Improving Messy Handwriting
Poor Penmanship Plagues Many. It Can be Improved
Poor penmanship plagues many people. Here are some basic tips on how to improve it.
Overcoming Poor Penmanship
Messy handwriting is not a new thing. Poor penmanship has plagued people across the globe for centuries. The advent of modern technologies such as the typewriter and computer may have negated the importance of good penmanship, but for forms and the occasional hand-written card, postcard or letter, it is important for other people to be able to read what you have written.
Taking calligraphy classes will not necessarily make your writing neater. In many cases it just teaches people with poor penmanship how to write badly in a fancy style. Buying better pens or the older style fountain pens will likely result in spotted hands and messy clothing.
Proper Pencil Grip
The most common reasons people suffer from poor penmanship are holding the pen or pencil improperly and not involving their whole arm in the writing process. Both these problems are easily corrected. The proper grip gives better control of the chosen the writing implement. The pen should rest between the index and middle finger and the grip on the pen or should be gentle. The writer should not squeeze the pen, although this will not be a problem with the ballpoint pens most commonly used. Squeezing a fountain pen too hard will cause the ink to blot on the paper.
Involving the Whole Arm and Desk Position
The next most common properly that causes poor penmanship is writing using only the muscles in the hand and write. Most people simply move their hand across the paper, the correct method involves moving the whole arm across the paper. Many writing books recommend placing the writing surface at a 45 degree angle, but people this is simply not possible for everybody.
One final issue should be addressed and it applies to the left-handed person only. Left-hander's writing often ends up smudged across the page. It is not that the writer is sloppy or clumsy. The way the English language is written requires the user to push his hand over the place where the ink or graphite might be. Unless the ink is really quick drying, it will get on the hand.
The hook handed method works well for avoiding this with ball point pens, but not every left handed person writes with their hand resting above the lines of the piece of paper. The only real solution other than adopting mirror writing the left-handed person has is to find pens whose ink dries quickly.
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