Having trouble with my handwriting

I like handwriting but mine is awful now. And I do write regularly as I'm a list maker, - shopping lists, to-do lists, etc.
but it's still so bad that I can hardly read it myself.
It get smaller and smaller and I can't stay on the lines.
Just old age, I suppose.

I have arthritis and nerve damage in my neck
. The consultant asked if my writing was legible and more messy than a few years ago,as this can be a sign of deterioration.

I write a lot, because I keep an ongoing narrative diary in a series of notebooks. My writing was beautiful when I was young, but now it is truly awful. Often I can’t even read it myself. Too much careless rushing. I don’t think the Bic biros help. At school we were not allowed to use ballpoint pens.

Maggiemaybe

I was taught at school to write in italics and my handwriting used to be very neat, but that’s not so now. I’m the designated writer at our weekly quiz - everyone else claims their writing is worse! - but I jot down the answers in capitals these days. Ditto any shopping lists.

I am making a bit of an effort right now though. I’m filling in a grandparent’s journal in triplicate for the DGS. Most of it I’m completing on the laptop, printing out and sticking in, but I am writing in it too, as a GN friend of mine once commented that future generations might like to see how we actually wrote.

I thought you might like to hear about this new app that I was introduced to; it's called Hello Nova - it's an alternative to the grandparent's journal you mentioned, It is a personal memoir app and the answers to the questions are saved and sent directly to your grandchildren or whomever you'd like. You go in to the app and answer prompted questions, it's all voice led and there are hundreds, you can also record a daily diary if you'd like.

Future generations will be able to learn all about you in your own voice! I believe you will be able to take photo's of handwriting (or old photo's) also in the not too distant future according to their website. I just think it's marvellous and I've found it to be very convenient as my writing isn't great... plus, don't we all wish we'd been able to ask more questions to those who have gone before us. I'd have loved to get to know my grandfather in his own voice, but he died when I was young, so he remained as just a figure I loved; sad really.

I recently bought an Escribe on which I can write lists ,notes etc but my writing on it is haywire. It doesn’t help that usually I write shopping lists in bed . I used to have really nice writing although DH always said it was fussy.

Mine is terrible now - it's because I hardly ever write and type or use the phone mostly. I couldn't even get my signature right last time I had to do it! It took loads of tries (that was for a postal vote so it had to be right!)

Cabbie21

My handwriting improves if I use a good quality ball point pen rather than a cheap or free one. If I were to use a fountain pen , my writing would be good. Most things I write are lists: shopping lists, reminders, To Do lists.

Agree with that. Find a favourite ballpoint pen. I like these papermate ones with a rubbery grip. They're lovely to write with. And then it's just maybe practising writing something every day and do it slowly - don't try to rush it. Then you can enjoy it a bit.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000SHSFNY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?psc=1&tag=gransnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

I was taught using italics but we had to use an italic pen. So once you remove the special nib that goes from flat to thin the style disappears and a clear but childish style appears. My handwriting has definitely deteriorated in recent years due to old age and lack of use.The only thing I can say in its favour is it is very easy to read.

M0nica

I have execrable handwriting, and always have had as I have dyspraxia. However I find myself writing all the time. Not sustained writing, but shopping lists, to do lists, noting down phone numbers, all sorts of things.

I loathe mobile phones. Not in the technical sense, but my dyspraxia makes them difficult to operate and I find the screen far to small to use for any practical purpose. It can only contain about a sentence of text at a time and I just cannot hack it.

You can use your pc for sending texts

support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/send-and-receive-text-messages-from-your-pc-43189e43-8121-35f6-7930-db095bf938a4

I stopped writing Christmas cards several years ago now because I couldn’t cope with writing more than one as my hands would seize up and were painful.

Used to have lovely handwriting but nowadays it’s more of a scrawl sadly.