Essays
Can an App Tell You if Your Hanzi Is Ugly?
An app can judge whether your character is correct and well-proportioned, but "ugly" is partly taste. Here is what feedback actually helps your handwriting.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Research
Does Stroke Order Change a Character's Meaning?
No. The order you write strokes in does not change what a character means. But it does affect legibility and recall. Here is the clear answer.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
How Much Sloppy Hanzi Will Professors Tolerate?
Will messy characters on the whiteboard cost you in a Chinese class? Here is what professors actually care about, and how to write legibly under pressure.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
HSK Writing: Does It Grade Spacing and Stroke Width?
HSK writing rewards correct, legible characters, not calligraphic precision. You don't need exact stroke width or pixel-perfect spacing, you need the right strokes in the right order and structure.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Do Connected or Cursive Strokes Lose Marks on HSK?
On HSK writing, characters should be clear standard-script forms. Connected or cursive strokes risk illegibility and lost marks. Here is how to write safely on the test.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
An App That Checks Your Proportions in the Mizige Grid
Want an app that checks the spatial proportions of your characters inside the mizige grid? Structure feedback is real and genuinely improves legibility. Here is how.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Why Do My Hanzi Look Like a Child Wrote Them?
Childish-looking characters usually come down to three fixable things: proportion, stroke order, and pace. Here is how to make your handwriting look like an adult's.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Dysgraphia and Messy Chinese Characters: What Helps
If your Chinese characters come out cramped or messy, slow, structured, from-memory practice on a grid can genuinely help legibility. Here is a realistic approach, and an honest caveat.
Lawrence Arya··5 min