As no two authors write in the same way, no one can say which way of writing will suit you best. You will have to find out for yourself. The writing procedure described here is the one I personally have found most useful – by trial and error. Hopefully you may find some portion of it to adopt.

A central part of this writing scheme is to collect ideas while the study is in progress.

Write down your thoughts as they arise

While the study is still in progress, jot down ideas as they occur to you. The notes can be assembled, for example, in a loose-leaf binder containing plastic sleeves, one for each section of the paper. (Woody Allen, the moviemaker, works in a similar way; in a drawer he gathers slips of paper with ideas for his forthcoming movie.)

Ideas can pop up anywhere – in bed, in the bath, in the street, on the bus. So, place your notebooks strategically so that you always have one at hand, wherever you are. Use one sheet of paper per idea, even if the idea is only a single line or phrase.

Eventually, the reservoir may contain all the components of the paper (or film script), waiting to be arranged.

Where and when to write?

As a beginner I made the cardinal error of taking two weeks off and sitting down on a Monday morning in an attempt to write the first draft continuously from beginning to end.