Essays
Is Hanzi Art, or Did Flashcards Flatten It?
Reducing characters to flashcard data can drain the art out of them. Here is a case that writing them by hand restores what recognition-only study quietly removes.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Is Learning Stroke Order Obsolete in 2026?
If everyone types, why learn stroke order? Because it still does three things typing cannot. Here is when stroke order matters and when you can let it go.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Research
Is Muscle Memory Real for Writing Chinese?
Yes, in the sense that matters. Repeatedly writing characters builds procedural memory that makes recall faster and more automatic. Here is what muscle memory really means for Hanzi.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Is There a Duolingo for Writing Hanzi by Hand?
Duolingo gamifies recognition, but it barely touches writing characters from memory. Here is why, and what a handwriting-first alternative actually looks like.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Research
Learning to Write Chinese for Neuroplasticity
Learning a complex new skill like writing Chinese is exactly the kind of novel, demanding challenge associated with an adaptable brain. Here is the honest version, without the hype.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Does the Memory Palace Method Work for Writing Hanzi?
The memory palace is great for ordered lists, less so for writing characters. Here is what actually works for Hanzi recall: component mnemonics plus from-memory practice.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
A Minimalist Anki Alternative for Hanzi (No Clutter)
Anki is powerful but famously utilitarian. If you want minimalist spaced repetition for writing Chinese characters, here is what minimal should actually mean, and where Hanzi Write Practice fits.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Ninchanese Stroke-Mode Alternatives for Writing Hanzi
If you like Ninchanese's stroke mode but want something different, here is an honest comparison: more gamification versus better writing recall, and which actually helps.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Notion Stroke-Order Templates, and Their Limit
A Notion database of characters with animated stroke-order GIFs is a tidy reference, but watching loops is not learning to write. Here is how to use it without stalling on recall.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Offline Chinese Writing Practice in Airplane Mode
Writing practice is one of the few study activities that works perfectly offline. Here is why it suits planes, commutes, and expat life, and what to look for in an offline app.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
A Chinese Writing App With No Subscription
Most Chinese apps are subscriptions. If you want a one-time payment with no recurring fee, here is the landscape and where Hanzi Write Practice stands: free in early access, with a planned lifetime option.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Open-Source Spaced Repetition for Writing Hanzi
The spaced-repetition algorithm is the commodity part, and good ones like FSRS are open source. What is rare is applying solid spacing to writing characters from memory. Here is the honest picture.
Lawrence Arya··5 min