By Sandy Nachlinger
Do you have a friend who comes up with … uh … unusual ideas? I do. My friend Sandra Allen* had a brilliant (?) plan recently
about something we should try.
Writing in Cursive?
Sandra and I have been friends since the eighth grade and
have corresponded with each other for decades—through handwritten and
typewritten pages. Recently, word-processed snail mail letters, email messages, and texts have been added to
our communication methods. She’s a
retired elementary school teacher who lives in North Texas; I’m retired now too
and live in the Pacific Northwest. After lamenting the decline of cursive
writing in education, my friend’s latest brainstorm appeared in a letter she
mailed to me—one she’d created using word processing and sent via the United
States Postal Service: We should write
snail-mail letters to each other in cursive like we used to. Was I up for
the challenge? Of course I agreed.
Finger Cramps
I searched the house, came up with a yellow legal pad, and
then sat down to write. It quickly became apparent that unless I wanted a page
filled with cross-throughs, rambling scribbles, and arrows to insert thoughts and
omitted words, I’d have to stop and organize my brain before putting pen to
paper. So I considered what I wanted to tell my friend, planned it out in my
head, and started writing. About half-way down the page, I had to stop, put
down my ballpoint, and shake out my hand. Like my last attempt at pushups, I
found that my writing muscles hadn’t been used for creating more than a few
repetitions in a long time! But I did manage to pen several pages (legibly!) and
send the letter on its way. In Sandra’s response, she closed her hand-written letter to me with these words: This was harder
than I thought it would be!
Slowing Down Can Be Fastest
Aside from giving me stiff fingers, this exercise reminded
me of the value of taking a few moments to organize my thoughts before sitting
down to write a story. No, I’m not one of those people who outlines her story –
I’m a “pantster” who creates by the seat
of her pants. But this exercise in cursive forced me to slow down and consider
each word. I realized my fiction writing
would benefit from this approach. I’m not going to write a 350-page book in
longhand, but if a scene is giving me trouble, I’ll take out pen and paper and
try to create it the old-fashioned way, focusing on each word. Slowing down can sometimes be the best and
fastest way to get something done!
Now I have to ask: When was the last time you wrote
something with a pen or pencil (other than a grocery list)? When was the last
time you mailed a snail-mail letter to a friend? Or do you communicate solely by
email or text message?
Cursive Chart Source: Mesa Public Schools
*Sandra Allen and I co-authored I.O.U. SEX, available in
paperback and ebook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and
other online booksellers. We collaborated via email and cell phone.
Amazon eBook Link
Amazon eBook Link
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ReplyDeleteSad to say, young people nowadays not only cannot write cursive, they can't read it. I've actually heard a kid say, "I can't read cursive." What a sad state. When I was in school, we had writing exercises every single day. ..... And as you say, you have to sit down and organize your thoughts before you begin to write. That became especially important once we reached high school and had to start writing with ink that couldn't be erased. Nor could we turn in a paper filled with mark-throughs unless we wanted a bad grade.
ReplyDeleteI keep a prayer journal that I write in every other day (in cursive!). My older son's handwriting is passable; my 21 y/o daughter's is atrocious; my 11 y/o was only taught the alphabet in cursive before the schools gave it up. I joke that I sometimes have problems reading my own handwriting, so I guess the older two come by it honestly! And yes, I'm the one who has to read all of Grandma's handwritten notes on birthday cards.....sometimes my older son can make out most of the words.
ReplyDeleteI guess those of us who can read cursive could always work as consultants in deciphering hand-written documents!
DeleteWhen my kids were in grade school I volunteered in the class rooms. The teachers always had me write the cursive charts and words for them. Now my handwriting looks close to chicken scratch!
ReplyDeleteMy handwriting has deteriorated too, probably from not being used.
DeleteI used to have neat handwriting but no longer. Mostly for me it's due to familial tremors-- creates some interesting effects when painting too...
ReplyDelete