In the past months, you may have noticed a few Write the World graduates have returned to the site to provide peer reviews to community members. They’re part of our Senior Peer Reviewers program, created as a way for WtW alumni to pass down their writing insights and knowledge to our current young writers. When you turn 19, look out for emails from us about how you too can join the alumni group and apply to be an SPR!
Here, we talk to one of our Senior Peer Reviewers, Xin Yi Yap (Singapore), about her experience.
Why is reviewing important to you?
When I was a young writer on Write the World, reviews were a way of knowing whether I was growing and could connect with people through words. Reviewing others’ work was also part of this growth and learning, as the process forced me to become a better reader. It’s important to approach your own work as a reader so you can understand what parts might not work for others and revise accordingly.
How has your relationship to the WTW website changed once you became a WTW alumni?
In many ways, my relationship with the WTW website is still one of discovery and support. Though I no longer share my writing on WTW as an alumnus, I am still discovering and learning from WTW members’ range of writing on the site. What struck me most, however, was the way the community has grown. I was incredibly awed by the strong voices I saw, along with the enthusiasm and encouragement WTW members extended to one another. I felt lucky to have been a part of this transformative online community and am glad that WTW alumni continue to keep in touch and support each other.
Tell me about a time when you received really good feedback for your writing.
I remember a review on one of my poems telling me what was working and what wasn’t. The reviewer balanced the good and not-so-good portions. It not only made me rethink the way I structured it and the overall thought that went into crafting a poem, but it also made me smile and feel that it was worthwhile to keep writing if my words could make others happy!
What did you learn from the Senior Peer Reviewer training? Has it changed how you write?
I’ve learnt to tackle various types of writing (nonfiction, fiction, poetry), which helps me think about why others write what they do and what sort of advice they might need to lift their writing to another level. I think it has made me reflect on my own style of writing and what I am hoping to achieve through it.
What’s the last thing you read for fun (or are in the process of reading)?
Believe it or not, I’m in the process of trying to understand Nietzsche’s works, so I’ve been reading nonfiction books on him before trying to tackle Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The last poem I read was “Another Elegy” by Jericho Brown, and I also finished a graphic novel called Pumpkinheads.
