East Sierra Branch
Calls for Entries in Weird Weekend Competitions
September 22-23, 2017, Ridgecrest
The East Sierra Branch hosts Weird Weekend Friday-Saturday September 22-23, including an indie film shorts festival on Friday and the Third Annual Weird Storytelling Competition on Saturday afternoon. Film shorts will be up to PG 13 rating, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Death Valley themes, or “Twilight Zone-ish.” Participants do not have to be local. Readings must reflect or relate to “the stranger side of the desert – lost gold mines, aliens, haunted hideouts, bigfoot sightings. Truth is optional.” Filmmakers and storytellers interested in participating must sign-up in advance at Red Rock Books in Ridgecrest, www.redrockbooks.net; 760-375-3454. The weekend will conclude Saturday evening with “The Silent City” set in Ridgecrest 2063 A.D., a Mastery Mystery Productions interactive mystery by C.R. Rowenson.
Coastal Dunes President Johnson
Cuesta College 33rd Annual
Central Coast Writers Conference
September 28-30, 2017, San Luis Obispo
Central Coast Writers Conference, an event considered one of the top writers conferences, offers panels, networking, private critique sessions, publishers, and agents, highlighted by workshops in all genres presented by Tom Schulman, Mary LoVerde, Jean Steel, and George Saunders. Coastal Dunes Branch president Jenna Elizabeth Johnson will hold two sessions – one on building an anthology and the other, self-publishing. Coastal Dunes will also have a booth with ample information and resources, and with their new anthology available. Cuesta College is located between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay (www.centralcoastwritersconference.com).
Alan Watt All-Day Workshop
Unwraps “The 90-Day Novel”
Hesperia, Sunday, October 1
Alan Watt enjoys the reputation of having an uncanny ability to pull stories out of writers who then bring them to fruition. Limited seating of 25 allows everyone attending to have some personalized attention. Location: Hesperia Motel 6. Price: $62 for CWC members and $75 for nonmembers. This includes the 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. seminar. Register with PayPal at www.hdcwc.com. You do not have to have a PayPal account. Lunch is on your own. The cost of Watt’s course is regularly $195.