Improving Your Handwriting

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1. Decide why you want to improve your handwriting.

You need to know exactly what you hope to achieve, so you know what to focus on. Perhaps (like me) you want to write more legibly, so your notes don’t look like a spider has been dipped in poisonous ink and then violently convulsed itself to death across your page.

It might be you want to write more fluently and efficiently, so your hand doesn’t cramp up after five minutes of scribbling; or that you believe it’s easier to manifest the poetic geometry of the universe through an actual pen than a computer keyboard.

2. Choose your weapon carefully.

It’s not necessary to buy a gold fountain pen with jewel-studded nib and ink distilled from a virgin squid, unless you happen to be a particularly sophisticated Bond villain. But you should experiment until you find a type of pen (or even pencil) that works for you.

A purist might tell you fountain pens are superior — presumably because it’s so hard to catch enough swans to make quills — but there are plenty of good ballpoints, roller-balls, and even felt tips out there.Writing by hand shouldn’t be like a game of Mercy with your pen, so look for one that’s comfortable to hold, and where the ink flows smoothly without your having to push too hard on the paper.

Also, try pens with different sized nibs or balls to find a line thickness that pleases you, and experiment with different colors. But take care — it doesn’t matter how beautiful your script, it will still look horrendous if rendered in a bilious green ink.

3. Get a grip.

Although your pen does have a pointy bit, it’s not actually a mighty sword, so you needn’t hold it like one. Your grip should be light yet supportive, and there should be no undue tension in your hand position. Don’t squeeze — your pen is no more a tube of toothpaste than it is a weapon, and the ink will flow of its own accord.

It doesn’t really matter which fingers you use to hold the pen, as long as it feels comfortable and balanced. But it’s best for the top (the non-business end) to rest on or just in front of the base knuckle of your index finger, rather than in the gully formed between index finger and thumb.

4. Sort your posture.

You need to sit up straight yet relaxed, with your non-writing fingers gently curled under your hand, and your hand position resting lightly on the table. Some people recommend having your writing surface at a 45-degree angle, which could be tricky unless you have a high-tech bat-desk, or are trying to save time by writing directly onto your laptop screen.

Finally, once you have a comfortable writing position, don’t screw it up by altering your alignment. When it becomes awkward to move your hand position down the page to write the next line, try moving the paper up instead of your hand down. Unleashing a typewriter bing is optional.