Annette Benedetti, magazine editor, freelance writer and photographer from Oregon, will speak at WSU tomorrow to inspire young writers, she said.

Benedetti will discuss how to survive as a freelance writer and editor, especially in the digital publishing world, according to the press release. Her talk will cover her experience founding a new digital magazine and her ambition to edit a magazine amplifying the authentic voices of women writers.

“Every woman has an important story to tell, but there are too few opportunities for them to share their story in their own voice,” Benedetti said. “It feels good to be creating that opportunity for them.”

Before she could support women’s voices in this way, Benedetti took many steps to develop her writing, which she will discuss in her talk tomorrow. She said she wanted to become a writer since she was a young girl. She came to WSU for a degree in English.

She said she started the first creative writing club at her high school and launched the literary arts publication “Salmon Creek” at WSU Vancouver before coming to WSU in Pullman. She founded and launched a parenting magazine called “True North” in Bend, Oregon, in 2008 and ran it until 2014 when she decided to move to Portland in an effort to grow her career.

In 2016 Benedetti decided to grow her own freelance business.

“In September of last year, I decided I was ready to follow my passion and launch a site with the mission of liberating and amplifying women’s voices in the travel and exploration industries,” Benedetti said.

She said over the course of her career, she gained the skills she needed to design and run a site, so she decided to move forward with the project and created the magazine “She Explores Life.”

Benedetti said she is looking forward to connecting with students and see the aspirations of becoming a writer.

“I’m also thrilled to be visiting a class taught by one of the most influential teachers in my own life: Peter Chilson,” Benedetti said.

She said she hopes to be able to help the young writers she meets.

Benedetti’s lecture will be for Peter Chilson’s class, English 446: Creative Writing Form and Theory. The lecture is open to all and coffee is provided to anyone interested, according to the press release.

Benedetti will present at 10:35 a.m. on Thursday in the Bundy Reading Room.