Training for Short Stories 1.Show a clip from the movie Finding Nemo or another film that shows conflict. Ask what problems are in the movie and what problems students have read or have seen in other movies. 2.Give each student a train organizer with as many cars as necessary. 3.Look at “Heartbeat of a Short Sorry” and discuss steps in writing a short story. While discussing the steps and elements, as a class fill in the train graphic organizer together. One possible organization is Car #1 identifies the problem. Car #2 describes the setting where the problem occurs. Car #3 has dialogue. Car #4 describes how the problem grows worse. Car #5 describes how the main character tries to remedy the problem, but it gets even worse. Car #6 shows how the problem is solved and wraps up the story. lesson by Jaclyn Tompkins, Murray Elementary, modified by Stephanie Kirk, Livingston County Writing Resource Teacher train organizer by Donna Vincent