Tips on how to write better-looking characters ?

[tooironic]

I'm an intermediate-advanced learner of Chinese (aren't we all ) who wants to improve my Chinese handwriting. Are there any tips you can give me that might help? I know the basic guidelines you need to know how to write characters, but I was thinking more gerenal tips/exercises/ways of thinking. For example, I've been told the best way to write characters is to fit most of the character in the top half of the square, leaving a little bit more space for the rest of the character in the bottom half, and I must say ever since I started doing that my handwriting has improved, but still I really struggle with some of the more complex characters, especially now that I am learning traditional as well.

Cheers!

[monto]

There are patterns (小楷字帖or 钢笔字字帖) sold in book stores. Practice with them is the best way to have a beautiful handwriting.

[BLCUP]

买庞中华字帖，哈哈

[here2learn]

Have you learned anything about shufa 书法？I mean calligraphy using a brush & ink? I'm not saying to get good at it if you're not into that; it's an enormously long process... but to at least get a general idea of how each basic stroke would be made with a brush and ink... if you can at least fiddle with that and try it (even with dollar-store watercolors), getting the idea, your normal daily pen & paper handwriting will improve drastically (mine did anyway).

For example.... 子... is composed of 5 strokes (sort of)... I mean speaking in brush usage... you go across the top, down to the middle, straight down, then a brief whisk upward. Then the middle line across (maybe another hook then?). All these lines have names, maybe you know them... doesn't matter here & now... but when you do ONE mark over & over.... putting more pressure at the right time... for some strokes you start out with pressure then lift as you end the mark. For others you start light and press down into the paper a bit - there's even a stroke called 'press'.

I'm no expert, but I have 1-2 basic books, and when I started paying attention to those details my writing improved almost overnight.

I used to have the handwriting of a 7-8yr old, and now, (don't laugh, I'm serious!!!) I was told, no way, it looks like a middle/high schooler's. Hahaha... really. Imagine a kid in your country - a 7-8yr old's writing compared to a 14yr old's... big difference actually.

It takes a lot of writing to get comfortable and look native with writing.

[Quest]

Just buy one of those 字帖, choose a style you like and copy the content again and again, maybe 15 minutes a day, your handwriting will improve in no time.