General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Cursive writing is not being taught in much of America. [View all]Cyrano
(15,075 posts)I've made a living as a tech writer, a copywriter, and a fiction writer. It doesn't matter whether I'm using a quill, a pen, a keyboard, or a stone to etch words onto a cave wall. Writing has been my life. I can't imagine not being able to write. I'm a terrible public speaker. Those who are good public speakers, seem to be relying on whatever pops into their mind next. (Unless they're reading a teleprompter.) Conversely, writing, somehow, makes me think. It makes me reflect on what I'm saying and what I'm going to say next. And writing with a ballpoint seems to have the effect of making me think deeper and longer. (Pencils seem to be instruments that will allow thoughts to fade too quickly.)
Quills were slow. Fountain pens made you scrub ink off your hands a few times a day. And I can touch type at a reasonable rate.
Yet, I've found that writing cursively makes me think more about what it is I'm writing. I don't have enough knowledge of the human brain to know why this is so. Sometimes, I'll be out somewhere with friends and an idea that I want to keep enters my head. I have no problem with grabbing some available pen and writing out a few sentences on whatever is available. It only takes me a moment. I can't imagine ignoring everyone else while I take the time to print my thoughts on paper.
Whatever. If you feel that the alternatives to cursive writing are sufficient for your purposes, who am I to say you're wrong?