As I posted last month, I picked up one of the the little mini Moleskine notebooks. I like the idea of keeping it in my back pocket for jotting down ideas and quotes. I often get ideas for posts when I’m away from the blog, so having a quick place to jot down the ideas is helpful for keeping the posts rolling.
However, I’ve been experiencing one problem recently involving my handwriting. I am having trouble reading my own entries! Since I have started typing so many notes on the computer over the years, I am afraid my handwriting has suffered. I was wondering if other Moleskine fans have this trouble? Is it just that the lines are too narrow to write between? Is my ink too broad? I’ve been using a Pilot G2 07 to do most of the entries.
If you have any words of wisdom on improving my handwriting or Moleskine writing experience, please post and let me know.
Technorati Tags: moleskine, handwriting, journaling
{ 6 comments }
It always pains me to say it, but my answer was to start writing in uppercase. The letters are so much more distinctive that way.
I’ve gotten used to it … but of course I write with a fountain pen.
I like to write fast so that I can capture my thoughts before they slip away, so my writing isn’t always that great. But I have found that making an effort to write well helps. I like the Pilot P-700s myself. They write a little thinner than the G2. As I write more, my writing is gradually improving with occasional lapses.
Janet, I think you suggested the Jetstream Uni. I don’t know why I wasn’t using it, but I pulled it back out this morning and did some “stream of consciousness” writing. It’s a nice pen and my writing looks better. I’ll start using it now.
I guess I’m particular about the weight of the ink. If it is too wide, I write bigger, it looks sloppy and unreadable.
Dan, my fountain pens leave an even more thick line.
I know it’s weird to be asking about more legible Moleskine’ing, but when you go back to your journals 10 years from now and can’t read or understand your writing it’s like losing part of the story.
I’ve used the UniBall PowerTank 1.0, then moved on to the Pilot G2 0.5, and just recently tried a Sanford uni-ball micro. The PowerTank was too thick to write small and legiblily. The Pilot G2 0.5 was a good size but the ink seems to smear easily. The Sanford uni-ball micro seems to be the Golden Ticket. Smaller writing (marginaly) than the G2 and it doesn’t seem to smear as easily. I think the Sanford uni-ball micro just became my new Moleskine Companion.
http://briem.ismennt.is/4/4.1.1a/4.1.1.1.quick.htm
has a load of exercises to smarten up your handwriting in a couple of weeks (or longer, if you have the time!!). It is by a consultant who makes a strong case for a cursive script, keeping the pen on the paper as much as possible.