You might have already seen the name ‘Amalia Costa’ on Write the World before. Not only is she an avid writer, she regularly enters WtW competitions and is a Community Ambassador too! And yet, even though Amalia has so much writing behind her, our interview reminds us, that ALL writers struggle with self-criticism from time to time. Luckily, when moments of doubt creep in, Amalia can turn to her peer-reviewing experience to carry her through.
We talk with her about how peer reviewing helped her develop a more positive approach to her writing, her tips for peer reviewing, and how she’s spending her time in social isolation.
What was your process for reviewing ‘Diversity Behind the Camera’?
The first thing I do when I write a Peer Review is simply read the whole piece all the way through without writing any notes or annotations so I can really understand the writer. When I read the introduction to writer fernanne’s op-ed, I immediately knew that I was going to love writing about this piece! Reviewing an op-ed often means that you have to look at how the writer has ordered and structured their argument; a clear, concise introduction that explains the writer’s point of view, a range of different points with evidence that supports their ideas, and a snappy conclusion are the building blocks of a good op-ed, and I kept this in mind when I wrote my review. What I really enjoyed was seeing how fernanne linked their ideas together in a very fluid, natural way, so that the whole argument was clear and entertaining to read, particularly the hilarious introduction!
How did your work as a Community Ambassador inform this review?
Being a Community Ambassador means that I’ve had a lot of practice writing Peer Reviews, and practice is the best way to get better at something! I’ve learned a lot about how to give helpful and constructive feedback in ways that encourage writers to look at their arguments in a different light or challenge them to use new writing techniques for effect.
How does giving peer reviews support your own writing?
I tend to judge my own work very harshly, which isn’t very productive and often ruins my enjoyment of writing. Giving peer reviews always means helping the writer, such as giving them well-deserved praise or constructive ideas to develop and/or improve their writing, or to challenge them to think outside the box and try something different and new! In this way, I’ve learned to be helpful toward myself as well, instead of negative or self-criticising. More often than not, we are our own harshest critics!
How are you spending your time during social isolation?
Doing everything except writing my coursework essays for uni, which is not the wisest use of my time! I’ve been catching up on reading for fun, making more banana bread than we know what to do with, and taking care of our dog, Cosmo.
