Writer's cramp, also calle mogigraphia, causes a cramp or spasm affecting certain muscles of the hand and/or fingers. Writer's cramp is a task-specific focal dystonia of the hand . 'Focal' refers to the symptoms being limited to one location (the hand in this case), and 'task-specific' means that symptoms first occur only when the individual engages in a particular activity. Writer's cramp first affects an individual by inhibiting their ability to write.