Cripes, Suzette!: Rules for Good Handwriting

"Many people do not know that 'Cursive' just means 'Joined-up'. It is not the name of any particular style. "- Christopher Jarman, 12 Rules for Good Cursive Handwriting

When did I make that New Year's resolution to work on improving my handwriting? Was it this year or last year? I'm thinking it must have been last year because when I applied myself and carefully practiced what I can remember of the Palmer Method everyday, it made a huge difference. Around March or so, I was able to produce a legible and attractive hand.

It didn't just flow out of me though. It was a lot of prep work for each note and if I skipped any step, the results were unsatisfactory. Now I have lost it entirely and cannot produce a legible note if my career depended on it*. I know what it is that is working against me, so I've made my own list of rules for good handwriting. This is more for me than it is for anybody else, but help yourself:

1. Unclench.
Remember that you should be moving your forearm, not your wrist. Using the bigger muscles lets the letters flow out more smoothly.

2. Slow down.
Spell out each word letter by letter instead of automatically writing each complete word.

3. Focus your eyes.
As soon as I start writing a social note, I blur my eyeball focus. I don't know why - maybe I'm trying to Hollywoodize the page, or I'm doing the ugly girl mirror trick a to soften things up to make them look better than they are - whatever. I don't know when I started doing this or why but I cannot stop myself from doing this. Is it just me?

4. Compose the whole note before you start writing.
This is not using a computer and its not blogging either, where you go back and make corrections. Once that point touches the paper, its for real.

5. Use a lined sheet for a guide.
Put a lined sheet underneath the blank paper you are using. It helps maintain size and slant. I usually take a sheet from a legal pad and use a ruler and a Sharpie to darken the ruled lines so that they show through thicker top paper.

6. Use a good pen.
The definition of "a good pen" changes at my whim, but for right now I declare that the Zebra F-402 Ballpoint Pen (fine point; blue ink) is the best instrument to use. Read this review and tell me that you are not ready to run right out and spend $3.59 on one of these. I DENOUNCE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE STATUS-SYMBOL FOUNTAIN PENS. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?

7. Don't be afraid to waste stationary.
If it doesn't come out right the first time, throw it away and start again. Everyone has a limit to how many times they can reconcile themselves to doing this. Mine seems to be a very high number so you will have to find your own. You can save yourself the expense of throwing away good stationary by either practicing on junky paper or making your handwriting so attractive that you can use a brown paper bag and it will look good.

And anyway, who cares? Maybe I should focus more on sharpening up contemporary methods of communication. It would probably affect more people if I made a resolution to actually look at what I've typed into Instant Message windows before I hit 'send' and then straighten out the spelling, spacing and obscure references.

Nah. That's part of my charm.

* Sad_smiley_1

Comments

I just happened to have an excuse to go to Staples today. And what did I find there? You got it - those luscious pens. Oh boy. Doesn't take much encouragement to get this pen afficianado to plop down for some new pens.

My choice - black fine point. And I feel virtuous because I got two for five something.

I drooled over the staetlers while I was there, but I resisted. In my defense I did remember my real reasons for the jaunt: cds, a ream of paper and look at keyboard drawers (PS - I'm getting a new computer!)

Suzette says: Have you used the Zebra yet? What did you think of it?

Posted by: Mary Beth | September 24, 2005 at 08:50 PM