I tend to have large handwriting.
There are a lot of factors that affect the available writing space (i.e., blank space in which no definition is being displayed):
- # of characters in headword / phrase (plus corresponding pinyin)
- headword / definition font size (mine are set to 60, 22 respectively)
- number of entries in the definition
- example sentences (if any and enabled)
Having said all that, the majority of the time I usually have enough space to write, as most entries have short definitions. I recently enabled example sentences, which can decrease the available space by a lot, even for entries that have short definitions (hence the expand/collapse request). Generally speaking, I've noticed that if there are ~4+ characters in the headword, the available space in which to write starts to feel cramped. (Even more so if the characters also have a lot of strokes).
Previously I've suggested that when using my iPad in landscape mode, the correct/incorrect buttons could be slimmed down (or displayed in some other creative way) to gain more screen real estate, and I still think that's worth considering.
If you are going to create a dedicated sketch area, then you run the risk of someone saying, "Oh, the sketch area is not big enough for me, can you make it bigger?"
One thought I had was to simply add a control that collapses/expands the entire entry (but not the headword and pinyin). So if the entry and/or example sentences are short, then I may have enough blank screen real estate in which to write. And if not, I can quickly hide the entry and practice my writing, etc.
