Mary Sue
Smith commented in 1980 that her intent was never "to put down all stories about inspiring females". However, Bacon-Smith argues that fear of creating a "Mary Sue" may be restricting and even silencing to some writers. She quotes an issue of the "Star Trek" fanzine "Archives" as identifying "Mary Sue" paranoia as one of the sources for the lack of "believable, competent, and female characters". In this article, author Joanna Cantor interviews her sister Edith, also an amateur editor, who says she receives stories with cover letters apologizing for the tale as "a Mary Sue", even when the author admits she does not know what a "Mary Sue" is.