Just some slow, mindful handwriting practice today. How is everyone's penmanship journey going?

I acknowledge that my handwriting has some interesting quirks (different stroke order with some letters, deformed/stretched shapes, etc) so I was wondering if my handwriting seems natural. If not, any help towards identifying what gives away the non-native look would be greatly appreciated! (Maybe some habits that native speakers and writers rarely have, etc)

Hi everyone,

Here comes the tenth "Monthly Handwriting Challenge" of this year. Same rules as before and feel free to write simplified Chinese characters. Our previous challenges are always open as well.

This line is taken from I Ching (易經):

說以行險 / 當位以節 / 中正以通

BT0002

This is my best handwriting
I mean it is legible, for sure. But I still feel like it’s weird

Also sorry if I wrote some words incorrectly. I forgot how to write a lot of characters

I forgot the flair

I wanna improve my handwriting

My goal is to know how to read and write, not much to speak, so I learn through stories. To explain the weird word choices here

What can I improve? I think this is the best I’ve done yet.

Book is Integral Chinese Volume 1, 4th Edition

So, after a a bit (that felt like a lot) of isolated strokes, radicals and characters, i started to try to write whole sentences to see if I was able to keep what I have been practicing - spacing, balance, proportions. This copybook is from this sub's library.

I am struggling to tell what I am doing wrong here, the thing that bothers me the most is how i am not good in alignment, and how some characters are too close or too far from the next one. can you guys please help me and point out more mistakes not only on the balance but also on the writing itself? Wrong strokes, sizes, inclination, curves etc?

For context: I've been self learning the language and handwriting for about an year and a half, and without an actual teacher to give feedback, it's easy to form bad habits without even notice, and keep repeating them forever.

This community already helped me to identify some of these bad habits about an year ago, and I tried to work on them and do better this time. I know there's still a long journey ahead, but i am really enjoying this process.

Any feedback and tips are welcome.

谢谢大家！

i mixed up 知 and 和 hence the arrows after changing

Hopefully I can write the whole poem.

Hi everyone,

The 24th weekly challenge of 2026 is 丟下, with the same rules as before. Also, feel free to do the previous challenges and join our Discord server for more!

BT0002

Do you write in a daily journal, or just write your favorite words?
Do you have any recommendations for beginner? I want to start handwriting, but I don't know what to write.

Every week l think I found the absolute secret to learning Mandarin. This week is my latest obsession. Just learn 500 Hanzi and that will fix my whole life.

Song lyrics. Learner of two months-ish.

Hi everyone,

Here comes the ninth "Monthly Handwriting Challenge" of this year. Same rules as before and feel free to write simplified Chinese characters. Our previous challenges are always open as well.

This line is taken from I Ching (易經):

官有渝 / 從正吉也 / 出門交有功

Around 3 months inbetween these two. I think I mostly improved on the character composition but my strokes are still a mess.

Hi everyone,

The 23rd weekly challenge of 2026 is 退化, with the same rules as before. Also, feel free to do the previous challenges and join our Discord server for more!

BT0002

I've been self learning writing for a whole year but It feels like I am stalling, my writing still.looks like garbage 😓... Could you please give me some fb on how to improve?

Edit: I can see that 16 people replied but for some reason I can't see the actual replies...ths anyway