Do you try to have the nicest writing you can at the fastest speeds possible, sacrificing form for speed? Or do you slow down and try to have your letters as perfect as possible? I can't decide whether I prefer my handwriting at a normal (pretty fast for me) speed with some skips in some letters and ascenders/descenders not quite perfect, or if I prefer slowing down and having everything look juuuust right. I know there are special times when I slow down and want it to be perfect, but I'm referring to the times when just you are going to be viewing the writing, like perhaps in a journal. Thoughts?

I'm probably weird, but I find that there is a certain charm in the rush and sloppiness of fast writing. Therefore, for me, faster does not necessarily mean uglier.

Sometimes I write very slowly just to form the letters correctly and to allow my hand to properly learn the letters, but since I'm interested in handwriting (as opposed to calligraphy), I usually write fairly quickly. I'm trying to increase my "speed limit" -- that point at which handwriting becomes illegible scrawl. I guess it's like driving; some drifting is necessary, but you need to stay on the road. The individuality and personality of handwriting comes out when one is writing fairly quickly and not thinking of letterforms too much. That's what I've found, anyway...

Doug

I write painfully slowly when I'm first getting something under my fingers, or when I'm writing exemplars or just practicing. Once I'm actually writing however, I tend to speed up a bit, so I don't forget what I'm trying to say. I find that the more I practice slowly and carefully, the fast I can go and remain legible.



Remind me to never drive with you.

Always, when it's possible, I write slowly, so I can see difficulties and my imperfections, and I can work on those. Maybe one day I'll speed up my writing, but before I think it's better having a naturally good lettering.
To mention that now I write only with italic or flexible nibs.

Writing speed has been a long term issue with italic writing. If one is taking notes in a meeting, accurate transcription takes precedence over everything else. Many supporters of italic say that it can be written very fast. My own view is that the civil service hand taught in the UK and its colonies in the 1920 and 1930s was the fastest of all English scripts. Its propensity was to keep letters joined but the fastest writers used relatively small letters, employed judicious pen lifts and did 'finger-writing': the latter was criticised by proponents of italic writing who advocated a nodding action of the hand.

For the record, I used a hybrid italic since 1978 when I came across Alfred Fairbank's book on the subject. Speed in italic handwriting is a subject that tends to be glossed over as many adopt italic to make their writing legible. None the less, it needs attention and comment.

I ussualy go slowly for the journal, but that is becuase I want it to look nice. For general note taking, I go faster, although it is still legible to most other people.



Bolded by me.

I have a really hard time believing that you drive in a perfectly straight line (or curved, depending on the path of the road) down the center of the road all of the time. I the reference was to drifting no more than 1 foot either way while staying within one's lane.

On a side note, I am just learning how to drive, so I have no real authority on the subject. This also means that I reccomend you never drive with me, too.

-Nkk

Actually, my fast driving days are over thanks to hearty encouragement from local law enforcement personnel and the state judiciary. Driving with me now resembles a leisurely tour of the park on the old guys' walking path.

Still, I do think that speed is a consideration in all cursive styles of handwriting. People have always used some form of sped-up or cursive writing for their own use and official cursive styles were sanctioned for various reasons, primary among them was the need for a quick writing. My understanding is that the Medici's put their stamp of approval on Niccoli's cursive (italic) because it would increase the production of hand produced books without compromising their legibility or appearance. The demands of business and commerce put in the loops and took out the speed-bumps in later roundhand, including the British civil service hand mentioned previously.

In terms of speed with legibility, I think that one of the loopy roundhands is probably the quickest since they were designed for speed. I use an italic not for speed but because my hand had devolved into a tangle of loopy knots that even I couldn't read.

I think most people can gain a net increase in speed just by writing smaller and more carefully -- at least that was so in my case. It doesn't feel like you're writing faster, but you actually manage to write more words per unit of time. And sometimes I do work on speed. And there ain't no speed limit on my pen! Whoohoo!

Doug

OT, but he/she thinks you're talking about intentionally oversteering in order to turn quickly.

I have to admit to having handwriting even I cannot read! I have to concentrate and make myself slow down if there is to be any hope of legibility.

I do mine reasonibly slow, but it is very neat in the end. When I say its slow I mean I try to write my fastest but it still ends quite slow.