I have terrible handwriting. It’s never been great, and with all the typing I do as opposed to actually writing, I suspect it’s gotten worse. This isn’t really a problem for me, and I suspect it’s not really a “problem” for most people, per se, it’s just that some people really like to have nice, neat, aesthetically pleasing handwriting (usually they’re girls 😛 ). So I’m going to give you a few tips then I’m going to show you precisely what to do and how to do it. If you’ll put in a little practice each day, you
| should easily see a dramatic improvement within a week or two. Believe me, if you’re a student and you have to turn in written assignments, or you have to turn in written work to your boss, your handwriting will definitely make a difference in how people judge you: the neater it is, |
the smarter and more organized you look. Let’s get started.
First, a few tips
- A great first step to take is to find an example of how you would really like your handwriting to look–find something that’s very pretty and aesthetically pleasing to you and make that your goal. It’s good to have something to aim for and that you can use as a reference to see how much progress you’re making.
- Make up a test sentence and write it at the top of your first practice page or the inside cover of the notebook you’re using. Then, at the beginning of each new practice session, try writing that sentence at the top of a new page, this way you will be able to immediately tell how much better you’ve gotten, plus you can go through and look at that sentence from each session to see how you’re progressing overall.
- A decent-quality, comfortable pen will make a huge difference–make sure you have one. Note that this does not mean “expensive”, and expensive pens are often not necessarily the best or most comfortable since what they’re primarily intended to do is look stylish and expensive.
- Hold the pen lightly, don’t squeeze it. You also shouldn’t be putting any more pressure on the paper than you need to for the pen to do its job. If, after you have written something, the indentions in the paper would seem to indicate that the writer was gripping the pen as one would grip an icepick, then you’re doing something wrong.
- Try to maintain a good posture, but don’t be stiff. Find a compromise between sitting up straight and being comfortable enough to sit there for an hour that works for you.
What to do
Added Bonus: A Quick Fix Trick
If you need a little trick that you can pull out in a pinch when you need exceptionally neat and legible handwriting, this is for you:
Additional Resources and Further Reading
If you want a full, proper course in handwriting improvement for adults, you have got to get a book called Write Now: The Complete Program For Better Handwriting
If you want a more extended and detailed (but still free) lesson, there’s an excellent video course over at MonkeySee.com given by a handwriting instructor.
Here’s an excellent article over at paperpenalia.com by a calligraphy and handwriting instructor on how to improve your handwriting, definitely worth a look.