The essentials and methods of writing are as follows:
1. Starting and closing the pen: Regarding starting the pen, make sure that it has a clear square and round shape, and is perfect and clean. If you follow the starting point of the pen, there will be no missing peaks; if you go backward, there will be no swelling of ink. If there are no missing peaks, the shape will be perfect. If there is no swelling of ink, the strokes will be clean. When starting the pen, it will flow into a square and when it is reversed, it will become a circle. When closing the pen, you need to pause or fold the tip of the pen to make a square shape, and return the tip to make a round shape.
2. Lifting the pen and pausing: When you are writing, the process of completing a word is formed by the interaction between lifting the pen and pausing. "Pausing" means pressing down the pen and bending the tip of the pen. The force is applied to the paper. "Lift" means to lift or half-lift the pen to continue writing.
Generally speaking, you need to lift the pen after you pause the pen to make the strokes. After lifting the pen, you need to pause the pen again to form the stroke, or to connect the next stroke to finally form the character. That’s why it is said that calligraphy writing is an alternating process of mention and pause.