Weird Weekend Returns to East Sierra
Friday-Saturday, September 27-28
Ridgecrest, CA
Ridge Writers, the East Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club, holds its annual Weird Weekend September 27-28. The two-day event celebrates the stranger side of the desert – aliens, lost gold mines, apparitions, bigfoot sightings, objects moving when they shouldn’t, and an assortment of eerie tales.
The Indie Short Film Celebration starts at 2:00 p.m. Friday and calls for short films – weird, quirky, highly creative, “up to PG-13 rating, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, Death Valley, Twilight-Zone-ish, your grandkid dressed like bigfoot” – in good taste, no longer than 15 minutes. To submit, send name, contact info, length of film, and brief synopsis to ridgewriters@yahoo.com with an unlisted Youtube link to the film for consideration. Deadline closes September 15, midnight.
The Weird Storytelling Competition begins 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Entries must involve the stranger side of the desert, run 5-7 minutes, be original and in good taste. Truth optional.
Both the Indie Short Film Celebration and the Weird Storytelling Competition will be held at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church. Prizes and bragging rights will be awarded. Plus both nights 7:30 p.m. Master Mystery Productions present an interactive murder mystery written by Monica Lorenz and inspired by Bigfoot. “For both contests, sign up in advance at Red Rock Books (206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd, 760-375-3454). Last-minute entries may sign up at the door on the day of the event on a space-available basis. Participants do not have to be local. Everyone is welcome to attend, watch, and enjoy refreshments. With paid admission, anyone may also compete, provided that the rules are observed. Admission is $5 per contest.
Writer’s Digest Publisher Files Chapter 11
F+W Media, publisher of Writer’s Digest, Family Tree, woodworking, sporting, and crafts magazines, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 10, listing debts of $105.2 million and cash on hand of $2.5 million. Founded in 1913 to serve farmers and writers, the company plans to sell the business while continuing to operate “under normal course during the reorganization process.”
The Authors Guild has advised members, “Bankruptcy courts allow creditors to file a ‘proof of claim’ to establish what is owed to them by the party in bankruptcy. When a publisher goes bankrupt, the authors owed unpaid royalties are considered its creditors. If you are an F&W author, we encourage you to file a ‘proof of claim’ and record the amount you haven’t been paid with the court.”