Beginner's Calligraphy - Letter Formation Tip

Calligraphy is not writing. When you write, you make a string of symbols - a rough circle for '0', a hook shape for 'r' that you learned many years ago. Approximations are fine and the exact shape doesn't matter too much. We write without much thought. By contrast, in calligraphy, the exact shape of the letter matters a great deal. The angle or slope of the line, its placement next to the other letters, the angle of our hand, all affect the look of the finished letter.
The fastest way to improve your calligraphy is not to think of it as writing, but to DRAW the letters. Look at the shape of each one, and draw it as a form that you must copy exactly. Don't try to write a whole word at once, but consider one letter at a time.