A method for guiding handwriting input to a computing device , the computing device comprising a processor and at least one system application for recognizing the handwriting input under control of the processor , the method comprising configuring the at least one system application to: cause the display on an interactive display of the computer device, of: a line pattern background to help a user to write with proper vertical spacing; and a guide element as a horizontal bar contiguous with and above a portion of display of digital ink corresponding to the handwriting input, on the line of the pattern background above the line on which the user started to input characters, the guide element configured to guide further handwriting input, wherein the guide element is displayed to include a dynamic ruler; cause the dynamic ruler to dynamically indicate, as the handwriting is input, at least one dimension of the digital ink, the at least one dimension including a width of a content block containing the digital ink, a content block being a sequential handwriting input of characters of words into at least one paragraph; the dynamic ruler being dimensioned coextensively with the at least one paragraph; whereby the display of the guide element above a paragraph is terminated when the user skips a line of the background pattern by continuing the handwritten input corresponding to a new paragraph below the last line of the previous paragraph so that there is an empty line between the new paragraph and the previous paragraph, and the guide element is displayed on the line of the pattern background above the first line of the new paragraph . cause the display on an interactive display of the computer device, of: a line pattern background to help a user to write with proper vertical spacing; and a guide element as a horizontal bar contiguous with and above a portion of display of digital ink corresponding to the handwriting input, on the line of the pattern background above the line on which the user started to input characters, the guide element configured to guide further handwriting input, wherein the guide element is displayed to include a dynamic ruler; a line pattern background to help a user to write with proper vertical spacing; and a guide element as a horizontal bar contiguous with and above a portion of display of digital ink corresponding to the handwriting input, on the line of the pattern background above the line on which the user started to input characters, the guide element configured to guide further handwriting input, wherein the guide element is displayed to include a dynamic ruler; cause the dynamic ruler to dynamically indicate, as the handwriting is input, at least one dimension of the digital ink, the at least one dimension including a width of a content block containing the digital ink, a content block being a sequential handwriting input of characters of words into at least one paragraph; the dynamic ruler being dimensioned coextensively with the at least one paragraph; whereby the display of the guide element above a paragraph is terminated when the user skips a line of the background pattern by continuing the handwritten input corresponding to a new paragraph below the last line of the previous paragraph so that there is an empty line between the new paragraph and the previous paragraph, and the guide element is displayed on the line of the pattern background above the first line of the new paragraph . <EOS>