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Erma Bombeck didn't plan on becoming famous, but after a slew of nationally syndicated newspaper columns and several best-selling books later, the UD alumna became quite well known outside of her hometown of Dayton, Ohio.

In 2000, UD created the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, a three-day seminar that helps honor Bombeck's work.

From its inception, the workshop has offered a variety of speakers and sessions to help foster the writing skills of individuals from across the country. Approximately 350 people attend the workshop each year, including everyone from beginning writers to published authors. This year it will take place from April 15-17.

"There are no prerequisites," said Matthew Dewald, director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. "[Attendees] don't have to have any published stuff at all; they just have to have a good interest in writing, specifically for humor and human interest writing."

Although the workshop attracts writers from around the globe, there are spots available for local students as well. There are 30 full scholarships available to UD students who are interested in attending funded by the UD National Alumni Association. The scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis, and students must apply by Feb. 15. Selected students will write a letter to the National Alumni Association after the workshop to explain how the experience benefited them.

In the spirit of Erma Bombeck, the workshop focuses on the art of humor writing. It includes five keynote speakers, which will talk during lunch and dinner each day. These speakers include Bill Scheft, an Emmy-nominated TV writer for David Letterman and Gail Collins, the former editor for the New York Times editorial page, among other accomplished individuals in the writing field.

Outside of the speakers, attendees will go to six different classroom-type sessions throughout their time at the seminar which are taught by a variety of successful writers.

These sessions include topics such as newspaper writing, social media, how to get published and marketing techniques, among many others.

Attendees are able to choose which sessions they would like to go to as a way to cater to their own writing needs.

Outside of these sessions and keynote speakers, writers are free to mingle with others as a way to learn more about each other and how to achieve success, according to Dewald.

"You're surrounded by others who have the same dream," he said. "Networking is incredibly valuable at this workshop."

This year, the workshop will have much more of an emphasis on social media factors than in previous years. Breakfast roundtables will also be offered as a more informal way to get to know one another and learn more about writing.

A scholarship application can be found at http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=776279. For more information on the workshop, keynote speakers and different sessions offered, visit http://www.humorwriters.org.