Although most people of school age receive fairly correct training in writing, often those notions are lost as they grow up. Especially in an age where communication and notes make more and more use of computer technology and cell phones, many people find themselves writing in a completely illegible way. Even if your writing is easy enough to understand, there is always room for improvement.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare to Write
Step 1. Collect the best materials
All you need is a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil; sounds simple enough, right? However, if the material is of poor quality, it can significantly affect the legibility of your writing.
- The paper should be smooth, not too rough to block the tip of the pen and cause breaks in the line of letters, but not too smooth to the point that the pen runs out of control.
- Get a sheet of the right size for your needs, with large lines if you tend to write large characters, with smaller lines if you tend to write small.
- Keep in mind that in many professional contexts and in the adult world it is often necessary to write within the limits of the lined sheets already prepared (such as protocol paper), but feel free to use other formats as well, if you are still young and go to school.
- Try out different types of pens to see which one is best for you. There are several models, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
- Fountain pens contain liquid ink and have a flexible tip that allows for stylized writing. Although it offers a nice line, a good fountain pen can be quite expensive and some practice is required to perfect the technique with this pen.
- Ballpoint pens use a paste ink that some find not very attractive compared to liquid ink; however, they can be very inexpensive. Know that with these pens you get what you pay for - if it's a cheap item you'll have poor quality writing, so it might be worth spending a little more for a better result.
- Rollerball pens have a "ball" mechanism very similar to a ballpoint pen, but many people prefer them because they use a higher quality liquid ink than paste. These, however, do not last as long as the sphere ones.
- The gel pens contain a thicker ink than the liquid one, in gel, consequently the writing line is softer and more pleasant. They are commercially available in a wide range of colors, but they can dry quickly.
- Markers have a felt tip to release the ink and many people appreciate them for the typical feel they convey when they slide across the paper, smoothly but with some friction or resistance. Since the ink dries quickly, markers are a good solution for left-handed people who generally tend to get their hands dirty while writing.
Step 2. Find a good desk
The first important thing to have good posture when writing is to use a good support base. If the table is too low, people tend to bend over and bend the spine (with the consequent risk of causing chronic pain and injury); if it is too high, they raise the shoulders too much beyond the comfort level, causing neck and shoulder pain. The ideal is to sit at a table that allows you to bend your elbows at an angle of about 90 ° while writing.
Step 3. Develop good posture for writing
Once you have found a suitable desk that prevents you from hunching over or lifting your shoulders too much, the next step is to assume a position that prevents your back, neck, and shoulders from becoming sore as a possible consequence of incorrect posture.
- Sit down with both feet on the ground.
- Stand straight, with your back and neck as erect as possible. You can take breaks from time to time if you find this position difficult to maintain, but, over time, you will develop the muscles involved and be able to maintain good posture for long periods.
- Instead of lowering your head to look at the paper as you write, get used to keeping it as straight as possible, looking down only. This way you only flex your head slightly without bending it too far towards the paper.
Step 4. Position the sheet at an angle between 30 ° and 45 °
Sit flush with the edge of the desk, then fold the sheet you are writing on until you find an angle that is between 30 ° and 45 ° with respect to the body. If you are left handed, the top edge of the card must be facing right; if you are right-handed, it should point to the left.
As you practice writing, make small adjustments to find the angle that is most comfortable for you and that allows you to write in the best way
Step 5. Do some hand stretching before you start writing
The development of computers and mobile phones for written communication has had a significant negative impact on handwriting; one study revealed that 33% of people have difficulty reading their handwriting. Another symptom of this decline is given by the rare occasions in which nowadays people write by hand; if you don't do some exercise to prepare your hands for a sudden increase in activity, you will find yourself suffering from cramps sooner than you would like.
- Close your dominant hand into a gentle fist and hold the position for thirty seconds. Then spread your fingers by extending them for thirty seconds. Repeat 4-5 times.
- Bend your fingers down so that the tip of each touches the base of each joint where the finger meets the palm of the hand. Hold the position for 30 seconds and then release. Repeat 4-5 times.
- Put your palm on the table. Lift and stretch each finger, one at a time, then lower it. Repeat 8-10 times.
Method 2 of 3: Write Accurately in Block Letters
Step 1. Keep your hand in the right position
Many people grab the pen too firmly, convinced that they have more control over the lines, but this often results in sore hands which lead to even worse writing. The pen should rest lightly in your hand.
- Place your index finger on top of the pen, about 2.5cm away from the tip.
- Place your thumb on the side of the pen.
- Support the bottom of the pen against the side of the middle finger.
- Drop the ring and little fingers comfortably and naturally.
Step 2. Engage your whole arm as you write
Bad handwriting is often due to the tendency to "draw" characters only with the fingers. A correct writing technique involves using the muscles of the whole limb, from the fingers to the shoulder, consequently the movement of the pen is fluid on the paper rather than jerky as it often appears. The fingers need to be more of a guide than a force to write. Focus on the following aspects:
- Don't write with your fingers alone; also involve the forearm and shoulders.
- Do not lift your hand to move it between one word and another; you should use your whole arm to move easily along the paper when writing.
- Keep your wrist as stable as possible. It is the forearm that must move, the fingers guide the pen in forming the different lines, but the wrist must not flex much.
Step 3. Start practicing with simple lines and circles
Assume the correct hand position and perform the right writing movement, draw a row of lines across the width of the paper. Slightly tilt the lines to the right. On the next line draw a series of circles, so that they are as rounded as possible. Practice proper technique by making lines and circles for 5-10 minutes every day, until you notice that you have perfect control of the pen.
- Work to make the lines the same length and at the same angle. The circles should have a uniform roundness across the entire line of the paper and be the same size, and they should close neatly without smudging.
- At first the lines and circles will seem rather rough. The lines may vary in length and may not all have the same slope. Some circles may be perfectly round, while others will be more elongated. Some will close neatly, while others will have some smudging where the pen stroke ends.
- Although this activity seems apparently simple, do not be discouraged if the lines and circles at the beginning are not very precise. Keep practicing for short periods, but consistently, and you will notice a marked improvement with practice.
- This more control over lines and curves will allow you to shape the letters more sharply later on.
Step 4. Now start writing individual letters
Once you feel comfortable with the correct posture, with the position of the hand, with the lines and circles, you need to focus more attention on the actual letters. But don't go any further by writing complete sentences; Instead, practice writing entire lines of each letter's paper, just like when you were a child, before learning to write.
- Write each letter at least 10 times in upper case and 10 in lower case in an entire row of the sheet.
- Complete the entire alphabet at least three times a day.
- Concentrate on obtaining uniformity of the letters throughout the line: each single "a" must become the same as all the other "a" and each letter "t" must reach the same inclination as each letter "l".
- The base of each letter must lie perfectly on the line.
Step 5. Practice writing entire paragraphs
You can copy a paragraph from a book, write a paragraph yourself, or just copy a paragraph from this article. However, make sure it includes all the letters, whether you practice a pangram or phrases that include every letter of the alphabet. You can also have fun trying to invent pangrams yourself, searching the internet or using these examples:
- Water lunch makes crooked faces.
- That crooked fez covers up front.
- Some vague ions such as sulfur, bromine, sodium.
- If you want to overdo it, you can write one that also includes foreign characters: That vituperative zealous xenophobe tastes the whiskey and exclaims: hallelujah!
Step 6. Not wanting to rush things
Don't expect your handwriting to miraculously improve overnight; in fact, it may take a long time to clear the improper muscle memory developed over many years of bad writing. However, with time and patience, you will see a marked improvement.
- Don't write hastily. While in some contexts - for example when you need to take notes for a lesson or a business meeting - you may need to write quickly, nevertheless try to slow down the writing process whenever you have the opportunity and focus on making the letters uniform. and as accurate as possible.
- Over time, as your hand and arm become more accustomed to this new movement, you can speed up your writing by trying to maintain the same legibility as when you practice writing slowly.
Step 7. Write by hand as often as you can
If you are serious about improving, you have to make it a commitment. Although you may be tempted to simply take notes on your laptop or tablet instead of using a pen and paper, know that by doing so the writing style will return to being inaccurate and sloppy, if you do not maintain adequate hand and arm practice.
Apply the techniques learned during the writing exercises in the real world: always carry a good pen and a quality pad of paper; look for surfaces to write on that are of adequate height, maintain good posture, hold the pen correctly, tilt the paper to the right angle that is comfortable for you, and let your fingers guide the pen as your arm does the work of moving it across the paper
Method 3 of 3: Write Carefully in Italics
Step 1. Use materials of the same quality and assume the same posture as indicated above for writing in block letters
The only difference between italics and block letters is the shape of the letters. Also keep in mind all the tips in the first two sections of this article for practicing cursive: get good quality materials, a desk of adequate height, maintain good posture and the correct position of the hand around the pen.
Step 2. Refresh your memory on the cursive alphabet
Surely you will have been taught how to write both upper and lower case letters when you were a kid. However, if, as with many adults, you haven't practiced cursive anymore, you probably don't remember all the letter shapes. Although almost all italicized letters are very similar to their capital letters, some (such as capital and lowercase "f" for example) are not.
- Buy a cursive writing book in the "school" department of a bookstore or supermarket, or go directly to a teaching supply store if you can't find it. If none of these options offer you real results, buy one online.
- Hopefully, by doing an online search, you can easily find the letter print for free.
Step 3. Practice writing each letter in upper and lower case
Just like you did with block letters, you need to practice each cursive letter fairly practically, as if you were a new student who needs to learn this style of writing. Make sure you follow the correct path to write each letter.
- At the beginning, write each letter separate from the others. Write a row of uppercase A and a lowercase one, then another row of uppercase and lowercase B and so on, making sure that each letter is alone, detached from the others.
- Remember, however, that the cursive letters must be joined to each other in the word. Once you are comfortable with writing single letters, repeat the process outlined in the previous step, but connecting each letter to the next.
- Keep in mind that it is generally not intended to capitalize letters joined together. Therefore, you can practice writing a single capital A and combining it with nine lowercase letters "a".
Step 4. Refine the joins between the different letters
The major difference between cursive and block letters, as well as the different shape of the letters, is that the letters of the cursive word are all connected to each other by a single stroke of pen. For this reason it is important to learn how to join two letters together in a natural way, without having to think too much about the final look. To practice this, follow staggered sequences of the alphabet, change them every day to avoid getting bored and at the same time to learn all the possible different combinations as you practice.
- Start from the ends of the alphabet and move towards the center starting from the letter a: a-z-b-y-c-x-d-w-e-v-f-u-g-t-h-s-i-r-j-q-k-p-l-o-m-n
- Start from the ends of the alphabet and move towards the center starting from the letter z: z-a-y-b-x-c-w-d-v-e-u-f-t-g-s-h-r-i-q-j-p-k-o-l-n-m
- From the beginning to the end of the alphabet by skipping a letter: a-c-e-g-i-k-m-o-q-s-u-w-y; b-d-f-h-j-l-n-p-r-t-v-x-z
- From the end to the beginning of the alphabet, skipping two letters: z-w-t-q-m-k-h-e-b; y-v-s-p-m-j-g-d-a; x-u-r-o-l-i-f-c
- And so on. You can create an infinite number of different templates based on your preferences, the goal is simply to focus on creating links between the different letters.
- The advantage of this exercise is that since the letters don't form real words, you can't speed up writing. Finding yourself forced to write slowly, you can train yourself to trace the letters and join them in a deliberate and reasoned way.
Step 5. Write sentences and paragraphs
Just like you did in the previous section, once you are comfortable with the individual letters, you should move on to writing meaningful words, sentences and paragraphs. You can use the same pangrams you practiced with for handwriting in block letters.
Step 6. Move the pen slowly but regularly
When writing in block letters, the hand lifts the pen after each letter or pair of letters, according to your personal style. However, with italics, you have to write a sequence of letters before you can raise the pen, which can lead to problems with the fluency of your handwriting.
- You may be tempted to stop the hand after every 1-2 letters. Not only would you interrupt the flow of the word in this way, but you could also create ink blots if you used a fountain pen or other liquid ink pen.
- Write slowly and carefully, if necessary, to make sure you don't have to stop the pen in the middle of a word. The word written in italics should be drawn in a steady, fluid rhythm.
Advice
- Don't lean as you write. For example, do not lean on the left side of the body because when you go back to reread the paper you will notice that you have written it wrong; therefore remain seated upright and write with a sharp pencil.
- Practice when you can or want.
- Take your time. It doesn't matter if your friend finished before you. Keep practicing until you master writing.
- Focus on improving your writing and don't just think about how it still feels uncertain and inaccurate.
- After writing more or less a paragraph, stop and observe the work done. If it's neat, keep writing that way; if not, think about what you can do to improve.
- If you don't feel like writing the whole alphabet, write some random words, like your name, your favorite foods, etc.
- Start with a large lined paper. Writing large characters between the lines will help you to respect the size and uniformity of each letter and you can examine it in detail. As you proceed with the practice, move on to the smaller lines.
Warnings
- Be prepared for the fact that your hand might hurt a little.
- Don't get frustrated! Generally, with the end of school, children learn to overcome bad handwriting.
- If you see someone ahead of you or who finished earlier, tell yourself that they may have missed something and haven't taken their time.
