Improve My Handwriting - article by Good English Article Sites

A true confession: how I set out to improve my handwriting and succeeded!

When people think of poor penmanship, they often think of a doctor first! Although I sometimes see a doctor, obviously making a best effort to write a legible prescription succeed in part, the cliché is generally true and a subject of jokes.

However, most of the rest of us can't get away with it. While I suspect that pharmacists must take a class in school, covering deciphering prescriptions, if you send a hand written letter that even you can't read a week later, to Aunt Mary, whatever you have to say may never be known. Students with poor handwriting may take notes diligently at a lecture and not be able to read it in two weeks time when their paper is due.

The computer culture is only exacerbating poor handwriting. After more years of writing on a keyboard than I care to disclose, I set out to improve my handwriting. My previously legible script was getting worse and worse as time went on.

A few years ago, I sent my sister a letter of several pages, jam-packed with all the latest. She's one of those retrograde people who has never owned a computer and wants nothing to do with them. I must communicate by snail mail or telephone. A letter printed on my computer's printer seems a bit impersonal.

This particular letter had all sorts of interesting content, yet I received no response. When I called, she told me she couldn't read it so she thought she'd just wait for me to call and tell her. This was a definite heads up. I had to improve my handwriting. Who knew what sort of future hand written communications might be tossed in the round file for lack of legibility?

I set out in a concerted effort to improve my handwriting, at least to my earlier level of readability. Here's how I accomplished my objective.

If you've got poor handwriting, it's likely due to a lack of practice, as was my case. I started with an online search, 'improve my handwriting'. To my astonishment, I found software I could use to relearn manual formation of script! I downloaded a copy and set to work. This was quite helpful, but there still remained the task of turning practice sheets into unfettered prose. I had to be able to depart from 'The quick brown fox ...” to plain writing.

A teacher friend advised me that practice was essential. She also clued me into a few practice techniques with which I ultimately did improve my handwriting. Use a fountain or calligraphy pen for practice. This forces you to apply pressure on the paper in an evenly weighted way. Sit up straight. This promotes smooth script. Allow your hand to move freely across the page. Don't reposition your hand every few inches.

Practice does make, if not perfect, better. If I can improve my handwriting, there's no question that you can, too!

Most Recent Articles