Wednesday, November 7, 2007

My Penmanship is a Wreck!

A year and a half ago I had elbow surgery, where they snipped off the tendon at my elbow, then moved it to another spot and reattached it. Before that, my handwriting was really bad. In fact, all my life my penmanship was atrocious, much to the frustration of many a teacher.

My hand would cramp up, it could take me most of the night to crank out a report for school and make sure it was legible. And when I’d write fiction, it was a long, slow process.

Since the surgery, nothing has changed as far as my handwriting goes. I still cramp up, the whole hand and forearm hurt after just a few minutes, and I really can’t use a pen for more than signing my name or filling out a check.

And that’s where I’m lying.

I can. If I practice, relearn how to write and hold a pen, and give myself permission to suck at it for a few months.

My surgeon and my physical therapist said I could use a pen, that the tendon was just fine, and nothing I did could ruin their hard work. What I had to do was change the way I held a pen, and practice.

I’ve come to realize, and admit, that I’ve been using excuses, like “It hurts to hold a pen for more than a few minutes.” And “My handwriting is terrible, I’d never be able to read what I wrote to transcribe it.” Along with “My thoughts come out too fast, my fingers need a keyboard to keep up.”

Bullshit.

Today I found this site, with excellent advice on retraining your handwriting. Interestingly, they mention the wrong way to write is to use just your HAND, while the proper way to write is to use your hand, arm and shoulder. What makes that interesting is that Pete also mentioned when he writes, he seems to use his arm and shoulder when he does. I’d never heard of that before.

There’s also an interesting aspect for the Writer. When you write by hand, as a Writer, you’re forced to use completely different writerly “muscles”. You cannot write as fast as you can think, but that’s the point.

You also cannot hit the backspace button, or use spell check. That is also the point.

I find when I’m writing on the computer, sentences come flowing out of me in stammers. I’ll know what I want to say for about a paragraph, but then I have to pause and consider the wording for the next one. Then another spurt, followed by a pause. Typically after a page or three, I stop and read over what I wrote, contemplate it, then make some changes.

Writing by hand slows you down to the point of really thinking about your words, your pacing, your next move. You’re more apt to try out a sentence in your head three or four ways before putting it down. On the computer, I’m more prone to spewing it out, then hitting the backspace, trying it another way, deleting, trying it again.

I think writing by hand forces the writer to think more. To consider.

I’m not suggesting those of us who type it out aren’t thinking, or considering. And I’m not going to say we’re typing out crap. No, certainly not. I’m typing this, and it isn’t crap (I heard that!)

But I have a dream – and that’s to write by hand again. Not every novel, not every time. I do, however, need to reclaim that ability. I need that option, for those times when I’m without the computer, or my eyes are so sick of seeing a screen, and watching a cursor blink.

This weekend I’ll be away from the computer, so I’m going to bring a notebook with me and try working on the penmanship, adding to my Tea Debacle novel. And I’m going to keep practicing, working on the techniques on that web site. I’m going to find a good pen, and reteach myself how to write.

And I’m going to hand write my next novel.

And I’m going to win, because I am a leaf on the wi – hmm, maybe I need a new quote.

12 comments:

Tori O. said...

So which way do you hold the writing instrument?

I use the two fingers on top. Always have.

Midnight Muse said...

On that page, the first photo of a hand - with the pen between the index and middle finger. It's odd, but it works !

Arachne Jericho said...

Makes sense that moving the arm and shoulder along with the hand (and wrist) would be more natural for writing. It's kind of like how my vertical split keyboard and Qwill mouse allow my arm and shoulder to move naturally with my hands.

Not twisting the wrist out of shape for either activity be a good idea.

Peter Damien said...

What a fascinating site. I hold my pen in Fig. 3 (for calligraphy, or really disciplined writers, it says.)

I first noticed I was using my upper arm and shoulder to write when I injured my shoulder on a job. I tend to pick up things which are too heavy, because I can and sooner or later I find one which I can't. So my shoulder was strained.

Because my shoulder was strained, I unconsciously went back to writing with my wrist. I was in agony in five minutes. Miserable. That was when I became aware of using my shoulder.

It just makes me so happy that you're handwriting. My reasons for urging writers to handwrite and urging writers to stay off the internet are two completely different things (though they do intertwine), but it just makes me happy. Handwriting is too much fun to be lost to the age of computers. It's like ancient wine being lost to wine coolers.

The other interesting thing you may find (or may have already found) is that as you write more and more by hand and get more confident (I never hesitate writing by hand. I never have to think of the next paragraph and stop. My back brain is doing it while I write) you will find that you stop less and less when typing too. I used to hesitate between paragraphs too now and then. But handwriting trains the back brain a little.

What a cool site. I can't wait to settle in and read more.

(And when should we announce Mystery Race X? Hmmm.)

Peter Damien said...

Addendum, to say: This site is making me really happy. It's validating every detail of how I write. That's so nice. I never researched, I just fiddled 'till it worked, and I got it right. If I thought anyone but the cats would be impressed, I'd brag. (The cat didn't care.)

Midnight Muse said...

I was really impressed with the site, and when it - as well as my PT - validated that odd way I hold a pen.

But just reading about how writing with the hand can cause pain in 5 minutes, which is exactly what happens to me, gave me hope in believing I can overcome this.

I'm already practicing that writing in the air excercise :D

Let's wait till mid Tea Debacle, and hit them with it !!

Anonymous said...

Soccer Mom Sez:

My youngest son goes to Occupational Therapy for his hands and arms every week. The last month they've been focusing on writing and most especially on using his whole arm and not just his hand to write.

I've been diligently trying to absorb the lessons and exercises for myself. Then his instructor glanced over and saw me writing in my notebook and exclaimed "So that's where he gets it. You hold your pen just like he does."

Busted. I'm going to try and think about holding my pen differently.

A question: Do y'all write full words and sentences when you write longhand? I Find that I don't. I start that way, but then slip into my own shorthand that includes symbols for some words and character names.

Peter Damien said...

When I first started getting back into writing, I didn't shorten words, but I did 'slur' my way through them. That is to say, I didn't always form all the letters, or I didn't form them all the way.

These days, I write faster and more precise. All my letters are formed, all my words are full, I use all my punctuation marks. That was part of the heavy discipline I got into, when I started this up again.

Midnight Muse said...

Well right now, I slur the words terribly. I'll start with the first couple of letters looking good, then everything goes to hell, the word gets screwed up, misspelled even though I KNOW how to spell it, and the end of the word is a squiggle.

I've never done shorthand, or left myself little jots and such on purpose, I always try to write the full word, but if my writing were someone speaking - you'd have them commited to Betty Ford.

Which is one of the big things I'm hoping to cure !

Cath said...

I know it's time to head for the computer when I start writing the second half of the next word. Seriously my brain just skips out the end of the word I'm writing and moves on.

I love writing letters and do a lot of calligraphy, but it doesn't suit my style of writing fiction.

Tori O. said...

I do that typing, Cath, and it usually means it's time to hit up the pen and paper because things have all flown into chaos.

Veri word: tyrot - gimme your definition!

Peter Damien said...

A tyrannical harlot! :)