Write Funny. Order Pancakes. Repeat

Writers Invited to Apply for 'A Hotel Room of One's Own'

DAYTON, Ohio, Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "My computer is filled with works-in-progress and my desk is a hodgepodge of ideas, inspiration and Cheetos dust. I would love the opportunity to wallow in words for multiple days," wrote one applicant in a pitch to be selected for A Hotel Room of One's Own: The Erma Bombeck Humorist-in-Residence Program.

Another added: "I always write more and better in a bathrobe."

Once again, the University of Dayton's Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop is offering humor writers a dream opportunity: two all-expenses-paid writing residencies in a hotel in Erma's hometown.

The grand prize winners will receive:

• Two weeks at the University of Dayton Marriott — complete with housekeeping, a breakfast bar, room service and a plush, custom-embroidered bathrobe.
  
  
• Free registration to the March 26-28, 2026, Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop.
  
  
• The space, time and solitude to finally finish that humor project — or at least procrastinate in comfort.

"If your creative muse tends to show up in a bathrobe — this could be your moment," said Teri Rizvi, founder of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop.

Applications are open from Sept. 2 - Oct. 6, with submissions judged blind by a panel of established writers. W. Bruce Cameron, humorist and bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose and dozens of books, and Wendy Liebman, veteran stand-up comic seen on HBO, Comedy Central and late-night TV, will serve as this year's finalist judges.

The residency package is valued at approximately $5,000, but for many writers, the real prize is uninterrupted time to write. In addition to the two residencies, finalists and honorable mentions will receive cash prizes of $250 and $100, respectively.

The program welcomes aspiring humor writers of all backgrounds and comedic perspectives. Writers working on novels, memoirs, essays, plays, sitcom scripts or other humorous works are encouraged to apply, with special consideration given to emerging voices.

The application process is simple:

• No new writing is required.
  
  
• Writers submit a short description of themselves and their project, along with a writing sample (up to 1,250 words) "of which at least 47 percent must be really funny."
  
  
• There's a $30 application fee.

Winners will be announced in November. For full details, FAQs and to apply, visit the website.

The program is supported with a generous gift from the Bombeck family and in-kind support from the Marriott at the University of Dayton. The residency is the brainchild of Anna Lefler, who funded its launch in 2017 and the early years of its operation. She's a Los Angeles-based author and a three-time workshop faculty member.

Described by Forbes as "possibly the best writer's residency in the country," A Hotel Room of One's Own is part of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop — dubbed the "Woodstock of Humor."

Media Contact:
Teri Rizvi
[email protected]
937-367-2878

SOURCE University of Dayton