Beginner's blues

Great site, just discovered it. So, I am trying to teach myself Simplified. It is going well, kind of... I can read it fine but writing is another matter. If I write the outlines on my whiteboard at work they are good. But writing normal size on paper they are not so good. Problem is, for example, keeping lines straight: if I write 'rate' the r and the a are ok, but the t bit I find hard to make the t part straight, the curve kind of follows through from the 'a'. So I have to kind of pause and make a jerky 't' addition.

So my question is, will this come ok with time. I am not sure if I should write the notation more slowly and if practice makes perfect. Right now it seems as though I am 'writing' the shorthand instead of it flowing.

I'd be grateful for any input.

Many thanks