A Writing Question

[Daneel]

I think I'm like you in this regard, Nerys... I prefer writing in cursive, mainly because I think it's faster and more efficient, so if I'm writing something for myself, that's usually what I'll do. However, when I'm writing something I know someone else will read, I tend to print, out of concern that they won't be able to understand my handwriting.

Oh yeah, and I'm 26.

 

[Canadave]

I'm 23, and I print except for my signature. My printing isn't terribly legible, and my cursive is even worse. I also find it easier to print, especially when I'm writing with a pen.

 

[O'Dib]

Don't people who print find it a lot slower? Lifting the pen off the paper not only for each new letter, but even the letters themselves aren't a smooth single movement! I find nothing more painful than being required to fill forms in print form.

 

[Mark de Vries]

My writing can be pretty illegible whether I print or write cursive, but I prefer printing. Maybe it's because it's the standard way of writing wherever I look. I usually don't even think about writing cursive and I don't think I can do it anymore. I did learn it in school, but quit writing cursive when I was 13 or so. I'm 30 now.

 

[SiorX]

I'm 24 and I write in cursive seldomly. People say it's faster but it takes me much longer to write in cursive than to just write normally. I will doodle in cursive when I'm bored sometimes.

This thread is teaching me new things.

I'm also 24, and I have always thought of cursive as 'writing normally'. The only time I ever print is on forms where they specifically ask for it. Even then, if there's a section that requires more than a few lines of writing, I find it very difficult not to slip back into cursive, because I find printing frustratingly slow.

But then for us, writing in cursive was mandatory from about the age of eight right up until I started university (and suddenly had to type everything).

 

[Holdfast]

... I have always thought of cursive as 'writing normally'. The only time I ever print is on forms where they specifically ask for it. Even then, if there's a section that requires more than a few lines of writing, I find it very difficult not to slip back into cursive, because I find printing frustratingly slow.

Yeah, same here. I write cursive all the time. It's just what I'm used to, having always written that way since I was about 7 years old. Of course, the exact style has evolved over the years - initially my writing was very angular, then around 11 I deliberately made it rounder and neater, then by the time I was 16 or so, it became a more natural hybrid of the above. Through university it became smaller and more flowing, with growing histrionic flourishes and increasing illegibility and it's pretty much stayed that way ever since.

I remember we had a thread a while back discussing this. I seem to recall a few of us uploading examples of our appalling handwriting. It was quite fun.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Of course, cursive writing doesn't mean what I think it does.


Me, I write in joined-up writing almost all of the time, unless I'm trying to spell something out to whoever receives my scrawl, in which I write in some form of joined-up block capitals.

 

[Rush Limborg]

I print, as a rule.

I know cursive as much as the next--but I almost always print.

When I'm witing for others, the keyboard is my friend and ally.

When I'm jotting down notes--and story ideas in my Big Black Book--I print, for sake of speed.

It's the wierdest kind of chicken-scratched cuneiform you've ever seen. I've often joked that it's intentional: in my journals, no one can read my thoughts but ME!

But, yes, I sign in cursive.

 

[thestrangequark]

I am 26 and my personal handwriting is a blend of print and cursive and is generally legible. At work I always print -- I teach kindergarten! My signature is almost completely illegible.

 

[Count Zero]

I had to look up what cursive and print mean in this context. At first, I suspected it was something like this, an out-dated way of handwriting (which we actually learned at school in art class), because people were saying they couldn't read it.
So, I take it, cursive is the nominal way of handwriting you learn at school. Here in Germany, we just call it handwriting and learn that in school as well (there are actually slightly different variants, e.g. in the GDR, it had less twirls). Naturally, one's own personal style develops from there. I write in cursive (although I seldomly write by hand, anymore) with some letters in semi-print or print. Somehow, I always found that all-cursive looked kind of ugly.
Forms usually have to be filled out in block print and I find this to be a chore and often mess forms up by slipping into cursive. I don't think I've ever seen anyone writing in all-print. It would be considered rather odd.
My cursive is pretty eligible, at least, I've never gotten any complaints and I've had to hand in exams in hand writing, both in school and at university.

I'm 29.

ETA: It's possible I'm misunderstanding something. What would print look like?

 

[K'Ehleyr]

I write in 'joined up writing' all the time. I love the flow of my thoughts reflected in the flow of the pen. Receiving a handwritten letter/note is so much nicer than viewing a mail on screen and I am more than happy to spend an hour or so creating an elegantly written reply ~ so much so I end up wasting lots of writing paper if I make a mistake

I still have stacks of letters from friends and love reading them still. I visited a friend last year and she had a collection of my letters over the years that were hilarious to read and amusing to notice the deterioration in my cursive strokes as the wine flowed as well as my thoughts

Good handwriting is an art and I wish more people practiced it

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I am so crude. I print in all capital letters all the time.

 

[trampledamage]

You can tell the Brits - we say "joined up writing"

What actually is "print" - to me it means block capitals, but I don't think you all are writing everything in all caps, so is it lower-case but not joined up?

 

[Trippy]

I'm 40 (yes, I'm old) and I write in my own bizarre combination of print and cursive. I'm just looking at notes I took today while working. When I wrote the word "minutes," the M and I are printed. The NUTES is all in one cursive mash-up. Then, on the word, "working," I wrote the WORK in print, and then ING is all in cursive (however, the N is barely visible).

I'm 42 and do exactly the same. A mixture, often in the same word!

Most people find my writing illegible.

Me too! Not good if I'm writing on the board I usually type my notes for my students and use the overhead projector!

My hubby says I have the handwriting of a serial killer.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Is it true what they say about doctors having a pathological inability to write clearly?

(seriously. My dad, who is a doctor, a genius and a great guy, has the writing ability of a cephalopod. His signature looks like a pen exploded upon the paper. And as his son, mine does too. )

 

[Count Zero]

What actually is "print" - to me it means block capitals, but I don't think you all are writing everything in all caps, so is it lower-case but not joined up?

That's what I want to know as well. If it is the latter, I'd have to revise my earlier statement somewhat. This would not be considered that odd, here.
Also, upon inspecting my hand writing more closely, it's really more of a blend of the two.

My signature looks like a doctor's, too.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

You can tell the Brits - we say "joined up writing"

What actually is "print" - to me it means block capitals, but I don't think you all are writing everything in all caps, so is it lower-case but not joined up?

Good question!

And as Zee suggests ~ cursive writing could be "I ******* can't stand writing in ******* cursive"

 

[TorontoTrekker]

I'm 42, and if I'm writing something lengthy, I write mostly in cursive unless it's important that it be absolutely clear for someone else's benefit, then I print.

I've been told that my handwriting is fairly small. I've noticed that it tends to get smaller, the more I write - I don't know if that's because my hand starts to cramp up after a while, or what.

As for my signature, it's deliberately illegible. I only actually write nine out of the twelve letters, and the "n" between the "a" and the "c" of my first name is more of a squiggle than a letter. The final "y" isn't all that clear, either.

 

[Ruaidhri]

I tend to print all in capital letters, although when I realized a couple years ago that I couldn't remember how to write a capital Z in cursive I made an effort to practice handwriting in my journal. Not very neat, and I really have to concentrate when I do it (which makes it very slow) but I just want to make sure I don't lose the skill entirely.

 

[thestrangequark]

I had to look up what cursive and print mean in this context. At first, I suspected it was something like this, an out-dated way of handwriting (which we actually learned at school in art class), because people were saying they couldn't read it.
So, I take it, cursive is the nominal way of handwriting you learn at school. Here in Germany, we just call it handwriting and learn that in school as well (there are actually slightly different variants, e.g. in the GDR, it had less twirls). Naturally, one's own personal style develops from there. I write in cursive (although I seldomly write by hand, anymore) with some letters in semi-print or print. Somehow, I always found that all-cursive looked kind of ugly.
Forms usually have to be filled out in block print and I find this to be a chore and often mess forms up by slipping into cursive. I don't think I've ever seen anyone writing in all-print. It would be considered rather odd.
My cursive is pretty eligible, at least, I've never gotten any complaints and I've had to hand in exams in hand writing, both in school and at university.

I'm 29.

ETA: It's possible I'm misunderstanding something. What would print look like?

In America most kids learn printing first, and start learning cursive around age 8 or 9. And similarly to what you said about Germany, there are variations on cursive (Duval is one). I think you're understanding the differences correctly, and mine isn't a great example as I have mediocre handwriting in both print and cursive, but I'm home sick and bored so here you go: