4 ms·

I tried to improve my handwriting some years ago but didn't really commit to it, the upshot of that is that my handwriting kind of looks like a Victorian child'

I tried to improve my handwriting some years ago but didn't really commit to it, the upshot of that is that my handwriting kind of looks like a Victorian child's. It's 'loopy' in that old-fashioned way but the shapes aren't regular and controlled enough to be considered good handwriting.

austinjp 4y ago
If you're right-handed, I highly recommend learning to write in italic. That's with a slight tilt to every letter, from bottom left to top right. Unless you hold a pen in an unusual way, this should be an easy movement. You might want to start by just writing a line of conjoined wwwwwwwwww or mmmmmmmm. Then tweak the movement when you introduce individual letters, wewnwy, etc. I did it years ago to increase my writing speed, and reduce discomfort if I was writing for a prolonged time (handwritten exams). Hugely beneficial. Increased legibility was an added bonus, although this probably requires deliberate attention for some people. Edit: From brief Googling, I gather the terms italic and cursive are often used interchangeably. My distinction between the two is that cursive is italic plus extra decorations (loops etc).
- BoxOfRain 4y ago
  I love the look of italic handwriting from the examples I've just looked at! I'll definitely look into it.
- drdec 4y ago
  Cursive is essentially what happens if you try to write without lifting your pen from the paper.
Cthulhu_ 4y ago
You can always get a job as a doctor writing prescriptions, lol. More seriously, I've always had bad handwriting; I even had extra lessons to try and improve dexterity and whatnot. I did look at old school stuff at some point and it was relatively neat compared to my current handwriting - I've definitely regressed. I don't even know why. I don't believe my small motor skills are that bad. Laziness? Not paying enough attention while writing? Anyway typing is more my jam.

austinjp 4y ago

If you're right-handed, I highly recommend learning to write in italic. That's with a slight tilt to every letter, from bottom left to top right. Unless you hold a pen in an unusual way, this should be an easy movement. You might want to start by just writing a line of conjoined wwwwwwwwww or mmmmmmmm. Then tweak the movement when you introduce individual letters, wewnwy, etc. I did it years ago to increase my writing speed, and reduce discomfort if I was writing for a prolonged time (handwritten exams). Hugely beneficial. Increased legibility was an added bonus, although this probably requires deliberate attention for some people. Edit: From brief Googling, I gather the terms italic and cursive are often used interchangeably. My distinction between the two is that cursive is italic plus extra decorations (loops etc).

BoxOfRain 4y ago
I love the look of italic handwriting from the examples I've just looked at! I'll definitely look into it.
drdec 4y ago
Cursive is essentially what happens if you try to write without lifting your pen from the paper.

Cthulhu_ 4y ago

You can always get a job as a doctor writing prescriptions, lol. More seriously, I've always had bad handwriting; I even had extra lessons to try and improve dexterity and whatnot. I did look at old school stuff at some point and it was relatively neat compared to my current handwriting - I've definitely regressed. I don't even know why. I don't believe my small motor skills are that bad. Laziness? Not paying enough attention while writing? Anyway typing is more my jam.