Improving Terrible Handwriting? 174
green pizza asks: "My handwriting is horrible, an irregular mix of sloppy print and cursive. I know this, and my coworkers have learned to live with it, but I didn't realize just how bad my chickenscratch was until I tried using a tablet PC. Unlike a Palm which forced me to learn its input method, a tablet PC (and other humans) expect me to write a certain way. Aside from a handwriting class for professional adults on the other side of the country, I have only been able to find lessons and materials for the young, illiterate, or mentally challenged. Have any other geeks found a structured way to improve their handwriting?"
Use a printer! (Score:1, Insightful)
Take up Calligraphy....and buy a better pen/stylus (Score:5, Informative)
I had this same problem and thses two things helped me more than anything else.
First try writing with a couple of differant pen types. Most people will find that they print much better with a certain type of pen; felt tip, ball point, microball etc. Find one you like. Also like swords, weight and balance are important. The same goes for stylii.
Then go get yourself a calligraphy book and a proper caligraphy pen. (the type with the metal tip) To use such a pen you have to always pull the tip across the paper down, or sidewise, but not up. This will teach you to slow down, and plan each pen stroke (or you will ruin a bunch of tips).
It is more or less impossible to write properly in cursive using a proper caligraphy pen because of the fact that you cant draw strokes "upwards." But i've noticed that most handwriting rec software seems to take print better anyway.
Also if the software is halfway decent and learns, the fact that you draw each letter the same way each time should help the rec quite alot.
NOZ
Re:Take up Calligraphy....and buy a better pen/sty (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Take up Calligraphy....and buy a better pen/sty (Score:2)
Sorry to give bad news, but this will help only partially: I've been practicing calligraphy since I was 10, and now (mid-20) I can write perfectly readable gothic characters (well, if you're used to read it) celtic characters (as in Book of Kells) and even calligraphic cursive (it is slighty different from what you would use with a ballpoint pen, but there is one and it is more or less what you would find on most handwritten stuff of the last few centuries), but when it comes to writing quickly with a "mode
Re:Take up Calligraphy....and buy a better pen/sty (Score:2, Informative)
Use a keyboard (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Use a keyboard (Score:2, Interesting)
I'd laugh at you... (Score:5, Funny)
My Advice: Switch professions and become a doctor.
Re:I'd laugh at you... (Score:3, Interesting)
I used to use a Dauphin DTR1 [popcorn.cx]
with windows for pen on windows 3.1 . Amazingly enough it could
read my handwriting better than I could. I haven't written in cursive
for about 30 years and my printing is pretty awfull.
Re:I'd laugh at you... (Score:4, Insightful)
Number one is the curse of familiarity (maybe that should read cursive familiarity ?
E.g. Take a look at your own signature. It looks like crap because you've written it a bazillion times and it's "good enough".
Same thing happens when a doc writes the same dozen or so prescriptions day in and day out for years on end.
The other major factor is that doctors are busy! Prescriptions are often written while standing, walking, or at some strange angle on the nearest convenient surface.
But yeah, it would be nice if docs had forearm keyboards with wireless links or something...
Take up drafting. (Score:1, Interesting)
It's funny too, because you can see the effect in other people's handwriting. Neat cursive. Well that I just don't do.
Re:Take up drafting. (Score:2)
The downside to writing using this b
Practice, practice, practice! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Practice, practice, practice! (Score:2)
I was in the same boat - just one day I realized how my Whiteboard writing at work looked like the scrawlings of a retarded chicken. So I resolved to change.
I picked up a notebook (as in paper, not laptop computer) and a nice pen, and just started writing down spoken sentences as I watched TV/Movies.
First you need to accept the fact that you're going to have to work to get it up to snuff. Even if it takes you a couple minutes for one single sentence - TAKE THE TIME TO DO IT RIGH
Re:Practice, practice, practice! (Score:2)
What's unreadable? (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, no one likes my scrawl either
The Easy Answer (Score:3, Insightful)
That's how I improved mine.
Re:The Easy Answer (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The Easy Answer (Score:2)
Yep! That's basically what it took for me.
It also helps to pay attention to your breathing. My handwriting is worst in stressful situations. E.g., in front of a bunch of people at a whiteboard. When I notice my writing getting bad, I focus on taking slow, relaxed breaths and making smooth, even letters. It works!
Possible to it yourself method. (Score:3, Funny)
First I'd find one of those alphabet posters that they hang up in 1st grade class rooms that have the little arrows that point in the direction you're supposed to draw each stroke.
Then I'd have lock myself in a room with some pens a ream of paper.
Re:Possible to it yourself method. (Score:2)
Use an old Newton OS 1.x Newton PDA (Score:5, Interesting)
And of course, I had to use the handwriting recognition.
Back then, HWR wasn't great. This is the whole "eat up martha" era- and indeed, that Newt was named "Martha." The only way to get decent (though still slow) HWR was for me to start printing cleanly. It improved my penmanship quite a bit.
But then I lost it. Not a big deal, it only cost $50, picked up on eBay in '99. Then, I got a Newton MessagePad 2100- the real deal. A new HWR scheme, a much faster CPU and an overall much nicer unit. The HWR was a thousand times better, an still the best of anything I've ever used (and I've used it all). Alas, my better handwriting didn't last that long- after using the Newton 2100 for a couple years, my handwriting had devolved back to messy crap. But that wasn't a big deal, as the Newton had no problem interpreting it with 99%+ accuracy, allowing me to write a good 40-50 WPM in my crap-tastic handwriting.
What the hell is my point? Get an old, crappy Newton. You can get them cheap. Try to use its HWR. Or, get a new, expensive Palm OS 5 device and install Decuma. I am using that these days... Nowhere near as nice as Newton HWR or even CalliGrapher/Transcriver on pocketPC/WinCE. My handwriting is slowly improving, being stuck with this inferior, but still kind of nice, input method. Only printing, and very clean printing at that.
[1] That was one of the biggest reasons I decided on the Newton... It was completely programmable on the device itself, requiring no intervention, compilation or otherwise a toolchain on the desktop- unlike C++ on WinCE or C on PalmOS. You could write first-class NewtonScript apps on the Newton itself, even on one as gimpy as the OMP.
Re:Use an old Newton OS 1.x Newton PDA (Score:3, Informative)
Long answer-
On a NOS 2.x device, there are two parts to the HWR system, two seperate and different HWR softwares.
One is by ParaGraph, and it's called CalliGrapher. When configuring your Newton, it is called the cursive recognizer. CalliGrapher exists on a few platforms- Windows CE/PocketPC (as both CalliGrapher and the MS-licensed Transcriber), desktop Windows (called PenOffice there) and on Psion EPOC32. No port for Palm OS, but we ma
I don't understand... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I don't understand... (Score:2)
That said I was never taught cups, pints, etc. either (and yes, I live in the US). I guess CA never got the memo that we decided we weren't gonna use metrics in the future after all. You'd think that if we had to put up with our crazy system they would at least make an effort to teach it to us. I have to look on google if I ever have to divide/multiply a recipe...
*mutters about metric being so much
It's not that hard... (Score:4, Insightful)
Spend half an hour a day (before you go to bed is good - it'll help you fall asleep, if you have trouble with that) transcribing the dictionary or something. I noticed an improvement in my writing after about two weeks.
Re:It's not that hard... (Score:2)
That's the crux of it I think. I gave up on pure cursive a *long* time ago because even I couldn't read it. Instead I've developed a hybrid style that provides reasonable legibility of print with the speed of cursive. So while I'd say I print, I do flow together certain letters in the cursive style where it comes naturally - letters with tails on the right like "a" and "d" and so on. I also inconsistently use a few cursi
Re:It's not that hard... (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm not alone! You know exactly how I feel!
My writing has, historically, been abysmal. I dropped out of a remedial handwriting class at high school! They put this rubber prism-shaped thing on a pencil... very uncomfortable!
However, over the years I have more and more relaxed while writing and I write joined-up (as we call 'cursive' in the UK) all the time - and other people can read it! Sometimes
buy a book (Score:4, Funny)
(I am so tempted to say "Duh!"
Re:buy a book (Score:2)
Right Side of the Brain book (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Right Side of the Brain book (Score:2)
Yup... (Score:4, Informative)
You can't do it by willing yourself to write better. You've transferred your letter-forming skills into your cerebellum already...you aren't even a conscious part of the letter-forming process anymore. You had to go back to the basics: back to penmanship. There is no way around this other than to practice and unlearn your poor penmanship.
Roll back the clock to first grade. Now, here's some good material:
D'Nealian Practice Pages [geocities.com]
Remember to scroll down that page to the manuscript pages with guides. Print those out and go to town. Fill up a set of those pages every day, and your handwriting WILL improve.
Mod Parent Up (Score:2)
Different pens? (Score:2)
Re:Different pens? (Score:2)
Bow before your master, the computer (Score:3, Insightful)
That's the main reason I use my Palm less and less these days. Keyboard works ok for me and if some computer doesn't let me use this input method it is inherently broken, period.
Robert
Here's what I've done (Score:2, Insightful)
Here's some ideas, no one thing is sure to help.
Try different pens. Too skinny, too thick, different tips, metal, plastic...
There are hundreds of different pens at OfficeMax/Staples. Some of them are pricey though. Raid the supply closet at work, it's cheaper. I like the gels and roller balls. Spring-loaded ball-points give me the worst results. Pilot G2, Sarasa, and Uniball are my choices.
SLOW DOWN. Write slowly. It helps a ton.
Write bigger. It's a little easier to make out writing if you don't need a
drafting class. (Score:2)
Re:Here's what I've done (Score:2)
And ease up on the grip. I noticed I usually hold the pen entirely too stiff. So much so that my fingers cramp after 15 minutes of writing.
Easing up, slowing down, and thinking about the letter and it's oritnetation with it's neighbors have made my chicken scratch legible.
Learn to draw (Score:2)
Caligraphy (Score:2)
The problem is (Score:2)
Then, a few grades later, they taught us to write in cursive, and our handwriting became horrible.
After I got out of middle school and they rightly stopped caring if I wrote print or cursive, I tried to switch back to print but my handwriting was already damaged beyond recognition.
If they just stuck with print, everything would be fine.
Tim
Re:The problem is (Score:2)
I then tried to change it to a semi-printing style which at least was legible. What finally cleaned my handwriting up was the drafting course in high school and the requirements that we should use "technical font" in the College of Engineering, and that really has served me well since then.
Occasionally in meetings in some non-technical context, I have rece
Who cares? (Score:2)
Handwriting and geeks (Score:2, Interesting)
Get this book (Score:2)
ISBN: 0876780893
--
+1 for Low user ID and SCO love (hahahah hehehhe hahaha)
just adapt... (Score:3, Insightful)
The tablet has the writing interface for those paper dependent people who have a tough time dealing with a keyboard. It doesn't sound like something that is right for you. (I assume that your handwriting is bad because of the overuse of keyboards.)
Basically what I want to say is that maybe the reason us geeks have such bad handwriting is because the technology has shown us new and better methods of writing. It can be seen as evolution towards a better form of written communication (and this one has a backspace key!). So instead of worrying about something that you are automatically rejecting (the handwriting), embrace the typing and work on improving upon the new methods of written communication.
How hard did you look? (Score:2)
Strange Hand Choices (Score:4, Interesting)
For the record, I'm a left-handed-to-ambidextrous individual, and ever since I was a child I've had trouble with handwriting--I'm infamous at my high school for it. I typically write left handed and do anything athletic right handed--the opposite of what you'd expect, as my left arm is much stronger. And I've discovered something fun...
Whenever I'm writing slowly, as long as I'm writing in big text, my right-handed handwriting is better than my left.
I can't write very fast right-handed--I'm more of a lefty than a righty, though I am technically ambidextrous. And if I try to write quickly with my right, it's more illegible than my left. But aside from some awkward numbers, my right is neater for slowly-written stuff.
And practice does make perfect. At first my right-handed handwriting looked like that of a very neat child (and I didn't start practicing with the right until about two years ago), but now, as long as I go slowly, it looks almost like my peers'.
So, you might want to try the old switcheroo. Just remember--most objects in our culture are right-handed, so you'll probably have better luck with this if you're a lefty than a righty.
The strokes were designed for right-handers! (Score:2)
Right handers don't push the pencil like left-handers do. Right handers pull the pencil to the right as they draw, gently guiding the dragging. Left-handers actually push the pencil forward brute force. Thus, the results are completely different, and efforts (like the strokes) that might be awesomely convenient for a righty end up always being non-neutral, thus hurting the left-handers at the same time.
#2:
Hey, tell me this watashi.. Do you 'hook' when you write left-handed? Is your wrist
Take up calligraphy... (Score:5, Insightful)
Calligraphy can be tremendously rewarding. Usually simple letters of the alphabet aren't considered works of art, but write them in calligraphy and suddenly everyone wants to hang the quips and quotes you scribble, all over their homes!
This will teach you the practice and patience and dexterity you need to improve your normal handwriting also.
It's not hard, it just takes endless practice.
And, even though some of those books are for children, they do have the outlined strokes you need to cleanly (and slowly) learn the forms.
My method. (Score:2)
Suggestion (Score:2)
For a while I put some effort into fixing my handwriting by simply filling page after page in a spiral notebook with hundreds handwritten letters (i.e.: one page of 'a' one page of 'b' etc). It also allowed me to tweak my style a little, so I could form certain letters in a neat way. This worked for a while, but I didn't keep up with it, and my handwriting degraded with time.
I imagine this system co
Force Yourself To Slow Down (Score:5, Interesting)
Another thing that may help is to try different grips on the pencil. As children we have it drilled into our heads that you HAVE to hold the pencil gripped between your thumb and index finger only, I've found that for me at least my writing and drawing as well is orders of magnintude better when the pencil or pen is gripped between my thumb and my index and middle fingers.
Re:Force Yourself To Slow Down (Score:3, Informative)
I used to have terrible handwriting. At one point I decided to fix that, and started printing everything, very slowly. Now I am complimented on my neat penmanship.
I found I need to focus on two things, the first is to slow down enough that I do write well. Second, get all the extra help for pen control you can. There are environmental factors that make handwriting bad, eliminate those.
What I found to work for me is:
Re:Force Yourself To Slow Down (Score:2)
I slowed down significantly for a time being, focusing on writing letters as if they were going to be OCRd.
I'd avoid the Bic, just because I've had terrible luck with that line of pens. The glassy plastic Pentecs give a good line and a solid plastic grip. A traditional rollerball on "fine" works
Re:Force Yourself To Slow Down (Score:2)
I have read recommendations against ball point pens. The argument is that they tend to glide too smoothly over the paper to give you adequate feedback. Pencils and fountain pens are better in that respect: you are really in direct contact with the paper without a ball bearing in between. A good fountain pen will not blot ink when you use something better than newspaper to write on.
Before drawing letters, first pract
Grip tools (Score:2)
Re:Force Yourself To Slow Down (Score:2)
Get a Journal (Score:4, Insightful)
Pens: I find that I usually write more messy with a pen than a pencil for some silly reason, so maybe you could see how your mileage varies there. Other than that, be sure to find a pen(cil) that fits your style, be it thick or thin. A comfortable utensil will help you write more legibly as well.
I would recommend getting a journal to write in. That way you are able to spend at least a few minutes every night sorting out your thoughts, and there is obviously little pressure to hurry through it. Take time to write carefully and make your letters as consistent as possible and I think you will be surprised at the results.
Really the only way to improve is like most tasks: You are just going to have to practice. Maybe a journal won't work for you and you need to find something else, but consistent practice is what is going to make the difference at the end of the day.
Make a font for yourself (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Make a font for yourself (Score:2)
Well, learning to pay attention is actually really hard. Don't think so? Try this basic meditation exercise:
Write big... (Score:4, Interesting)
Write big. And print. Get a good pen (not expensive, most expensive pens are worse than medium priced ones) Its the only thing I've found that helps. If at all possible use the computer.
Back in 6th grade my teachers got frustrated enough at my handwriting to comment to my parents on how lazy I was (New school, the old school didn't care), my parents defended me, I really did write that bad. A few months latter the school put me through a bunch of tests, and concluded that I really could not write neater. When I did my best I wrote like a second grader (this at the peak of my writing ability, in 7th grade reports were written on the computer so I didn't handwrite as much), barely achieving the neatness the others got when they didn't care. I guess my point is there might be physical issues that may be involved, if so you might not be able to do much.
Re:Write big... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Write big... (Score:2)
Curious - Did you improve enough? (Score:2)
My son has some fine-motor-control problems. He *absolutely flunked* the Bender Figures test [healthatoz.com], and his handwriting has not improved at all in the 12-15 years since then. It has been a big problem for him. He's in college now, having taken a few years off, and the school accomodates him be requiring his instructors to allow him to type everything, etc. But some day he's going to exit into the Real World, and he won't get that kind of help.
So as the parent of someone whose problem seems incorrectable, I'm
Re:Curious - Did you improve enough? (Score:2)
In the real world my handwriting is if anything worse. I don't have the fine motor abilities to do better. Fortunately in the real world everything is either typed, or done with a template (straight edge) so I can easily avoid the situations where I need to writing abilities. It helps that I choose a career in computer programing. Even when I work in something like carpentry, most of the work doesn't require anything nice, and if I can read my 10 minutes latter that is good enough. My career choices
My suggestions: (Score:4, Interesting)
Secondly, study a bit of calligraphy. You don't need to become a fine calligrapher, you just need to know a few methods to make your pen or pencil work for you, not against you. I recall seeing a news story about how a hospital set up a special handwriting class for doctors as a method to reduce errors on handwritten prescriptions. They were taught one simple italic script, it was easy to learn and is the simplest handwritten script. Grab a Speedball Book (available at any library or art store), it has all the basics of calligraphy. I don't know the exact title of the book, but every art store knows what a Speedball Book is.
Practice (Score:2)
Once you've gone through a couple of yelllow legal pads, you should be good to go.
Do you suffer from dysgraphia? (Score:2)
I dont' know how hard it is to overcome (I haven't needed to overcome it because I use a keyboard rather than a tablet+stylus).
Humanistic Cursive (Score:5, Interesting)
I had the same problem with my handwriting being illegible, a couple of years ago. I felt that just trying to write slower wasn't the solution. I did something more radical: I switched handwriting styles. I found a great little book called Naar beter handschrift ("To better handwriting") from 1956. This book teaches you to write in a script that is closely based on 14th-century Italian writing, the so-called "Humanistic cursive". (See here [designingwithtype.com] for an example of original humanistic cursive.)
Unlike our modern cursive handwriting, where you are supposed to write all the letter connected to each other (there is some kind of law "thou shalt not take the pen off the paper while writing", which is good for speed but not for legibility), you only connect letters when it makes sense in the humanistic cursive, and you are allowed to take the pen off the paper to draw better shapes for your letters. Example: the lower case r in modern cursive (at least the way that I learned it, in The Netherlands) is rather ugly, it's essentially an r written backwards (so that you won't have to take the pen off the paper while writing it). In the humanistic cursive, the lower case r looks much like a lower case printing letter r because you don't have to forcibly connect it to other letters. And it's much more readable that way.
JP
Re:Humanistic Cursive (Score:4, Interesting)
Here's the punchline: the classical era never developed any really good scripts. Most books were generated by publishing houses staffed by slaves, who wrote everything in simple capital letters. Other documents were done in a variety of scripts, none of them very attractive or easy to read. Then during the middle ages, with the European economy in deep decline, people invented lower-case letters and cursive writing in order to reduce publishing costs. This culminated in a beautiful script called Caroline Miniscule [50megs.com]. This "classical" script which the Renaissance humanists admired and and revived, had died out only a couple of centuries before!
That's the Renaissance in a nutshell. They thought they were reviving an old culture, when they were really inventing a completely new one.
Use a pencil (Score:2, Interesting)
Also, concentrate on one thing at a time. For example, say, "today, I'm going to try to make all the letters
Almost Like Artwork (Score:2, Interesting)
Now I teach, and I am in the position that I must make reasonably clear graphics and text daily on a *whiteboard*.
I'm certain I have some variant of dyslexia, but by taking the time to see the words in a more *artistic* way, they appear more legible and I seem to either make fewer typos - or catch them as I write.
book suggestion (Score:5, Informative)
I found Rosemary Sassoon's Teach yourself better handwriting very useful. It is specifically targeted at ppl who are trying to fix up their handwriting and not at child first time learners. Rosemary states in the book that very different approaches are required for these two different pedagogical needs.
An interesting part of the book is where Rosemary addresses pen-grips and suggests a rather radical option of holding the pen between index and middle finger. I've switched over to this and enjoy it as I never felt comfortable with the oppositionary tension between index and thumb of the standard grip.
Here [addall.com]is an addall link to the book (2nd edition) so you can compare prices.
Here [amazon.com] is a link to the book (1st edition - the one I used) on Amazon so you can check the reader reviewsHere [contentdirections.com] is a link to the publisher's page on the book (2nd edition)
Here [intellectbooks.com] is a link to some information about the author Rosemary Sasson
Re:book suggestion (Score:2)
I found Rosemary Sassoon's Teach yourself better handwriting very useful. It is specifically targeted at ppl who are trying to fix up their handwriting and not at child first time learners.
Sweedack. I found the book to be pretty useful in giving me some insights into some of the things I was doing that were problematic. Doing lots of writing, writing larger, and writing more slowly also help a lot.
Mod parent up!
Get yourself a good (!) fountain pen (Score:3, Interesting)
What I did was getting myself a nice classic-sized fountain pen. These are much thicker than a standard office pen, which will have a subtle effect on how you hold it your hand.
Even more important is a high-quality, relatively flexible nib. Not all fountain pen brands have a flexible nib, so you may need to shop around on that. One company known for these is Pelikan [pelikan.com] (no relation), so I bought a used M800 (see here, for example [joon.com]) from ebay, and I love it. For one, it's just beautiful. Then, it gives a totally different feeling whent writing. After a few days getting used to it, writing with a normal ballpoint pen felt like writing with a nail.
When I was in school, teachers told us not to use ballpoint pens because they destroy your handwriting. I thought it was bogus back then, but, in retrospect, there seems to be some truth about it.
Re:Get yourself a good (!) fountain pen (Score:2)
Visual Perception Therapy... (Score:3, Interesting)
There are good visual perception therapists out there who can help with these problems. My brother had *really* bad handwriting, and poor coordination. He went to vision therapy for a year and *really* improved. I had the same thing happen with my reading speed problems (I went from a 4th grade reading speed to better than a 12th grade speed in a year thanks to Dr. Melvin B. Fox).
Unfortunately, the therapy is around US$5000. There are some software programs (that if you see the informercials for look like a hoax) that do some of the stuff that you do in vision therapy. Much of the rest of it could be done by acquiring some relatively cheap equipment, however, you need someone who knows what "exercises" to do in order to do it.
Anyway, it probably isn't a viable option for you (the original poster), but it is worth noting on
Re:Visual Perception Therapy... (Score:2)
Finally! (Score:5, Funny)
Someone actually created handwriting lessons for script kiddies?!? GR347!
how I improved my writing (Score:3, Funny)
I know God is laughing at that one.
online lessons + practice (Score:3, Informative)
Here it is [ismennt.is]
Re:online lessons + practice (plus new pens) (Score:2)
That said, getting a fountain pen, esp. one w/ a broad nib will be essential fo
Maths classes (Score:2, Interesting)
Now, drawing illegible symbols just doesn't cut it when doing maths. If you can't tell an x from a y, or h from h-bar, you're bound to make horrible and very unneccessary mistakes. Not to mention all those Greek letters, that I had never seen before.
So having to type all the letters in an orderly manner really taught me how to draw them quick yet legible. After a year
Change your pen (Score:2, Interesting)
A different approach (Score:2, Funny)
Switch hands (Score:3, Funny)
Get a calligraphy book for children and PRACTICE (Score:2)
Handwriting is a skill that these days (these centuries is more like it) is taught in elementary school to kids. You'll have a really hard time finding a book that teaches calligraphy aimed to adults for that very reason.
So, get one of those kids books, and use it. Don't forget to practice, practice and practice. It's the way children learn... and ADULTS TOO.
Some suggestions (Score:2)
Keep a handwritten journal -- it ain't as much fun as a blog, but it keeps you in practice.
It didn't help my cursive, but taking a "manual" engineering drawing course certainly helped my printing quite a bit.
consult a pharmacist (Score:2)
ask them how they do it
Coming from another bad writer -- (Score:3, Interesting)
I learned to write by a left handed person, but I'm right handed. So I wrap my whole hand around writing implements. They tried those little triangular things to force me to hold my pencil correctly when I was a kid, and I'd just wrap my whole hand around them.
I'm 28, and I still can't hold a pencil correctly. After time, you can learn to write things legibly if you want to. I've given up on cursive. I print everything these days, and I use almost exclusively upper case [the exception is when I'm writing down passwords or file names that are mixed-case.]
I've had three years of drafting, and having to learn to write ANSI compliant lettering, so I know letters should look, but I also have a grandfather who does handwriting analysis on the side, and so I know just how hard it is to change your handwriting. [I preface christmas cards to him with 'stop analyzing my writing']
The only thing that I've found that makes me want to write neater is to force it on someone. I could read my class notes well enough -- but if the teacher couldn't read an essay question on a test in college... you're screwed.
As it is now, I trade off between speed and neatness. If I know someone else is going to read something, I slow it down, and take my time. For most of my notes, I can get those words I can't read by context. Learning to write neatly for other tasks hasn't improved my normal everyday writing significantly, that I've noticed.
Oh... and on the handwriting analysis side, there's a subjective line between 'hastily written' and 'smeary', which are indicators that might suggest 'quick mind that gets down to essentials' vs. 'deceptive'... one of these days, I'll digitize those notes.
Get help from a nun (Score:2, Funny)
"Write Now" (Score:2)
Write Now is a handwriting guide developed for adults. It doesn't have stupid little animals or other kid things, although it does have handwriting trivia all over the place. If your handwriting is so bad you've long since given up and your printing is almost as bad, this is the book for you. It starts off teaching an italic form of printing,
tracing practice (Score:2)
Wrong technology (Score:2)
Drafting (Score:2)
In Summary... (Score:2)
1. Slow Down.
2. Practice.
Other than that, there's no magic bullet that will fix your handwriting. I got some spam the other day promising me perfect handwriting if I take this little green pill, but I'm a bit skeptical of the claims.
Lorem impsum dolor (Score:2)
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