Mariah Huehner

The invisibility factor of women in this industry is not unlike the invisibility of girl geeks. We know we exist, but everyone else seems to think we__e an enigma every time they get the notion to write about us and what we apparently want. What we want isn__ any different than what anyone wants. Good stories. With characters we can relate to or identify with or that are interesting to read about. And we__ like to feel welcome, not the perpetual other. We don__ want to feel excluded or like props in every narrative. We don__ want or need every story to be about a girl character. But we__ like them to be treated with the same care and attention male characters are. And it is possible, even in male dominated narratives.

It probably seems obvious, but as an editor, I love stories. But it__ a little bit more than that. I intensely believe that stories have power. They can spark an idea, or a realization. They can, by just offering another perspective, change a person__ mind. They can make us weep and cry and care. And they can connect us. That__ powerful stuff.