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(How to ORGANIZE your nonfiction writing)

1) What will your ENGINE be? This is the POWER that drives your story. What is this article going to be about? Can you write that in one or two sentences? It will be the ENGINE that drives your story. Be sure your Engine has a COWCATCHER on it. (Something that will catch your reader's attention, that will start your article out in an interesting way.

2) Now you need the BOXCARS. This is the middle of your article. What are the most important points you want to make? (You might have three important things you want to talk about in this article. These will be your three BOXCARS.

3) Be sure you have good CONNECTIONS between the Engine and each of the boxcars. (These are the TRANSITIONS, to get us from one point to another smoothly.)

4) You will end your article with the CABOOSE. This is your wrap-up sentence or sentences. Most trains have a CABOOSE that's a little bit fancy, that catches your attention. How can you make your caboose interesting for your reader? You want to make your article really feel ended in an interesting, or funny, or exciting, or amazing way.

Here's an example: I want to write an article about Tucson, Arizona. The main thing I want to do in my nonfiction article is to convince people that Tucson is a wonderful place to be. Here is my short article:

COWCATCHER Can you think of a place where giant flowering cactuses stretch high up to the sky, and you can ride a horse for miles?

ENGINE I can! It's called Tucson, Arizona. It's a place that some people think is dry and deserty and boring, but it's really a wonderful place to visit. Come along with me and see.
BOXCAR 1 People think Tucson is too hot, but in the winter and spring, it is pleasantly warm with sunny skies, beautiful sunsets, and the most unusual blooming cactuses you could ever imagine, stretching for miles and miles.
BOXCAR 2 There are more things to do than you could imagine. Two of my favorites are riding my horse up into the purple foothills, and going to the little Mexican market to buy pinatas.
BOXCAR 3 The people in Tucson are so friendly! They will gladly show you the sights, and also some of the wonderful places to eat where you can get such delicious foods as tamales and chile rillenos.
CABOOSE Next time you get to travel, catch a plane to Tucson, and step off into a wonderful world of beautiful desert scenery and new friends that you'll never forget. Try it. You'll like it!