When you have a writers’ group, it is likely that you will have some members whose writing just isn’t your taste, or that the other writer’s personality doesn’t click with yours. That’s easy to deal with. The tougher part is when they submit for critique something that offends your morals, beliefs, or ideals. Like with all things, there are good and bad ways to deal with this.
Assume, for example, that a member of a group has submitted a personal essay that asserts some racist beliefs they hold. For the purpose of this article, assume that you vehemently disagree with these beliefs and you find them offensive enough to make you very angry. How should you handle the situation?
You could go about trying to figure out why the person wrote such an essay. Do they really believe these things or are they just trying to get a rise out of everybody? If they do really hold these beliefs, is it a matter of upbringing and they just need to meet more people from whichever group they dislike? However, figuring this out may be a waste of your energy.
Focus instead on the fact that this is a writer’s group. Concentrate on the writing. Give their writing a good, thorough going over. In particular, an essay often has a structure and purpose. Does the thesis statement match the conclusion? Do the supporting arguments support the conclusion? Don’t just attack the writing because you disagree with it; go after the actual writing and any real problems found therein.
Then comes the second step. Make the counter argument, but as an essay of your own. Make your assertions. Make sure your supporting arguments support your conclusion. Cite appropriate sources as needed. Really build your case.
What good does all of this do? There are several good outcomes. First, it helps keep the group civil and functional. A good writers’ group can be hard to build, so you don’t want to throw one away. Second, if the racist author was just trying to get a rise and no one took the bait, they may get bored with such things and move on. However, if they see, in a civil, non-attacking way, that their logic has holes, they may have to spend time thinking about their argument. If their beliefs are too ingrained, you aren’t going to change their mind anyway.
Finally, and this is one of the more important parts, if you truly believe what you think you believe, writing an essay and getting a solid critique helps bolster your ability to make the argument when needed. You will have taken the time to remove any weaknesses from your assertions and make your argument unassailable by all but the most illogical of opponents.
This is just like any situation. Maintaining self control is the first step to maintaining control over the situation. If you can do this over an extended period of time, your writers’ group with grow strong.