Q & A with Carmen Agra DeedyReaders and budding writers will get an inside peek into author Carmen Agra Deedy's approach to writing and storytelling. Carmen is a familiar presence at the Library of Congress' National Book Festival (NBF) held in Washington D.C. Her recent Q & A for NBF's Young Readers' Online Toolkit is below.

NBF: How did you begin to write Martina the Beautiful Cockroach?Carmen: I've always loved the traditional version of this story. La Cucarachita Martina, or, Martina the Little Cock roach, is the Cuban folk tale, which tells of a tiny cockroach who goes a-courting—or, more accurately— sits on her balcony to be a-courted. As enacted by my marvelous storytelling mother, Martina was a true coquette, who drew many suitors before finding her perfect match. I loved the story so much that as soon as it ended, I was already begging, "Otra vez!" Again!

NBF: What sparked your imagination?Carmen: I was invited to speak to an assembly of Spanish-speaking children in North Georgia. Upon arriving at the school, I was told that 95% of the school population did not speak fluent English. The teachers asked me to tell a storyin Spanish. Although I'm bilingual, the repertoire of stories I've collected over the past eighteen years(over 200 now) are primarily in English.

I decided one of those would have to do. I would translate the story to Spanish in my head, as I went along. Then, before I could begin, an enormous insect flew across the gymnasium and over the heads of the squealing children. It was a "palmetto bug." This is nothing more, nor less, than a deceptive southern euphemism for a COCKROACH.

In the interest of science, I told the children this. They made dreadful noises of disgust. As our unwelcome guest slipped away through an open air vent, I knew exactly which story I needed to tell: Martina. I told it just as I remembered my mother telling it. Although I was speaking, it was Mami telling the story— complete with character voices, gestures, and sound effects. No sooner had I finished, than my young audience was chanting, "Otra vez! Otra vez!" Again, indeed.

NBF: What challenges do you face in your writing process?Carmen: The hardest part is making the time to write. Not finding the time to write, mind you. Making.

NBF: How do you overcome them?Carmen: I've learned to seize the moments when they appear. I cannot always write at the same time, in the same place. I work, travel, and have a vigorous family life. If I'm stranded in an airport lobby—I write. If I have to wait in a doctor's office—I write. If I have a morning or evening to myself—I write. And sometimes I just turn off the cell phone and leave town. Of course, then ... I don't always write.

NBF: What advice can you share with young students who hope to start writing?Carmen: Read, read, read. Read GOOD books. You will strengthen your understanding of story. Your vocabulary will be the richer for it. If you don't know where to start, ask your librarian for help finding books on topics that interest or excite you. You're more likely to finish a book you enjoy, than one that is feels like literary drudgery. Great writing and a killer story: that's what you're looking for.

NBF: Can you offer a fun writing topic to get them started?Carmen: One morning, when you are at the breakfast table, your dog talks to you. No one else in the room seems to hear him. It took all the telepathic energy he could muster to send you this one all-important message: what does he say?

NBF: What’s on your list of favorite children's books? Carmen: Eloise, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Tikki Tikki Tembo, Make Way for Duck lings, Dr. DeSoto, Where the Wild Things Are, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Miss Rumphius, Miss Nelson in Missing, Bootsie Barker Bites, Strong and Good, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, God Bless the Gargoyles, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and ...

NBF: What advice can you give to aspiring storytellers? Carmen: Listen.