My Handwriting is Getting Worse
Discussion
My handwriting used to be neat; uniform and perfectly legible. I don't recall at what moment it tipped over the top, but now I find it very hard to make even one letter look neat. It's like some form of writers block. I write all my invoices out by hand and they all look like they were written by different people. It makes no sense because I used to draw and label drawings which made my block capitals look almost like they were printed.
It's not quite doctor's handwriting but not far off it and sometimes my hand just wants to quit leaving me looking at what I have left to write; the frustration kicks in (at how s
t it looks) and then the more I try the worse it can look.
Is there an age-related decline that kicks in, or is it largely muscle memory fading?
It's not quite doctor's handwriting but not far off it and sometimes my hand just wants to quit leaving me looking at what I have left to write; the frustration kicks in (at how s
t it looks) and then the more I try the worse it can look. Is there an age-related decline that kicks in, or is it largely muscle memory fading?
Same here. I'm 51.
Mine's always been on the poor side, though always legible. It's got worse in the last decade or so, to the point that I have to make a conscious effort to stop it descending into meaninless scribbles, probably due to lack of practice arising from the fact that I seldom have a need to write by hand.
Mine's always been on the poor side, though always legible. It's got worse in the last decade or so, to the point that I have to make a conscious effort to stop it descending into meaninless scribbles, probably due to lack of practice arising from the fact that I seldom have a need to write by hand.
Practice usually works.
Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
K87 said:
Practice usually works.
Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
The above is good advice. Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
I came to comment about using a fountain pen. They can be remarkably cheap (£5-£10) but help with technique/'form' that should help.
K87 said:
Practice usually works.
Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
I have a lined pad for when I'm taking notes during a telephone conversation. It's rarely neat, and just takes one slip for it to fall by the wayside and the page starts to look like the top of a school desk. Could it be some form of perfectionism, perhaps? Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
If it's getting smaller that's often an early sign of Parkinson's disease (increased small hand muscle tone).
Early diagnosis can lead to longer life expectancy with PD.
Lots of other causes a well, but your GP probably won't have PD in his / her / they / them flowchart.
If you get as far as seeing a GP and they / them getting the flowchart up on the screen.
Which I doubt you will.
Early diagnosis can lead to longer life expectancy with PD.
Lots of other causes a well, but your GP probably won't have PD in his / her / they / them flowchart.
If you get as far as seeing a GP and they / them getting the flowchart up on the screen.
Which I doubt you will.
muppets_mate said:
K87 said:
Practice usually works.
Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
The above is good advice. Use a lined notebook, ideally use a fountain pen, take your time.
In terms of style try and increase the spacing between the letters in each word and increase the spacing between words.
Start the practice with a row of ggggggg, oooooooo then eeeeeee, go across the line. When the e at the end of the line is as neat as the e at the beginning then you have made progress.
I came to comment about using a fountain pen. They can be remarkably cheap (£5-£10) but help with technique/'form' that should help.
I was taught to form letters the way right-handers do but, in practice, I naturally want to form the loops and curves in the opposite direction. Hence my cursive has always been appaling, and I write in capitals, which are illegible to almost all but me.
Glassman said:
My handwriting used to be neat; uniform and perfectly legible. I don't recall at what moment it tipped over the top, but now I find it very hard to make even one letter look neat. It's like some form of writers block. I write all my invoices out by hand and they all look like they were written by different people. It makes no sense because I used to draw and label drawings which made my block capitals look almost like they were printed.
It's not quite doctor's handwriting but not far off it and sometimes my hand just wants to quit leaving me looking at what I have left to write; the frustration kicks in (at how st it looks) and then the more I try the worse it can look.
Is there an age-related decline that kicks in, or is it largely muscle memory fading?
Same here. My handwriting was beautiful. Its now rubbish. It's not quite doctor's handwriting but not far off it and sometimes my hand just wants to quit leaving me looking at what I have left to write; the frustration kicks in (at how s
t it looks) and then the more I try the worse it can look. Is there an age-related decline that kicks in, or is it largely muscle memory fading?
I think its just total lack of practice, used to write thousands of words a week at school and into my early career. Only notes now, I think its just not doing it enough.
Mine was never great but has got worse with age. I blame computers. I used to keep notes all the time even thought I worked in IT. My to do list was also ways a reporters notepad.
After retirement I've now gone fully electronic except addressing letters and cards. I now struggle to write neatly, and cursive is a distant memory.
After retirement I've now gone fully electronic except addressing letters and cards. I now struggle to write neatly, and cursive is a distant memory.
Mine has got worse but that's to do with not doing it as much, I think. To counteract it I stopped using notes on my iPad and bought a Remarkable e-ink book with a pen. I also tend to take things in more when I'm writing rather than typing.
AI note taking and a keyboard leaves you out of practice, that's for sure.
AI note taking and a keyboard leaves you out of practice, that's for sure.
My writing got so sloppy I could barely read my own writing. As others say, get a fountain pen and make writing interesting again.
I have a lamy 2000 that I love and a lamy safari that is about £20. You can buy a piston filler for the safari for a few £ and this lets you use bottled ink. I have some blue, black and brown. The inks are pretty cheap and last forever.
I have a lamy 2000 that I love and a lamy safari that is about £20. You can buy a piston filler for the safari for a few £ and this lets you use bottled ink. I have some blue, black and brown. The inks are pretty cheap and last forever.
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