Writing a paragraph is an important skill for a writer. After all, if you don't write paragraphs well, you can't possibly write anything larger well, now can you? Paragraphs are one of the main building blocks for writing. A writer's skill is measured by how well he or she can manipulate words, sentences and paragraphs into a flowing narrative. A book, an article, a speech, an anthology... they all come back to those three lonely building blocks.
It's important that anyone who wishes to be a writer become a master first at those three basic building blocks. In this article, I'm going to address a single issue. Just like your paragraphs should. I'm going to address why you need to focus on only one idea when writing your paragraphs.
Think of a paragraph as a mini-argument. Yes, the argument you call a book is made up of a great many paragraphs. But the paragraph itself is a mini-argument. Like any other argument it is made up of an introduction, a body and a conclusion. And like any other argument, it is judged by its organization and ability to stick to the topic.
By letting your paragraphs express more than one idea, you are allowing your paragraphs to become unorganized. You are allowing their arguments to flow off from the organization you have determined. You have lost focus and instead mutated into a disorganized flow.
In short, you no longer appear to be in control of your argument. And to a reader that's a sure indication that quality has suffered. That you do not know your subject well enough to control it. And that you can't synthesize the ideas into a something that makes sense. So make your life easier and keep your writing in control. One idea per paragraph.
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