1 THE DESIGN Well written papers are read,remembered,cited.Poorly written papers are not. To write well,you need a design.Like any design activity,there are a number of steps (Figure 1).I've used the language of engineering design here-it fits well. (a)The Market Need.What is the purpose of the document?Who will read it?How will the reader use it?The answers help you decide the length,the level of detail,the style. (b)The Concept.Good writing starts with a plan.Writers have different ways of developing plans.I find the concept-sheet(Section 3,below)is a good way to do it. Market need Identify your readers Concept Construct the master-plan Embodiment Make the first draft —Edi Detail Refine:clarity,readability,style Product The visual presentation Figure I.The Design Process.Designing a paper is like designing anything else:there are five essential steps. (c) (d)The Embodiment.The embodiment is the first draft.Get the facts down on paper without worrying about style;make drafts of each section;develop the calculations;sketch the figures;assemble references. (e)Detail.Now comes the crafting:clarity,balance,readability:in a word-style. (f)The End-Product.Appearance is important:good layout,clear headings,well-designed figures. The Sections that follow expand on each of these in turn How to write a paper J MFA,16/08/11How to write a paper 3 MFA, 16/08/11 1 THE DESIGN Well written papers are read, remembered, cited. Poorly written papers are not. To write well, you need a design. Like any design activity, there are a number of steps (Figure 1). I’ve used the language of engineering design here – it fits well. (a) The Market Need. What is the purpose of the document? Who will read it? How will the reader use it? The answers help you decide the length, the level of detail, the style. (b) The Concept. Good writing starts with a plan. Writers have different ways of developing plans. I find the concept-sheet (Section 3, below) is a good way to do it. (c) (d) The Embodiment. The embodiment is the first draft. Get the facts down on paper without worrying about style; make drafts of each section; develop the calculations; sketch the figures; assemble references. (e) Detail. Now comes the crafting: clarity, balance, readability; in a word – style. (f) The End-Product. Appearance is important: good layout, clear headings, well-designed figures. The Sections that follow expand on each of these in turn. Figure 1. The Design Process. Designing a paper is like designing anything else: there are five essential steps