ZigZag italics on graph paper

 One way to jolt your old habits is to try a zig-zag style of penmanship that has some overlap with italics.

The most important thing is to start feeling a rhythm. To do this, start with a row of understrokes like iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii   (video 1) -- then do a whole row of over strokes (video 2)

If it feels really awkward, do a couple more lines, and then move on. At the beginning of each practice session, do a row of each as a warm up. The goal is to cultivate rhythm as well as precision. Go as slow a necessary to hit the guidelines. Let the speed come naturally.

Excuse my primitive *graph paper* - I am currently on a trip, helping with household stuff at my daughters. Two weeks without my art supplies. So, I drew some vertical lines on notebook paper. I didn't even have a ruler. I should have used a second piece of paper as a guide for making the lines more even, but didn't think of that until the page was done.

Video 1 -- under strokes iiiiiiii

Video 2  -  overstrokes

Video 3 - ininininininin. no spaces

Video 4 - intintintintint. - no spaces

Video 5 - when my brain was thinking *intintint* it was choppy and hard to keep the rhythm. Switching to tintintin - so that the word *tin* was in my head made it a lot smoother. Do not put in any word spacing yet. We have to find something rhythmic that works before we break into words.

Video 6 - this was supposed to be lintlintlint - I messed up at the beginning - 

Video 7 - this one is hinthinthinthint - My brain was doing a natural pause at the end of the word - wanting to stop and cross the t - so go ahead and stop at the end - but do not leave extra space after the t. it can have a short tail (exit stroke) then just pick up the h on the next vertical line.

Video 8 - mintmintmintmint - no extra space between words. Pause if it feels right to stop and cross the t.