not to mention meals, snacks and networking galore. The workshop will kick off Thursday night with Anna Quindlen’s keynote talk; feature book signings with presenters on Friday night; and finish with hilarity at an attendee stand-up comedy show on Saturday night hosted by stand-up comedian Jane Condon, dubbed "an uppercrust Roseanne" by the Associated Press. In all, the workshop will feature two dozen professional writers and teachers on the faculty, who will offer sessions on the craft of writing, humor writing, publishing, marketing and social media.