About us
Writers collaborating to improve their skills through workshops and learning events...
• WORKSHOPS:
Join with other writers from around the blue planet on Zoom as we discuss and work to perfect our writing every Friday morning, open to any genre: fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, nonfiction, memoir, flash, poetry, or screenplay. Stephen Kastner encourages all writers to join the Friday Flow-State Workshop to breakthrough writer's block and discover the magic of unfettered improvisation.
On Mondays, we alternate between poetry and open-genre sessions that feature MFA style discussions with a small, private and select tribe of writers willing to read and review each other's work. The Poetry and Performance workshops vary between featured poets, ekphrastic writing, and spotlight events.
• PUBLICATIONS:
The Green Mountain Writers Group (GMWG) publishes a website to facilitate our workshop events, and an online journal featuring works developed by our workshop participants. In 2023, we released our first print publication, a compilation of GMWB Members' poems, Poetry & Performance – Volume 1.
NOW TWO FLAVORS OF GMWG:
We acquired the former Burlington Writers Workshop Meetup Group with the chance to rebuild and restore live meetings. There are 2,734 existing members. We hope to restore events in person, in the city, which we sadly lost when COVID struck several years ago. We changed the Meetup name to Green Mountain Writers Group | Burlington (https://www.meetup.com/burlington-writers).
About the founder: Stephen Kastner:
Since 1997, I have been an independent consultant at DesignWise Studios. I began a visual artist in painting and photography. In the 80s I worked as a professional photo-journalist for the NYT papers in Florida. In 2006, I lived in Yunnan, China and spent 6 months as a filmmaker while designing the curriculum for what was to became the top-rated Chinese Culture Spa on TripAdvisor, the Linden Centre. Now, I employ writing, digital photography, videography, graphic design, and networked media to create all varieties of digital storytelling and I coach authors on self-publishing.
Upcoming events
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Lunch with the Poets
The Innovation Café, 128 Lakeside Ave. Ste. 102, Burlington, VT, USJoin us every Friday for Lunch with the Poets, a relaxed, weekly gathering of poets, writers, readers, and lovers of language at The Innovation Café in Burlington.
Whether you write poetry, enjoy listening to it, or simply appreciate creative conversation, you're invited to pull up a chair and join us for lunch.
Participants are welcome to share a poem of their own or one they love during our open reading session, or simply sit back, enjoy lunch, and listen. No experience is required, and new faces are always welcome.
Event Schedule
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Lunch & ConversationEnjoy lunch, meet fellow writers and readers, and connect with members of Vermont's creative community.
12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
Open Poetry ReadingsParticipants are invited to share one or two poems. Readings are generally limited to 3–5 minutes each so everyone has an opportunity to participate.
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Meet the Poets & NetworkingStay a little longer to continue conversations, exchange ideas, and make new connections.
Cost
Free to attend. Food and beverages are available for purchase from The Innovation Café.
Your RSVP will help us to arrange a group table in advance. But feel free to invite friends. Simply bring your appetite and your love of words.
We look forward to seeing you there.Organizer's Note: This is intended to be a welcoming and supportive gathering rather than a formal critique group. Original work, favorite poems by other authors, and first-time readers are all welcome.
1 attendee
Authentic Poetry Workshop with Jerrice J Baptiste
·OnlineOnlineShine & Dance Darling!
Here's an invitation to experience more light and remain connected to joy. Rabindranath Tagore, Lewis Grandison Alexander, Tarfia Faizullah, Wendell Berry and other world known poets will have you basking in light so you can join the circle of a dance.What fears stand in the way of you shining your light? May you accept this invitation to shine!
This workshop includes Guided Meditation, Poetry reading of world known poets, writing with prompts, sharing, group discussion, reflection.
Jerrice J. Baptiste is the founder of Authentic Poetry Workshops, where she blends writing, meditation, and sharing to create a welcoming space for creative expression and reflection.
This 2-hour workshop typically includes two poetry writing sessions, guided meditation, selected poetry readings, a dance session, and sharing in the group discussion.
Become lighter in mind, body and spirit in a safe circle of poets. All writing levels welcome!
Why Join?
- Enhance Your Craft: Whether you’re a seasoned poet or just starting out, this workshop provides a nurturing space to hone your skills and experiment with new forms of expression.
- Connect with Others: Meet fellow poetry enthusiasts, share your work, and engage in thoughtful discussions that inspire and motivate.
- Experience the Fusion of Art and Words: Discover how visual art can ignite your creativity and deepen your poetic practice.
Bring your pens, your passion, and your imagination as we embark on this poetic journey together! Join us to celebrate the beauty of language and the power of words.
Join Zoom Meeting:
Link will only become visible to people who RSVP. Look in the right sidebar under the date and time.Reserve your spot today and let your voice be heard.
I am glad to help answer any questions.
Stephen.Kastner @ gmail5 attendees
Flow-State Writing Sessions
·OnlineOnlineFlow-state Writing is a weekly invitation to quiet the analytical mind and follow the deeper currents of intuition, memory, and imagination. Instead of arriving with a plan, participants allow the writing to reveal itself, often discovering stories they didn’t know they carried.
If you’ve been searching for a way to reconnect with your writing, move beyond a creative block, or simply rediscover the pleasure of writing freely, we invite you to join us Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. You don’t need to bring an idea. You only need to arrive willing to listen and see what emerges.
Each workshop begins with a brief silent meditation, followed by forty minutes of uninterrupted writing. There are no assignments, conventional writing prompts, or critiques. Participants begin each session without an outline or predetermined direction. The purpose is not to continue a story already underway, but to become receptive to whatever wishes to surface in the moment.We often begin by drawing one of the twenty-two archetypal images from the Major Arcana, We don’t use the cards for fortune-telling, nor do we treat them as literal prompts. Instead, each image serves as a symbolic doorway into the imagination. Carl Jung understood archetypes as universal patterns that appear throughout myths, dreams, literature, and everyday life. The images do not tell us what to write. They awaken associations, memories, and possibilities that lead each writer somewhere entirely their own.
After the writing period, anyone who wishes may read what they have written. We share in a supportive, judgment-free environment, without critique or analysis. We listen, encourage one another, and celebrate the unexpected places the writing takes us.
Whether you are a novelist, memoirist, poet, essayist, or someone who simply feels called to write, you’ll find a welcoming community exploring the creative process together. No preparation is required, and writers of every level of experience are welcome.
4 attendees
Past events
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