Handwriting advice

[STEVIEBOY1]

This is related to a couple of other threads on this forum.
I Wonder if anyone has any suggestions how I could improve my handwriting, it has always been bad even when I was at school, I am having to apply for a new job and feel this may hold me back. I don't know if there are courses for this sort of thing. Many Tks., Steve.

 

[Yew]

I would suggest writing slowly, concentrating on the shapes, not the words or how much you get done. Maybe if you do half an hour a day writing the same thing (not trying to get as much done as possible, trying to get it as neat as possible)

 

[GearJammer]

My hand writing was always scruffy, then one day, many years ago, i picked up on the fact that my dad wrote EVERYTHING in capital letters, so i started doing it, and to this day my handwriting is all nice and neat allbut wrote in capitals, in fact people quite often comment on how neat and clear it is when i hand in delivery notes etc which i have to write them out myself.

On a similar note, i blame schools for the general decline in writing standards, i have no kids but my friend has 3, the eldest who is 11 is told at school she HAS to write with joined up writing..... and it looks an absolute bloody mess, yet if you tell her to write and NOT use joint up letters shes has very neat writing, but the school insist on joint up writing, it makes absolutely no sence to me, i started writing in capaitals after i left school but no doubt if i done it in school they would have stopped me doing it

 

[hairyhandedfool]

IIRC, at school I was taught joined up writing by doing something like four lines of a certain letter making sure they were all joined up and all the same height, speed wasn't important. I think we did all the letters in alphabetical order, so four lines of a, four lines of b, etc, then we had to write the alphabet in order all joined up.

It's fair to say I hated it, but doubtless if I hadn't been made to do it I wouldn't have bothered with it. By the time it came to applying for jobs the advice was to do it on a computer though.

 

[Ferret]

This is related to a couple of other threads on this forum.
I Wonder if anyone has any suggestions how I could improve my handwriting, it has always been bad even when I was at school, I am having to apply for a new job and feel this may hold me back. I don't know if there are courses for this sort of thing. Many Tks., Steve.

Well, when you are applying for a new job, it often says on the application form 'write in block capitals' (top tip - do as it says as finding retards who can't follow instructions is an easy way of whittling down the applicants!) So that ought to solve any issues with the clarity of writing. Even if it doesn't say that, I'd write in block capitals anyway - it's so much easier to read. Good luck with whatever you are applying for, be it railway or non-railway!

 

[Yew]

Generally I don't use joined up writing, like some letters that go nicely I'll join up, but otherwise all those lines everywhere don't help my handwriting, it's okay when single letters, but joined up ruins it

 

[richw]

I have amazingly neat handwriting if i dont join up, yet if i join up it is completely illegible.
As for capital letters, when we are filling in documents at work they must be done in block capitals, no excuses. We find even the most untidy hand writers can be read easily in capital letters

 

[valenta]

I have amazingly neat handwriting if i dont join up, yet if i join up it is completely illegible.

I'm exactly the same!

 

[Ploughman]

At school I was accused of keeping a spider in the inkwell and letting it run over the paper.
I blame both my parents as they were both medical and you know the reputation they have for the state of the handwriting.

I know it may not be practical for you but many people could not read my writing at all but as part of my work on track renewals I often had to write details on the rail especially alongside work sites. I seem to have mastered the skill of writing upside down and people can read it, success.

 

[tony_mac]

I find having the right sort of pen helps - some are more resistant to movement and so help you to slow down and write more fluidly.

I have a nice Waterman ballpoint pen, and I always write much better with that, but particularly badly with something like a rollerball.

 

[SS4]

Never use a fountain pen if you're left-handed! Similarly, avoid ring binders which are bound on the left for the same reason.

Handwriting to me is about taking your time and not being in a rush to get it done. Joining up isn't all that important though

 

[Minilad]

I find having the right sort of pen helps - some are more resistant to movement and so help you to slow down and write more fluidly.

I have a nice waterman ballpoint pen, and I always write much better with that, but particularly badly with something like a rollerball.

You can't beat Waterman IMHO.
The pen just feels right. Perfectly weighted and a joy to write with.
Having said that my 30 year old stainless steel Parker 25 is a fantastic tool too

 

[richw]

You can't beat Waterman IMHO.
The pen just feels right. Perfectly weighted and a joy to write with.
Having said that my 30 year old stainless steel Parker 25 is a fantastic tool too

gosh, your pen is older than me. Parker Pens are not what they used to be these days sadly!

 

[Minilad]

gosh, your pen is older than me. Parker Pens are not what they used to be these days sadly!

I do have a Parker Sonnet but it's not a patch on the 25

 

[rail-britain]

I bought myself a cheap caligraphy set when I was leaving school
I spent a whole day just copying out the styles from the book
However, as above, for many reports I just use capitals and noone has an issue
Thankfully now I can type and then print most things

 

[Minilad]

And that is an interesting point there. Will handwriting slowly die out as more and more the computer / phone takes over. Do Children do as much writing these days as I am sure a lot of schoolwork is done on computers

 

[SS4]

And that is an interesting point there. Will handwriting slowly die out as more and more the computer / phone takes over. Do Children do as much writing these days as I am sure a lot of schoolwork is done on computers

Don't see it happening myself. Sure it's status will diminish but the benefit time ratio is too great to leave it out IMO notwithstanding the political suicide it would be to abolish it since it forms a huge part of literacy

You could probably teach handwriting for an hour over a month or a week in a concentrated drive. Those skills are then lifelong.

 

[Minilad]

I know it can never die out totally but it seems less emphasis is placed on neat handwriting these days

 

[SS4]

I know it can never die out totally but it seems less emphasis is placed on neat handwriting these days

Ah my mistake. I'd agree that there is less emphasis on neat handwriting these days (even when I was at school being considered neat enough for joined-up writing with a pen was an honour). Whether that is acceptable is an entirely different topic

 

[Minilad]

When I was at school we actually had handwriting competitions which were fiercely competed for. I may be wrong but I can't imagine that happening now

 

[Crossover]

The only problem with writing in capitals is it can look like shouting, though on delivery notes and such, it is probably acceptable

I was also taught to use joined up writing and as a result I used to loop a lot of my letters and I used to get a right rollocking when I moved up to the next year of junior school. I eventually stopped looping things but now I use a mixture of joined (if it flows) and printed. Generally my writing is OK on the proviso that I don't rush. When I am in a rush (such as towards the end of exams) it all goes to hell and my writing can become atrocious!

As someone said about whether computers will slowly erode the art of handwriting, I do find that after 4 years at uni where writing has been mostly limited to the odd exam here and there, I can now find it hard to sustain writing for long periods of time

 

[Eagle]

Fountain pens are much better for writing than ballpoints. I find using a fountain pen makes writing so much more fluent; it's easier and quicker due to the lesser friction and more fluid ink. Here's some examples of mine (I'll warn you my writing style is rather idiosyncratic, particularly the letters g, k, x and z).

With a fountain pen: this took me 24 seconds to write and is acceptably legible (with the exception of the first word on the last line, which is meant to be "sphinx").
http://i.imgur.com/fYipa.jpg

With a ballpoint pen: this took me 33 seconds to write and is far more erratic to the point of being unreadable.
http://i.imgur.com/flojY.jpg

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Thank you all for the useful tips/advice, in a way I am pleased it is not just me that has scruffy writing. I did use a fountain pen for a while and it did seem to help, I will get another one then follow some of your suggestions.

As to getting a new job, it is not easy, I was made redundant in April from the travel firm I had worked for over 21 years, they went into administration, it was a very specialised Asian Programme they operated. I know I prob won't get into that again and although I like all things rail related, I did contact some rail TOCs but nothing doing. I would be very happy to work part time, say 3 or 4 days a week Mon-Thur, Fri doing general office duties etc. I am 51, single, male, living in Shepperton so commuting towards WAT via Kingston, Wimbledon, CLJ, also Twickenham, Richmond, Putney is fine. I can not relocate. So if anyone wants a mature worker, willing to try anything legal via PAYE and with a fair wage, all suggestions/offers would be gratefully received. Tks Steve.

 

[90019]

I find that holding the pen closer to the nib makes my writing much neater, but either way I struggle to get it uniform. I can't write particularly fast, which does make it a bit neater as well.

Holding the pen where you're supposed to (this one's better than it usually is);


Holding it near the nib;

 

[Minilad]

I must be a bit different as I find I can write much neater with a ball pen rather that a fountain pen. Rollerballs are no good for me at all

 

[newbie babs]

Handwriting is important in certain lessons at school/college especially English, one of my assignments had the handwriting assessed, and that was only a couple of years ago.

I love to write but fountain pens as I used at school annoyed me because of the mess I would get in with real ink. But at my school you had to write with a fountain pen.

My daughter has immaculate handwriting but she has always been able to write like that.

 

[SS4]

Fountain pens are much better for writing than ballpoints.

I'm guessing you're right-handed?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I use cheap ball points nowadays since my pens have an alarming rate of loss.

 

[90019]

Fountain pens are much better for writing than ballpoints.

Personally, I find ballpoints much easier to use.

 

[T163R]

I find liquid-ink ballpoint pens much comfortable to use.
I prefer writing in capital letters too, otherwise my letters look like they're bouncing.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Handwriting is important in certain lessons at school/college especially English, one of my assignments had the handwriting assessed, and that was only a couple of years ago.

I have heard that some firms to asses handwriting, I dread to think what they would make of mine!