How To Improve Your Handwriting

How To Improve Your Handwriting

By Lela S. <3<3<3<3<3

Do you not like your handwriting? Have your teachers complained that your handwriting is illegible? If your handwriting looks anything like mine once did, this article was made just for you.

I’ve always loved having my hidden talent: being able to write at lightning speed - almost as fast as I can type. However, there’s not much point in speedy script if no one, not even you, can read it. That was my fundamental issue for a long time, before I decided to take action, and the photo above is proof of what these four tips can do.

1. Choose the right pen

Whether you’re practicing, writing for fun, or you’re being forced to write for a school assignment, choosing the right writing utensil is essential to having good handwriting. Personally, when I’m writing for fun, I’m partial to Paper Mate Flair coloured pens (you can see, at the end of the post, how utterly TERRIBLE my writing was) in a dark colour, such as navy or purple. They’re “smooth and soft to draw lines on your forehead”, not smudgy, and they don’t bleed through paper. However, if you’re writing not by choice, say, at school, where you must write with a pencil, find a pencil that you prefer.

2. Pick the right paper

Take me as an example: I’m not allowed to use the computer at the time of writing, so I must resort to pen and paper. Whatever your situation is, if you have a choice, something with lines that are not too narrow would be the optimal option. Currently, I’m writing in a 9” x 6”, 250-paged lined notebook that I bring everywhere with me for any CookyLela News articles, ideas, or snippets of my new book that come to mind. However, a different-sized notebook or just plain lined paper should do the trick. Once you feel confident enough, you can tackle graph paper or dotted paper, my current favorite (don’t do it before you’re ready, or your handwriting will look as bad as in that article).

3. S l o w d o w n

Like I mentioned before, I write much too fast for my own good. However, if you want to improve your handwriting, you should take care to form your letters and slow down the speed of your script. Gradually, you can start to gain speed, but NOT before you’re completely ready, and not so much at a time that the quality is sacrificed. After a lot of practice, I’ve been able to ramp up my speed to almost as much as it was before, without diminishing the quality.

4. Write a lot

All right, you really should have known that the CEO of CookyLela News would add this tip. But I kid you not, writing a lot will help. You can start by making some lists, like these ones here:

But the one habit that will really help is journaling. Since I was five years old, I’ve been keeping a diary and writing in it every day. Lately, I’ve been slowing down the flow, since I’m in high school and I don’t have time for it, but journaling is still a good habit to start and maintain. This article by Teal Notes, one of my favorite blogs other than CLN, gives a great outlook on how to do it.

Thanks for reading! As a bonus, here's a little comparison on my handwriting BEFORE and AFTER: