The Writer As Obsessive: Writing the Pop Culture Essay 4-Week Zoom Intensive Starts Sunday, October 25th, 2026
Begins Sunday, October 25th, 2026
The class will meet weekly via Zoom on Sundays, 10:00AM - 12:00PM Pacific
Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.
Taught by Elizabeth Teets, an Oregon-born writer, comedian, screenwriter, and fashionista. She is the author of I Blame Television: Essays on the Pop Culture that Raised, Ruined, and Enraptured Me (2026), and her work has appeared in Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Repeller, Catapult, Reductress, and more. Elizabeth lives in Los Angeles, where she is waiting for her group chat to respond, and is the editor of the film anthology Isn’t She Great: Writers on Women Led Comedies from 9 to 5 to Booksmart.
Who is this class for?
Looking to blend your pop culture obsessions with the gut-punching or hilarious stories from your own life? This online writing class is for essayists and creative nonfiction writers who want to learn to mix cultural criticism and memoir in a single, in-depth piece. Writers of all levels are welcome.
What to expect:
Elizabeth will help you blend the pop culture that consumes your thoughts with the deeply personal. Sometimes it's other art that best helps us articulate something personal, and this creative writing workshop will teach you to blend the art you can't stop talking about with the experiences you can't stop thinking about.
Over four weeks, you'll move from generative prompts to a full essay draft, then deepen the cultural layer of your piece before turning your attention to getting it published. With two chances to have a draft reviewed by Elizabeth and your peers, plus a full week devoted to crafting a killer pitch, this online writing class will leave you with everything you need to share your work with the world.
Class meetings are held over video chat using Zoom, accessed from our private class page. Come ready for live interaction, plenty of writing, and lively conversation each week.
What are the writing goals?
In this course, students will produce a complete draft of a personal essay that blends cultural criticism and memoir, along with an accompanying pitch designed to impress editors. Over the four weeks, you'll receive feedback from both Elizabeth and your peers on two drafts and develop a publication-ready pitch for your finished piece.
COURSE OUTLINE
WEEK 1: Prompts to focus on the personal story you wish to tell through a distinct pop culture element.
WEEK 2: Draft one essay focusing on the personal story.
WEEK 3: An additional draft with extra focus on the cultural side of the essay.
WEEK 4: Build the skeleton of a killer pitch to get your piece published.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- Learn to seamlessly mix criticism and the personal.
- Bring readers into your pop culture obsessions with effective emotional world-building.
- Create essays that blend the high- and low-brow.
- Leave class with a solid draft of an essay and an accompanying pitch to impress editors.
TESTIMONIALS:
"Taking Elizabeth's class on obsessions and pop culture helped me expand my thinking and writing about the things I love. Elizabeth's thoughtful choices for our weekly reading served as springboards and models for my thinking and writing, and her prompts for in-class writing were generative and helpful. I was incredibly grateful for Elizabeth's line edits and willingness to push me to the next level in my work. I left the class with an essay I felt proud of and the seeds of many more. I highly recommend this class if you're interested in learning how to utilize your obsessions to fuel the writing of entertaining, thoughtful essays and learning more about how to place these essays." — Amy E.
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Tuition is $330 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.
ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:
- Instructor: Elizabeth Teets
- Begins Sunday, October 25th, 2026
- Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Sundays, 10AM - 12PM Pacific
- Tuition is $330 USD.