Improve Your Handwriting: Teach Yourself: Learn to write in a confident and fluent hand: the writing classic for adult learners and calligraphy enthusiasts

by Rosemary Sassoon

Improve Your Handwriting is the only title to be written specifically for adults who are experiencing problems with their writing. Co-authored by a world-renowned expert on handwriting and a professional calligrapher, it uses self-diagnosis tests to help you identify your problem, before encouraging you to experiment and choose the style that suits you best. Covering everything from holding a pen, to the difficulties that left-handers face, and the problems that may be caused by medical conditions, you will be come away from the book armed with the ability to write with ease and confidence.

NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.

AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience.

TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.

EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of improving your handwriting.

FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.

TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Reference, Self Help, Amazon, Crafts, Personal Development

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2010

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I both need some improvement in our handwriting. Well...my son's handwriting needs "some improvement"; mine needs a complete overhaul. So I'm hoping that this book will be just the thing for both of us. I'm looking forward to working through the exercises and retraining my hand to write more legibly, even more beautifully.

Part of my motivation, honestly, has been looking at pages of J.R.R. Tolkien's amazing script on "fine" manuscript pages of The Lord of the Rings. How I would love to produce something as beautiful as that! For a start, I'd better develop a legible "ordinary" script.

If I think of it, I'll update this review after I've spent some time working on my handwriting. At this point, it's difficult to know exactly how to rate the book or what to say that's useful in a review.

UPDATE

I committed to spending one month doing really serious work on the exercises in this book. As I stated above, my handwriting was in sad shape, and I was looking forward to seeing the difference that a month of work could make. On the day I started the exercises, I wrote a bit of text, and here is what it looked like:

Yikes. This handwriting is the result of laziness, sloppiness, and a Jr. High attraction to the messy print scripts found on alternative rock album covers from the 1980s and 90s (The Choir's Chase the Kangaroo and Circle Slide were particular favorites of mine, as well as The Cure and others). You can see where all of that led me. I didn't enjoy handwriting at all, but I was embarrassed at not being able to write anything legibly. Even if I wrote slowly, the result was no better. I just didn't have the skill.

So for a month, I spent at least an hour a day working through all of the exercises in Improve Your Handwriting, in hopes of a total re-creation of my handwriting. And here is that same passage, written after a month of practice:

Yes! I can't express how amazing it is to be able to write again! I'm not fast, and the script is not especially stylish or interesting, but I can write! Handwriting has become for me an enjoyable daily discipline, rather than an embarrassment. I feel like Bill Murray in What About Bob: "Your book's going to do a lot of people a lot of good."

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have great handwriting: in classes I need to take notes fast enough to follow the class but I often can't read back what I've written. When I take down phone messages at work, I have to write slower than feels comfortable so I can write legibly, which is frustrating.

I haven't yet practised any of the exercises in this book (it's a library loan being returned today) but I think it should be helpful and I've taken notes of exercises to try. I've tried the suggestion of a different pen grip and it feels more comfortable, but I'll need more time practising with it. It's a quick read, but I imagine putting it to use will take much, much longer.

[Ms_prue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a random impulse-checkout from the local library, the one that has downsized so much that the entire sociology/politics/literature/languages/writing/philosophy/travel book non-fiction section is two bookcases big, and now I compulsively browse it in its entirety every time I visit. If I thought about it closely, I would be tempted to borrow a book from those shelves every visit just from spite at the fuckers who decimated that library's holdings while 'upgrading' the library building, but somehow it's never had to come to that, because I almost always find something interesting to borrow off that shelf anyhow. Like this book.

I got back into handwriting this year to try and chivvy myself out of a writing rut. My cursive was appalling, my letters tiny and illegible, and trying to transcribe it and type it up later was a nightmare. It was all such a chore and I ended up shelving the project and taking a semi-enforced break. You can't punish yourself into doing something that you supposedly love. I have absorbed a lot of writing and self help advice over the last while and I believe that absolutely.

So! To finally reach the point! This book is amazing and helpful, both as a technical resource and for building self-care skills and self-awareness. I am thirty-however many years old and nobody, not once, in my entire schooling and life, had told me that I should not have a writing callus on my middle finger no matter how much writing I do. Practising letterforms and stroke elements was beautifully meditative. Being encouraged to slow down and flow was mind-blowing. Handwriting transformed for me from being a necessary, painful evil in order to get the words out into a beautiful flow state, watching myself form nice, proportioned, well-connected cursive letters into words, one word after another.

Because I have slowed down, my sentences make more sense and have clearer direction. Typing up afterwards is ridiculously simple, because I don't have to guess at my own meaning and remember what I was writing about days ago to puzzle it out - it's there, clear, legible on the page even when the paper is an arms length away, next to my computer screen. I have written nearly 45 thousand words by hand this month, usually over a thousand words a day, and my hand has not fused into a ball of agony and RSI. This is the first writing advice book I have read that has demonstrably improved my life and directly translated into a word-count and a first draft that I'm proud of. It's amazing. My very grateful thanks to the authors!

[Dil Nawaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My writing is not bad like a doctor but since childhood, I always fascinate with good handwriting. One of my friends who sat behind me wrote his copies with beautiful cursive writing.

Good handwriting can make a good impact on both the teacher and examiner. I think I got lower marks in my 10th grade due to my bad handwriting because I was expecting an A grade and I got a B grade with few differences.

As a graphic designer, I try to learn new things about hand-drawn logos, illustrations, typography, etc. A few years ago I found this book on my local online store. I bought this book immediately but read it in 2024.

Basically, this is a practical book with less theory and more exercises. Rosemary Sassoon is known for her handwriting expertise. The book is easy to read but practice can take time as you heard practice makes a man or woman perfect :)

Rana Dil Nawaz
Karachi, Pakistan.
https://thelionstudios.com

[Carl Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Confession: I have terrible handwriting. When coupled with my obsession with pocket notebooks for hike logs, travel narratives, and daily note lists, this means that I regularly produce page upon page of difficult to read text. This book provides an analytical look at common handwriting problems, exercises to correct them, and an exploration of the fundamental mechanics of handwriting. I got the most out of the first part of the book; the second part was either more esoteric or more about the problems with individual samples of handwriting. The section on pen grip and hand position alone made the book a worthwhile read for me, and the exercises and model alphabet have paid off in improved handwriting for me.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. It was recommended to me by my son’s 6th grade teacher, because his handwriting is often illegible and holding him back academically, so he and I are working through it. My own handwriting is generally good, but has declined as I’ve gotten older and busier, so I’m looking forward to practicing the steps in the book to improve mine as well.

The main point is that there are some fundamental concepts underlying letter formation, but once those are understood and applied consistently, there are no hard and fast rules for how an individual has to create and join letters in their own hand—there’s room for personality to shine through.

The book was hard to locate, but well worth the effort!

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book through without doing any of the exercises or drills. I couldn't find the time around working at home and working on the home. I do see improvements in my writing already. I can also recognize now how different pens or pencils as well as paper type has an influence.

My intention is to find another copy to gift to a friend who asked for help improving his handwriting.

[Cagne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy this book has a small font.

I've found some difficulty understanding whether some drawings where supposed to be exercises or examples. In general, I think it could have given a better outline of an exercise program, because ok, I've read the book, but I still need to set up a schedule for myself. How long do I go on drawing this and that?

I've thought about reading the book and doing the exercises as it went, but eventually I got tired of seeing it among my 'currently reading', and finished it.

I liked the chapter on creating a visually appealing handwritten letter.

It has a chapter on writing after a stroke or accident, will keep it in mind.

[Tessa Barding · Rating 4 out of 5]

My handwriting has become continuously worse over the past decades. It’s to do with typing most of the time and with frantically scribbling the rest of the time, I guess. And so I’ve made it this year’s summer/autumn project to improve my handwriting, to practice properly shaping the letters and hopefully turning my chickenscratch back to what once was, well, not really pretty, but perfectly legible and not all that unpleasant.

I did some googling and stumbled across the Vimala alphabet and this one. I bought both books, read them and started practising. I quickly found out the Vimala alphabet is not for me. At all. I stole a couple of letters that I liked and that will do nicely in my own handwriting, got rid of the book and focussed on ‘Improve your Handwriting’.

Just like Vimala Rodgers, the author duo has developed a unique alphabet. Unlike Rodgers, they developed theirs for practising purposes only, encouraging the reader to remember some basic drills (how to shape your letters, how to join them in ways that make sense), and then either incorporate these basics into one’s own handwriting… or find a whole new handwriting style, if that’s what you want.

They touch upon a number of topics—how the height of your desk will influence your writing, the role of the pen you choose, how you hold your pen (and offering an interesting alternative way to hold a pen), where to place the light, how to position yourself etc. Some of these are so easy and so obvious that you will slap your own forehead, wondering why you never thought of them.
But they also offer useful advice for lefties, and for people who have to re-learn writing due to medical conditions.

There’s examples of things that may be “wrong” with your handwriting (“wrong” not in terms of judging, more in terms of bad habits developed over the years, or things not properly taught or picked up at school), resulting in your writing being messy or clumsy. It didn’t take me long to identify my handwriting sins!

I enjoyed doing the exercises, from doodling to letter-shaping, placing strokes, joining letters and so forth, and although I would have liked more examples, I caught on pretty quickly. I also tried out a number of pens and found that neither my favourite ball pen nor my favourite fountain pen is all that good for my personal ‘writing flow’. That was interesting because I used to think if a pretty fountain pen can’t make my scribblings look nice, then all hope is lost. And as for the ball pen, when I changed from my Parker model to a differently shaped model, my writing looked as neat and clean as I’d hoped for. (I tried fountain pen with a slimmer nib and that worked well, too.)

Now I’ll just have to sit down each day for the next couple of weeks and practise and turn my chickenscratch into something that’s pleasant to write and easy to read.

I had much fun working with this book and I heartily recommend it to anyone who wishes to improve their handwriting. It won’t turn hieroglyphs to pretty overnight, but it will certainly turn scribbles into a legible hand, if you wish and if you’re willing to doodle.

Four out of five stars.

[Spike Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this at the same time I bought a fountain pen, as part of my endless campaign to "improve" aspects of myself I find lacking. For my entire life, my handwriting has been something of a sore spot for me. It's legible and clear, but that's about it. It drifts unevenly across the page, tilting this way and that. Moreover, I hold the pen wrong and cramp pretty quickly. Compared to some people mentioned as case studies in this book, my issues aren't that bad, at least.

This short book isn't a handwriting manual or a style guide. It's not going to recommend you write in a certain way. It's more of a handwriting clinic, to diagnose and treat problems with your handwriting. This is important to me because handwriting is probably the most effective means of writing for myself, because I achieve "flow" quicker and with less chance of distraction. If I can do it for longer periods with a higher aesthetic quality of output, it would mean a lot.

My problems were pretty quick to diagnose because I already knew some of them. I need to hold the pen correctly, write with less pressure and maintain better back and hand posture. This can be achieved by experimenting with different types of pens, paper and desk. Once I practice that for a while, I can go back and see what else needs to be fixed if anything.

This book is practical, clear and to the point. I recommend it to anyone with problems in their handwriting. The only thing it really isn't good for is teaching handwriting. It assumes that the reader already knows how to handwrite, which in this day and age, is a generous assumption on the part of certain members of the younger generations more adept at keyboards.

4.5 out of 5 stars

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a few aspects of my handwriting that I don't really like, that actually interrupt my flow of thoughts when I write too quickly. This book is geared to adult writers. I liked that it doesn't encourage carbon copy level writing of standard script teaching. It covered exactly the info I was interested in, such as finding the balance between speed and legibility while developing your own personal style and flair. Essentially, I need to practice transitions of the letter combinations that give me trouble--and not just write a line or two, but a whole page (or more) of those troublesome combinations, which are often due to the transitions between the letters--for me, w, n, and m; additionally r. The aspect that surprised me most was that it didn't suggest that the writing had to have every letter connected within a word. That's actually pretty liberating. And textbook perfect lettering can also come across as rather childish--I had not heard that point of view before and also found it refreshing.

[Alex Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book on improving your handwriting.

This book offers a deep dive into the practice of handwriting and the practices that can help you to improve your own handwriting.

While I still have a ways to go, I was able to use their handwriting model to improve the shape of many of the letters that I was writing.

However, I don't think that there is enough focus on being able to increase legibility with speed, which is something that is important to me, as I am trying to improve my handwriting so that I can write properly in exams. I think that emphasis should also be placed on the importance of what you are writing, as writing concisely can reduce the amount of time that it takes to write, enabling further improvements in handwriting.

If you have bad handwriting like me, I highly recommend this book.

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tips and explanations for how to improve your handwriting. This isn't a prescription or rote exercises to get you to some uniform standard writing -- it's info you can use to suit the way YOU would want to write, and to find how to make that natural and comfortable.

Points out places where people tend to have trouble -- letter formation problems that cause peoples' writing to be illegible and how to fix them; things that make people slow writers and has tips for speeding up while maintaining legibility; tricks for improving the look, style, & ease of handwriting.

Helpful, but you still need to do a bunch of practice on your own. They have suggestions for some exercises, but nothing comprehensive.

[Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars because before I first read this, my handwriting was a total disaster. Letter formations don't exist and the slant of my letters were so inconsistent (at any given time, a word would most likely have letters leaning to the left and right). Not to mention the horrible spacing and their cramped appearance.

I'm long past that but it's been so long since I actively tried to practice my handwriting (despite filling lots of journals) that it had deteriorated again--the sizing and the spaces between the letters and words have became inconsistent once again. Thankfully, the slant and proper letter formation have stuck.

This is me trying, once again, to achieve a script that's both legible and efficient without looking childish.

[Venkatesh-Prasad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good advice to retrain cursive handwriting

While not a workbook, the book provides good advice along with exercise to retrain one's cursive handwriting. The advice would have been better if the exercise instructions were more specific, e.g., the set of patterns, the size of letters, a set of sentences to explore all kinds of joins, and the number of repetitions.

[Alexandria Blaelock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing - I learned to write in circles and this book teaches strokes - the important part being to generate a rhythm that pulls you along. As long as you have the right pen and paper, good posture and hold the pen well. If you do the exercises you will build a rhythm that will help you write faster and improve legibility.

[Zachariah Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really short read. Most of it is filled with illustrations or examples of handwriting. I might come back and rate it higher lately, after I finish putting the exercises into practice, if they work (or rate lower, if they don't).

Overall, it's a really quick read.

[Eugenio Fouz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent handbook on handwriting. Easy to follow. Diverse, practical. The book provides samples of good and bad calligraphy.
A book written to be read & to give new writing style a try.
Indispensable manual in my library.-

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for improving handwriting. Practical.

[linc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful.

[Tt Bishop · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of examples of bad handwriting.
(As if I didn't know what that looked like.)

[Nats Lakkatham · Rating 2 out of 5]

* ไม่ได้เป็นหนังสือตามที่คาดหวัง ว่าจะมีเทคนิคเกี่ยวกับแรงจูงใจที่จะทำให้เราอยากเขียน
* แต่เป็นเทคนิกการเขียนเลยจริง ๆ เช่น การลากเส้น การเชื่อมต่อ หรือการเว้นวรรค
* ได้ความรู้เกร็ดเล็ก ๆ น้อย ๆ ที่จะช่วยนำมาพัฒนาการเขียนให้ต่อเนื่องได้ ถึงแม้ภาษาแม่ของเราจะไม่ใช่ภาษาอังกฤษก็ตาม

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be fair, this book doesn't require so much reading as it does motivation, determination, and practice. After all, we are talking about improving our handwriting.

In short, the book does exactly what it sets out to do: offer you brief insights, tips for self-analysis and better writing (writing materials, posture, etc.), and a set of basic exercises. The author generally encourages you to find your own way beyond the basic exercises and recommendations, which to me makes a lot of sense.

I particularly like the alternative penhold shown in the book; before this I didn't think there was any other way to hold a pen or pencil. One thing is sure: I'll be doing quite a bit of practicing - and writing - with this new penhold.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 2.5, really. I bought the nook version of this book because the physical copies of recent editions seemed expensive, and I couldn't find the kindle version. The nook app for my ipad was incredibly unresponsive, which made this an annoying book to read. I also couldn't tell which images of text were examples and which were exercises; they weren't clearly marked in the nook version even though it was clear from the text that some were examples and some were exercises. I found myself wondering whether the physical copy would have made more sense, as I know nook and mobi editions often skip useful graphic formatting.

This is probably a good book, if you have the book. Don't spend your money on an e-edition.

[Dale Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for adults interested in achieving what the title says. But it doesn't give magic solutions. Explains many of the common reasons handwriting may be flawed. Then they provide a number of exercises that can help, if you put in a bit of practice.

I found the book interesting, enjoyable to read, and would say that my writing hAs improved as a result.

Recommended.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a really useful book, not only did my handwriting improve, but I was able to help my little brother out with his homework!

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't deliver on its promise (and I need the help!). In retrospect, probably not the best Kindle purchase.

[Emre Poyraz · Rating 4 out of 5]

worked for me, but you need to do the exercises.

[Mills College Library]

652.1 S2529 2010