Wendy Z Lewis

About Me

My greatest thrill is to move others through the power of words. When my copy makes people laugh, ponder, cry or take action, I know I’ve done my job well.

The Short Story

My career highlights include five years as a senior copywriter at the corporate headquarters of CVS Health, where I crafted persuasive ad copy for national in-store signage and print collateral, CVS.com, emails and more. I was lead writer for both ExtraCare Beauty Club and CVSphoto.

I also served on the Marketing Communications team at Rhode Island’s Lifespan hospitals, where I was lead writer for Lifelines, the Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital newsmagazine, and a key creative player in the Comprehensive Cancer Center ad campaign. My contributions earned 8 awards (5 solo; 3 team) from the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NeshCo) and Ragan Communications, Inc.

My freelance work has appeared in national and regional print and online publications, including the Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine and two cover stories for ASRT Scanner. I have also edited, ghostwritten and designed self-published books, including Love and Valor: The Intimate Civil War Letters, which has since been featured by the Smithsonian and made into a documentary narrated by award-winning actor Brian Dennehy.

The Long Story

My endless curiosity about everything (and my insatiable need to write about it) was no doubt fueled by my upbringing in Queens, New York City — the most ethnically diverse urban area of the world. Most of my public school friends were first generation Americans, with families from everywhere else but America. It hinted that the world was a much bigger place than Queens, full of diverse people with stories vastly different than mine.
 
I showed signs of being a word nerd early on, which my dad encouraged by offering me a dollar for every misspelling and grammar goof I found — on signs, in print and on TV. He made good on his promise and proudly surrendered many, many dollars.

Others didn’t appreciate my English skills as much as my father. In fourth grade I switched schools and promptly won the annual school spelling bee, unknowingly stealing the title from the two-time reigning champ. I didn’t have many friends that year. In my teens, I was accused of plagiarism several times by teachers who apparently couldn’t fathom how someone so young could write so well.

As a student at Queens College, I learned to use my writing skills to my advantage, choosing professors who graded by papers rather than exams; “Write a paper, get an A” became my mantra for any subject. I studied communications and media, wrote for the college newspaper and landed a job as a scriptwriter and co-producer of the school's promotional videos. I also became the first student in the college’s history to complete its new journalism minor, a distinction that continues to earn me zero recognition.

I broke into advertising at a Park Avenue agency in a hybrid position as a proofreader, copywriter and graphic artist. I served high-profile clients like Mercedes-Benz at an entry-level salary and found that I had a knack for copywriting. Co-workers called me “multi-talented.” My boss probably called me “inexpensive.”

Countless deadlines later, I’ve earned a reputation for grab-you-by-the-hair taglines, clever copy and award-winning feature stories. My graphics experience serves me well when working with designers and writing for visuals.

Writing has brought me to fascinating places and people. I’ve interviewed everyone from brain surgeons and shipwreck archaeologists to cancer survivors and African refugees. I’ve helped a forensic radiographer x-ray bodies in a medical examiner’s office and learned the basics of robotic surgery in a hospital operating room. Every person, gadget and product has a story it wants to tell. I listen carefully and let it reveal itself.
 
Words are my playground. When I’m not writing commercial copy for mascara, paper towels or incontinence products, I’m working on freelance pieces, personal essays, songs and my first novel. Other irrational obsessions include punching heavy bags, performing as a living statue and singing badly in Spanglish to reggaeton music.

And I still look for language goofs, especially in advertising. I post them on a wall in my office called “Copywronging.”