My Revelations Writing With A Fountain Pen - Overcoming Bad Habits

[gryphon1911]

I realized today that the years I have spent working in IT has actually caused me some pretty bad habits when hand writing.

 

I work at a terminal, and yes there is a lot of typing, but I still prefer to write notes on paper. Based on the speed at which I work, I have the notepad and pen off to the right just out of mouse range. Using a ballpoint or pencil, it is all to easy to just grab the pen and write at whatever angle. These are technical notes mind you, and generally get trashed when I'm done with them at the end of the day. Any formal correspondence is done via email or official templated document saved to the cloud of shared via email - again typed.

 

I started writing with fountain pens not to long ago, and really like it, but realized that I was not getting consistent smoothness from any of the pens I have. Yes, I know they are "beginner" or considered entry level and one should not expect miracles. Still, It was driving me mad that I was not getting a consistent smooth flow, and my hand writing would go from getting better to regressing.

 

At first I thought it might be from me practicing too much and introducing some kind of bad habit. Then I thought it might be location, as I sometimes write letters or practice my handwriting or skeleton calligraphy during lunch or on beak. Nothing seemed to make sense until today.

 

I recently got the book Foundations of Calligraphy by Sheila Waters and in the beginning part, she describes the work station and working with an angled board, but the importance of keeping the pen/nib angle the same regardless of the incline/decline of the writing surface.

 

Light bulb moment. I thought back to all the times when I though my writing was improving and compared it to the times when I thought I regressed.

 

1) I had the paper way too far away from me, my Rhodia Dotpad was in a portfolio which added to the elevation and height, causing a disparity in my writing angle and hand position. I was anchoring the notepad in one spot and moving my hand/arm all over the place when I should have been keeping my writing position relatively static and moving the paper.

 

2) Pen angle. I realized that I was not being consistent with the pen angle, and often, because I was reaching all over the place to write on a line, that the fountain pen was way too flat (that and I have a tendency to roll the pen - which I did not realize I was doing until I read an article that described the issues that a lot of first time fountain pen users have coming from ballpoint/pencil writing). I steepened the angle of the pen and now I'm on that sweet spot of the ball on the fountain pen. As much as I liked the whole fountain pen thing, I just thought for a minute there that the affair might have been over.

 

I've just realized this today writing with the Pilot Varsity and the Franklin-Covey Freemont (both medium points). I'll have to verify this with the Pilot Metro fine point when I get home.

 

Now I have realized a hurdle and have the ability to overcome it! What a great feeling.

[PAKMAN]

Paper position and slowing down truly improved my handwriting! Congrats, I think you have the secret to success in improvement figured out!

[gryphon1911]

Paper position and slowing down truly improved my handwriting! Congrats, I think you have the secret to success in improvement figured out!

 

Don't know about figured out, but definitely another hurdle down in the journey! Thanks for reading and commenting!

[ac12]

I can relate to you.

Yes rolling the fountain pen is a killer. Some pens are more sensitive to rolling than others.

As you get more familiar with a FP, you will be able to write in more awkward situations. But, for writing nicely, you indeed have to pay attention to your form and writing layout/environment.

 

But one thing about the working environment. If you are at a terminal, and jotting notes, IMHO, that is a good set up for using a desk pen. You just pull the pen out of the holder, then write. You don't have to hassle with a cap. And a desk pen in it's holder will not get buried and lost under a pile of paper.

Although being practical, a gel pen or a pencil are also good tools. Just pick up and write, no hassling with a cap.

Edited January 26, 2016 by ac12

[gryphon1911]

I can relate to you.

Yes rolling the fountain pen is a killer. Some pens are more sensitive to rolling than others.

As you get more familiar with a FP, you will be able to write in more awkward situations. But, for writing nicely, you indeed have to pay attention to your form and writing layout/environment.

 

But one thing about the working environment. If you are at a terminal, and jotting notes, IMHO, that is a good set up for using a desk pen. You just pull the pen out of the holder, then write. You don't have to hassle with a cap. And a desk pen in it's holder will not get buried and lost under a pile of paper.

Although being practical, a gel pen or a pencil are also good tools. Just pick up and write, no hassling with a cap.

 

I wish that I could maintain a constant writing environment, but the bad habit came from 20+ years of just grabbing whatever is close and writing quickly at whatever janky angle - papers right next to me, stretching for the next one.

 

It's like I need to have 2 worlds. One where I write for work, and one that I write for everything else.

 

I do something similar with my photo business. I have certain gear I use specifically for jobs, and others for personal work.

I've often been impatient with myself - which is another personal quest iI need to continually work on.

[Piper 987]

Besides practice, practice, practice, the most important lesson I've learned is to slow down. In my career as a doc, I spent at least a total of two hours a day writing at a frenetic pace. As long as my script was at least reasonably discernible as something resembling English, it was okay.

 

All of that writing was done with a ball-point, often on hospital stationery that said, "Press hard. You're making three copies." Over time, I developed a 'death-grip' to hold a pen. I still haven't quite gotten over that. I frequently find my pen grip reverting to old, bad habits.

[gordonhooker]

slow down and focus - once I did that my handwriting has improved in leaps and bounds.

[ac12]

Maybe a careful reorganize/rearrangement of your working area might help.

 

Another idea. At one point I was using a trackball with my left hand, to reduce the workload on my right hand/arm, due to tendonitis. But doing that would also open up space on the right side of the keyboard to write. Training your LH to work the mouse or trackball will take a bit of time, but it is doable. The funny part is when the IT guy came to my computer to do something, he could not deal with the LH trackball.

 

BTW, that idea isn't really all that weird. I am RH and learned to use a 10-key adding machine with my left hand, so I could hold a pencil and write with my right. I got that idea from a friend of mine who did the same, we called him "blazing fingers." He was RH but used his 10-key LH, and he was faster than anyone in the office.

Edited January 27, 2016 by ac12

[ac12]

As for 2 worlds, you can do that.

 

- FAST writing at work, to get work done.

 

- Slower more paced writing at home.

My cursive writing is this slower paced writing, to stay nice.

Edited January 27, 2016 by ac12

[gryphon1911]

Besides practice, practice, practice, the most important lesson I've learned is to slow down. In my career as a doc, I spent at least a total of two hours a day writing at a frenetic pace. As long as my script was at least reasonably discernible as something resembling English, it was okay.

 

All of that writing was done with a ball-point, often on hospital stationery that said, "Press hard. You're making three copies." Over time, I developed a 'death-grip' to hold a pen. I still haven't quite gotten over that. I frequently find my pen grip reverting to old, bad habits.

slow down and focus - once I did that my handwriting has improved in leaps and bounds.

Maybe a careful reorganize/rearrangement of your working area might help.

Another idea. At one point I was using a trackball with my left hand, to reduce the workload on my right hand/arm, due to tendonitis. But doing that would also open up space on the right side of the keyboard to write. Training your LH to work the mouse or trackball will take a bit of time, but it is doable. The funny part is when the IT guy came to my computer to do something, he could not deal with the LH trackball.

BTW, that idea isn't really all that weird. I am RH and learned to use a 10-key adding machine with my left hand, so I could hold a pencil and write with my right. I got that idea from a friend of mine who did the same, we called him "blazing fingers." He was RH but used his 10-key LH, and he was faster than anyone in the office.

Agree about slowing down. That has helped a ton as well.

 

I could try the left handed mouse, might be worth it, although based on the frenetic pace around here sometimes, I might need to go with the chicken scratch at work/nice writing elsewhere approach.

[gryphon1911]

As for 2 worlds, you can do that.

- FAST writing at work, to get work done.

- Slower more paced writing at home.

My cursive writing is this slower paced writing, to stay nice.

That is probably the sensible approach for me at the moment.

[clazbill]

At work, I keep a notebook to the left of my keyboard. Usually with a cap-pen on the notebook. Right now, it's a Pilot Metropolitan - something that I can pop the cap, write, and get on with things. Biggest thing is that the paper never moves. Probably not the most ideal writing position, but it's always in the same place so I can be consistent in how I write.

 

Mind you, it's not the best writing in the world, but if I can read it the next day, that's good enough for my notes.

[gryphon1911]

At work, I keep a notebook to the left of my keyboard. Usually with a cap-pen on the notebook. Right now, it's a Pilot Metropolitan - something that I can pop the cap, write, and get on with things. Biggest thing is that the paper never moves. Probably not the most ideal writing position, but it's always in the same place so I can be consistent in how I write.

 

Mind you, it's not the best writing in the world, but if I can read it the next day, that's good enough for my notes.

 

Sounds like the an important element is consistency. I'm still trying to find that "perfect" writing space/position for me to be consistent.