Signature for Success. Arlyn J. Imberman

willpower rather than energy.

       Overconnected

      Overconnected writing is seamless with no breaks at all. Sometimes such writing is crowded as well. The overconnected writer can be perceived as compulsive, highly focused, literal, and logical, and she or he often sublimates emotions into a sense of willpower in order to accomplish goals.

       Disconnected

      Disconnected writing almost has the feel of printed writing. Somewhat disconnected writing indicates an idea person with a good analytical mind. The writer can have friends and acquaintances but may not connect to them in a deep or meaningful way.

      Very disconnected, almost choppy writing can be the sign of a highly creative or intuitive person but someone who may not always see his or her ideas come to fruition. This writer’s not always good at honing ideas to make them work. Furthermore, this personality can be moody and unpredictable, and not always adept at creating and sustaining relationships.

       Queen Elizabeth I of England is a good example of disconnected writing

       Printing

      Believe it or not, printed handwriting can be analyzed—it still adheres to many of the forms and styles that apply to script (cursive writing) despite the fact that no individual printed letter will span all three zones.

      Though mostly schoolchildren print, there are a variety of times when the average adult needs to print, i.e., when filling out forms and for legibility when writing notes or instructions to others. People who print are often logical and realistic.

      With our current emphasis on the computer, cursive writing has begun to take a backseat to printing. Writers who print often do not like their cursive style and feel printing gives them a great sense of control.

       A New Slant on Slants

      The slant of handwriting is the angle formed by strokes going up from or down to the baseline. Slants reflect emotional responses to what is going on in one’s life at the time one writes. There are four types of slants: right, upright, left, and variable.

       Right Slant

      The right slant is an angle of 45 to 85 degrees to the right. It reveals an outward-directed person, focusing on others and on the outside world. It generally means there’s an emphasis on taking initiative and on meeting goals and objectives.

       Upright Slant

      The upright slant is at an angle of 85 to 105 degrees. This vertical writing generally indicates self-reliance and self-discipline. It also reflects poise, discipline, self-control or reserve, introspection, and independence. Writers with an upright or neutral slant are fairly grounded in the present.

       Left Slant

      The left slant is an angle of 45 to 85 degrees to the left. It reveals an inward-directed person with an emphasis on the self, mother, protection, well-being, safety, and an attachment to the past. It also suggests resistance to change.

      This scale offers an easy way to “measure” slants in writing. You can trace and use it whenever you practice an analysis.

      From Klara G. Roman, Handwriting: A Key to Personality

       Swinging Both Ways: The Variable Slant

      Talk about ambivalence! If you examine a handwriting where the slant changes from right to left to upright to right again (or any combination thereof) you’re looking at someone who has real trouble making up his or her mind.

      PEN POINT What About Lefties?

      Lefties account for 15 percent of all writers. However, unless writing in Hebrew (which moves from right to left), most left-handed people are confronted with challenges when learning to write. They have to place their paper in odd positions to adapt to the right-handed writing world and avoid having their hands immediately wipe across (and smear) the fresh ink they’ve written.

      As a group, lefties are often considered sensitive, imaginative, and highly creative—Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Benjamin Franklin were all left-handed.

      In general, left-handed writing is not obvious. Some lefties tend to have more upright and angular handwriting than right-handed writers.

       DID YOU KNOW?

      People whose handwriting slants to the left can often find relationships challenging or difficult. They can also rebel against authority.

       Smooth Moves: Writing in Motion

      Movement is part and parcel of writing. Once you start writing, your writing moves, and the ways in which it moves—trend, rhythm, speed, spacing, and direction—are important personality indicators.

       How Trendy Are You? Right and Left Trends

      The Swiss psychologist Max Pulver taught us that the right represents the future and the left, the past. Any horizontal movement toward the left side of the page is called left trend; any movement toward the right side of the page is called right trend.

      What do we mean by movement? Right trend movement entails elements such as a rightward slant, letter loops that pull to the right, crossing t’s and dotting i’s on the right, long ending strokes, and margins that move to the right side of the page. Left trend movement entails elements such as a leftward slant, letter loops that pull to the left, crossing t’s and dotting i’s, and long beginning strokes.

       Right Trend and Left Trend

      A left trend represents an emphasis on oneself, withdrawal from others, yearning for influence, and resistance to authority. A general left trend indicates a need for the support of the mother and the past, while a general right trend represents adventure, challenge, the values of the father, and the future.

       I’ve Got Rhythm

      The rhythm in handwriting reflects the writer’s impulses—the unique contraction and release pattern. Movement, form, and space all work together, to create a rhythm pattern in writing.

       Strong Rhythm

      Qualities

      • Self-control

      • Stability

      • Steadfastness

      • Discipline