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Bill Scheft, Donna Gephart, Erma Bombect Writing Workshop, Gail Collins, Karen Walrond, Tracy Beckerman, Wade Rouse
I love writing conferences. Every writing workshop I attend leaves me feeling energized, inspired, and armed with, well, armloads of useful information. This time, I can add one more take-away to the list: the endorphins from laughing until I have tears running down my face. It is the final day of the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop and I am surrounded by the largest group of funny people I have ever seen assembled under one roof. I have looked forward to this particular conference for over a year. The chance to meet like-minded writers, authors, bloggers, speakers, columnists and comedians? Whoa. *Highly recommended experience*
I particularly enjoyed these speakers:
Tracy Beckerman, author of Rebel Without a Minivan and the blog Lost in Suburbia as well as the syndicated column of the same name. Very funny lady who makes me feel better about a life in the ‘burbs. (Much like Erma herself.)
Donna Gephart, author of several successful middle grade children’s novels that incorporate humor. I feel optimism about my work-in-progress nanowrimo middle grade novel, based on her presentation. I think I am on the right track with the characters, format and plot.
Karen Walford and her beautiful blog chookooloonks — this was a delightful look into how a woman with a passion for writing and photography can leave a former career behind, and follow her heart.
Wade Rouse, author of several best-selling humor memoirs. This happens to be my new favorite genre to read. He reminds me of David Sedaris, except Wade lives in the woods, and I don’t think David would do that. This break-out session did involve an unfortunate incident involving a TV camera and me reading aloud our “assignment” for the day — a personal essay on one of our greatest fears. All in good fun except I started crying while reading mine, which can lead to my next great essay about my new biggest fear, which is crying in front of a TV camera and room full of strangers while reading out loud. But he was great.
Add in the chance to talk to the most helpful editor of a regional parenting magazine that I could hope to meet, and hear Gail Collins, Bill Scheft, and many other authors… I need to go lie down somewhere before my head explodes.
jane, candid 
Jane, I would love to meet you in person at the next #EBWW! Let’s keep in touch through humor_writers@yahoo.com. Did you visit us at E.B. Heron’s table?
Joanie — how did I miss you there? I did sit by E.B. Heron for a lunch… see you on the yahoo
It was a fantastic event this year. I’m glad we finally got a chance to meet and hopefully chat in the Humor_Writers news group.
E. B. Heron is peeking over my shoulder asking if it was you, who gave him the Miller Lite on Saturday night 🙂
Rose, alas, tell E.B. Heron I was yet again too shy to approach him (or get him liquored up), but I am willing to silently stalk him until 2012.
And in the meantime, I am so glad to have met you after reading so much of your work and learning so many industry tips — you are as much fun in person as on the page! Thank you for stopping by.
Hi Mom!
So glad I had the chance to meet you. Can’t wait for 2012!
Lins
Lindsay, what a relief that the 18 year old drunk kid wasn’t mine! Glad it was you that could share that moment with me, and not an unfunny person.
I’m just too jealous! It sounds like the perfect conference! And keep working on that nanowrimo manuscript! I’m sure it’s got tons of potential!
Kris, you should come with me in 2012 for the next conference… until then, I’ll nanowrimo along…
Jane, thank goodness they didn’t tell us ahead of time that the CBS camera crew would be filming our readings or no one would have read their piece out loud–especially the girl reading her piece about her inexperience with irons and a cameraman with a sense of humor who filmed her wrinkly linen pants while she read!
Mindy, you got that right. Now the only thing I have to contemplate is why I ever thought it was a good idea to raise my hand. I was swept up in the moment and lost my mind. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Jane!
I enjoyed meeting you at our first night dinner! Nice to meet someone else with roots here in WI!
Wasn’t that a great workshop? I too, felt 300 kindred spirits when I started talking to everyone. How marvelous to find our own kind!
Let’s please keep in touch. I am starting to plod through your blog and others and would love to hear what you think of mine. We writers (yes…we ARE writers) have to support each other!
Your Friend in “Erma”,
Heidi Frazer
Heidi, great to meet you too! You are very funny and your blog is a hoot. Thanks for the visit!
So glad you came & enjoyed it. -Matt
Thank you Matt for such a great conference. I’ll be back!
I am certain that I too belong to this tribe and am sorry that I don’t have an agent to direct me on what conferences to attend and which ones to avoid!
At least I can live vicariously through your descriptions.
Thank you Darrelyn for always introducing me to the best of the best!
Jillian, oh that I had a agent to direct me to conferences… so in the meantime, I just keep trying new ones and have had good fortune and great experiences. Hope to see you at this one in 2012 — you would indeed fit right in to this tribe!
It is a marvelous thing to enter a hall full of strangers and know within two minutes you have found your tribe. I was impressed by our co-attendees; their encouragement, their love for their work, their intelligence — and their humor.
I was so happy to have met you there, Jane. I look forward to reading your work in the future.
Crystal, it was an inspiring group. I am glad to have met you as well — you are amazing! Thanks for stopping by and I’ll be seeing who’s your mama…
I would love to go to that conference. I adore Erma Bombeck. Her column and books were a housewife’s drug before anti-depressants. I never needed ’em. I had Erma to fire up those synapses in my brain. 🙂
Darrelyn, the next date is in 2012, and it would be wonderful to meet you there!