Handwriting
I have a question: does anyone know of good resources for adults to improve their handwriting? I don’t mean calligraphy, but everyday fluent handwriting. I used to have really neat handwriting when I was at school, but as I’ve used computers more it has gradually degraded to the scruffy, illegible scrawl I use today. When I look back at my old school books, and even my undergraduate notes, it’s hard to believe that it’s my handwriting. I’d really like to neaten it up again.
I think part of the problem is impatience. I’ve got used to typing very quickly, so when I try to hand-write at the same speed, I get frustrated and the result looks like a stoned spider with inky feet reeling across the page.
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I'm no expert, of course, but I do have a suggestion, if I may. I don't think external resources will help. Instead, you should be able to do this from within.
I'd recommend getting a nice pad of paper and a pen that you enjoy using, and then finding a time when you're feeling relaxed. Make the room that you're in as cosy as possible (low lights, candles, a glass of wine - or sherry, perhaps).
Start writing what's on your mind, even if it's just nonsense like: "I wonder if this technique will help me improve my handwriting". Concentrate on writing slowly. Try out different styles, printing for one paragraph, then doing joined-up handwriting in the way you were taught at school. (Did we really have to do 'z's that looked like a hybrid 'm' and '3'?!!!)
What I'm suggesting is that if you take the time to do it for yourself, that's how you'll succeed. This is something you might want or need to do more than just once, of course. You can turn it into a very enjoyable experience. Yes, it can be frustrating at first, as your brain is racing ahead, and you're having to slow it down - you're working at the pace of the slowest, which in this case is your hand-pen-paper action, with its self-imposed slow speed.
Well, this may or may not work for you. I tried it recently, having found myself in exactly the same boat, and I think it's helped my handwriting. It's also an activity that can be good for the soul (man!), as you're allowing yourself the time to indulge in yourself, so you can only win by doing it!----- I guess this isn't the best advice but it works for me.
Just write better.
I've never been able to see why handwriting is a teachable subject. It's something you have direct control over. A few years ago I switched styles, and it worked out well. I can write in a few different styles, and that's enough for me. When I was doing all this, I found that writing out the alphabet you want to use works best, and then keep correcting yourself as you go. My handwriting of choice is rather 18-year-old girl in style these days, with double levelled a's and circles instead of dots.
I think I might put something about this on my blog this evening as it'd be nice to have a record of my handwriting to compare with in the future!
by Peter Cooper @ 18/01/2005 6:01 pm • Permalink •
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Bsag
This is what you want:
http://briem.ismennt.is/4/4.1.1a/4.1.1.1.quick.htm
Excellent resource - very simple and very straightforward. Helped my writing go (back) from being a doctor's to being a human bean's
Jolyon
by Jolyon @ 18/01/2005 7:02 pm • Permalink •
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I find the right pen makes a big difference too - try a couple of different ones and you might find one thats actually a pleasure to write with which in turn makes writing more fun (I prefer thick biros to thin, thin felt to thick and fountain pen to biro - dealing with the messy ink is a hassle though).
Raj.
by Raj @ 18/01/2005 11:02 pm • Permalink •
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bsag, I thought you were an irredeemable techie (I was going to say geek but it might have sounded impolite which I didn't/don't intend). Have you noticed that if you have to write by hand anything longer than a couple of lines, your hand starts to cramp? Maybe some stretching exercises before writing might help.
You might ask kirsty at boblog for tips as she presumably teaches writing to kids... mind you she may make you recite the phonetic alphabet first.
by Ian @ 19/01/2005 7:01 am • Permalink •
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Use a fountain pen with an italic nib, bsag. It forces you to write slowly (or else you shred the paper to ribbons) and so you'll write neatly once more.
Worked for me!
by Mr.D. @ 19/01/2005 8:02 am • Permalink •
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At risk of being flippant, I found that the best way was simply to write more. Write a couple of letters instead of emails. Or hand-write them instead of using Word/Wordstar/Wordprocessor-of-choice.
And yes, find a pen you're comfortable using. I normally use fountain pens, and have either a very heavy steel Rotring pen which is lovely, or a Lamy fountain pen which is comfortable and helps keep your hand in the correct position.
However, go to a proper pen shop and try 'em out, don't buy it online!
by Lyle @ 19/01/2005 9:02 am • Permalink •
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I disagree with Peter, above. I think handwriting is totally teachable. (I think the method used to teach handwriting in American schools is lamentably flawed, but that's the method, not the concept of teaching.)
There's a very good book by Tom Gourdie -- it might be out of print now -- called something like How to Improve your Handwriting. He's an italic master but an italic pen isn't required for this method. (A fountain pen is, however, highly recommended: if you tend to write small get a larger nib, and vice-versa.)
(Damn. I just googled Gourdie and find that he died on January 6th. Gone now is one of the world's great champions of clarity and beauty, which I think he probably felt were indistinguishable. See Scotsman obituary, http://news.scotsman.com/obituaries.cfm?id=34582005.)
by Pica @ 19/01/2005 3:02 pm • Permalink •
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Excellent suggestions everyone!
David (TEFL Smiler): I did what you suggested (along with reading and being inspired by Jolyon's link), and filled a sheet of paper with random babbling, repeating some words because I realised that I liked the shape of them. You know what? It worked. Well, not completely, it will take some time to bed down, but the writing I filled the page with was so much better than my usual scrawl.
Peter Cooper: Like Pica, I do think that good handwriting can be taught, though I'm sure that some people naturally have neater writing, because of better motor control or whatever. But given those constraints, I think that some techniques can help guide people out of bad habits.
Jolyon: That's a great guide. I think I needed a bit of inspiration and some simple exercises too, just to remind my hands that they can actually control a pen in a reasonably consistent way!
Raj, Mr. D and Lyles: Yes, the right pen (and paper) can make quite a difference. Eventually, I'd like to be able to pick up any pen and write neatly, but for now I think I might pick one and get it right with that. Lyle - I love Rotring pens, particularly the steel ones.
Ian: I am (and I take no offence at all at being called a geek
), but I do still have to write things using some kind of pigment on squashed trees. This whole thing came to a head when I had written comments on students' essays. One of them asked me to decode one of my scrawled comments, and I realised that I couldn't read it myself.
Pica: I might look out one of the Gourdie books for the long term.
To all: This is a perfect example of one of the hidden joys and benefits of blogging; you can ask a slightly off-beat question and get back a load of useful, practical and inspiring ideas. I try not to abuse this free source of information too often, but it is great. Thanks!
by bsag @ 19/01/2005 6:02 pm • Permalink •
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Just to clear things up, I didn't say handwriting isn't teachable. I said I can't see why it's teachable
To me it seems like learning how to shave better, comb your hair in a different way, or something. I think this might be my 'self taught to the end' nature coming out though, so of course my methods are not for everybody! 
Best of luck though!
by Peter Cooper @ 20/01/2005 1:01 am • Permalink •
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Salut La Rousse,
As an irredeemable techie, there should be no way out of only-ever hand-writing on a pda. However Pen and paper have their charm. Moleskine (pron. = mol-a-skin ) comes highly recommended
by Pascal Venier @ 20/01/2005 1:01 am • Permalink •
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Peter Cooper: Ah, I see. Then I probably agree with you
Pascal Venier: 'La Rousse', I like it
Yes, I have a Moleskine and carry it around to jot quick things down.
by bsag @ 22/01/2005 9:02 am • Permalink •
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Handwriting is taught at entry level in architecture, draughting, and similar design professions. Well, it was when people were still using pencils. You could try looking for an old textbook on the topic.
by novidavid @ 22/01/2005 11:01 pm • Permalink •
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Its interesting that Tim Bray (of Ongoing) picked up on this as well
by Raj @ 25/01/2005 2:02 am • Permalink •
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i have read on using my hand and arm muscles to write instead of my fingers and found that it is true.After many years of writing i can't write comfortably like this.
by mohd den @ 23/01/2007 7:17 pm • Permalink •
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Hi, you know I was just thinking the same thing, my handwriting is pretty bad, and I'm glad this page is around, it's really helped. I think that a good pen and practice help, but you should try exercises and stuff as well. see ya!
by fazeless @ 10/07/2007 11:20 pm • Permalink •
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hii
by RAJ @ 17/09/2007 3:07 pm • Permalink •
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I stumbled upon this whilst searching for anything on how to improve handwriting, not just for me (same reasons as you), but additionally for my son who also has poor, therefore slow, handwriting. I have been advised by a Spanish friend to occassionally send handwritten fax messages instead of emails. It is more personal, makes you think about what you are writing - and gives much needed handwriting practise!
by JAB @ 03/04/2008 3:01 pm • Permalink •
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