Typewriter Talk / Improving One's Handwriting

**Posted by skywatcher** 25-1-2015 01:10:26

Greetings and Salutations.

Yes, it's been a while since I've been here, life got pretty crazy for a while. However, onto the subject at hand. My wife gave me a Cross Aventura fountain pen and the converter to use bottled ink. It's been a long time since I did any amount of serious writing, and although my handwriting never was much to start with, it has deteriorated over the years. I know that many of you also collect and use fountain pens, what self help books or courses would you recommend I look at with a view of improving my hand writing?

In high school, ball point pens (Biro's) were not permitted, we had to use either a fountain pen or a cartridge pen for all out work. For one term or semester, my ink bottle was stolen, so I refilled my fountain pen with food colouring from the pantry. I was the only lad in class writing in green. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions from those whom understand from whence I come.

Sky

**Posted by Uwe** 25-1-2015 12:33:50

I had a teacher once remark that the fountain pen itself was a tool to improve penmanship because it forces you to be more deliberate with your cursive. I wouldn't be surprised that if you just slow down - a lot - and get used to your new pen, your handwriting will immediately begin to improve.

I only use fountain pens, which at times is a real committment much like typewriters, especially when one pukes up its ink in your pant pocket while you're on an international flight. I can't imagine writing with a ball point on a regular basis as it would be a similar experience to using a computer instead of a typewriter.

**Posted by Tom Waits** 25-1-2015 15:31:36

Sky,
Check out Youtube for "How to Fix Common Handwriting Problems". I have been doing the same thing. A few months ago, I realized that I had forgotten how to write a capital Q in cursive. For years I have mixed cursive and printing and a few letters just drifted away. Practice has taken the form of almost daily writing with a fountain pen. The down side is a growing interest in collecting fontain pens. The up side is, my hand writing is improving and I really enjoy writing about my day. Once the handwriting is done, I switch the the typewriters for a while. Actually, it is a great way to decompress from the day. Ane YES, slowing down does help and I think that using a fountain pen also is the best way to do that.

Last edited by Tom Waits (25-1-2015 15:34:13)

**Posted by ztyper** 25-1-2015 20:36:36

Fortunately or unfortunately, the public schools in my area have stopped with even writing in script, let alone fountain pens. I have never used a fountain pen before, and I have only seen in in episodes of Tom and Jerry that air on television from time to time. I do, however, have horrific handwriting. Even I am unable to read it sometimes. (perhaps this is why my teachers never questioned me when I started using a typewriter). So is it true that fountain pens improve handwriting? If it does, I'll definitely take a look.

**Posted by Uwe** 25-1-2015 23:34:19

ztyper wrote:
Fortunately or unfortunately, the public schools in my area have stopped with even writing in script,

Fortunately? There is nothing fortunate about not teaching kids how to properly write their thoughts in cursive. What has the world come to? It's bad enough that today's youth have abysmal communication skills and can only relay their thoughts in tweets and txt msgs, but now they won't even know how to create a shopping list when the battery in their smartphone dies. It won't be long before we can rename the devices "smarter-than-you-phones."

**Posted by beak** 26-1-2015 00:28:02

Have a look at another forum that I use; you will find acres of information and experience from other members there.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=user_activity&mid=49531

Last edited by beak (28-1-2015 07:32:28)

**Posted by ztyper** 26-1-2015 16:50:40

I think I might just try out a fountain pen. I mean, I've already switched to the typewriter instead of the computer, I might as well start using the fountain pen instead of a pencil.

**Posted by retro** 15-2-2015 16:09:15

My handwriting has deteriorated with the passing of time. Laziness really I suppose and using a ball point pen. I have always used a fountain pen for personal letters but it's not often that I write those now and it seemed rather ill mannered to use a typewriter. We were taught handwriting at school and only fountain pens were allowed. For short notes to myself I have always used shorthand but recently I found it more difficult to read them written with a ball point pen so I dug out my Esterbrook fountain pen with a shorthand nib which I used at school and my old pens. I have found that just writing more slowly and concentrating on what I was doing improved my handwriting. It's not the copper plate writing of my youth but after a bit of practice it's not too bad. I am tempted to collect a few fountain pens, always liked Conway Stewart pens but after clearing out the writing desk it seems I already have.

**Posted by BrianE** 12-6-2015 18:35:16

Palmer method helped me.

Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmer_Method

PDF: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/gdc/scd0001/2006/20060809007pa/20060809007pa.pdf

Of course like any skill, it requires practice-- especially re-training muscle memory and not using fingers! Believe that's biggest cause of "writer's fatigue."

fwiw

Brian

**Posted by TypewriterKing** 20-2-2016 19:26:47

My handwriting is so bad medical schools use models of it for Prescription Writing Class. If computers had a name for a font modeled from my script, it would either be "Pothooks and Hangers #10," or "Henscratch #12." For a long time, my teachers would get this pained look in their eye when it came to turning in book reports. And then I took up typing, and the pained looks somewhat went away. Somewhat--at least they could read around the strikeovers and liquid paper lumps and get a fairly accurate idea that I knew something about the lesson. Well, it was better than handwriting.