Hi Chris
Yes, for fiction I try to keep paragraphs as short as I do my sentences, and a curved profile is a nice way to describe the shape I think. A simple structure is best for my type of writing and I do ensure that all paragraphs are unified and coherent before I feel satisfied with them. However, for the kind of stuff you write there is a whole different approach to the structuring of sentences and paragraphs. Such lengths as you mention could be seen as necessary and certainly essential for some academic subjects. You can still use the Flesch reading ease, and Flesch-Kincaid grade level tool, for academic writing though. I used it for my post teaching certificate of education essays (wish I'd heard of it before that), and used anything from 20% - 40% as an indicator for keeping on track.
Some info here:
http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/wri...g/flesch.shtml