Ask the Author: Rick Riordan
Answered Questions (477)
Rick Riordan
That's a great question. My own observation as a reader has been that we all tend to look at characters through the lens of our own experience. So when we talk about something being "coded," often it's not so much about what the author intended, but about how we as readers subjectively respond to the character. It's like when your literature teacher points out a metaphor in a book and says, "See, the author intended us to see this thing as a symbol of blah, blah, blah." Speaking as an author, I can promise you that 99% of the time, the author had no such intention. It just happened. I didn't consciously say to myself, 'ha, ha, I will cleverly hide small details about Nico in my books and then, in book nine, suddenly spring the truth upon my unsuspecting readers that he is gay!' No, but his character grew and developed over time as I wrote more about him, until it dawned on me -- even ME, a clueless old straight dude -- that he was gay. At which point, it was my responsibility to write him the way that felt true.
Rick Riordan
I've talked about this many times, but here is some info from my past responses:
"I can't give you any good news, I'm afraid. Most of the roles have to go to Canadian actors because we are filming in Canada. That's a provincial law and a requirement of the B.C. film board. So if you're not a Canadian citizen, it's already very, very difficult to be considered. Even the smallest of walk-on roles go to Canadian actors, and most of them do this for a living. Our quota of non-Canadian actors gets filled almost instantly. Secondly, acting is hard work that takes years to get good at. So if you are not already committed to acting for a living, have a history of roles, and have gotten yourself an agent, it's almost impossible to get considered. We don't really do open auditions, because there are already hundreds and thousands of working actors clamoring for parts, and they have already put in the work and know how to navigate the casting system, so the directors know they can do a good job. (Even the youngest actors have been doing this for years.) We did open auditions for some of the major roles at the very beginning of the process, but honestly, it wasn't even close. No one who wasn't already a committed actor even came near to competing against those actors who have made this their lives' work. So if you want to get cast in any show, there are no shortcuts. Put in the work. Years of hard work. Become an actor. Get a reputable agent. Then the agent will start walking you through the very difficult process of doing auditions. Work your way up from small parts to bigger parts. Acting, like writing a book, is something that sounds fun and cool to many people, but actually doing it requires much, much
more work than most folks realize!"
"My guess is that the normal casting process would be followed, which is to have our casting director send out casting calls to talent agents, so the best way to be considered is to get very good at what you do, work really hard at whatever acting jobs you can get, then find a reputable agent who believes in you and will help you submit for the roles you're interested in. It's extremely difficult for someone un-agented to get picked for a part, even if there is an open casting call, because you are competing against young professional actors who have gone through that process and have a lot more experience. From what I've seen, it's a tough business to crack into!"
"I can't give you any good news, I'm afraid. Most of the roles have to go to Canadian actors because we are filming in Canada. That's a provincial law and a requirement of the B.C. film board. So if you're not a Canadian citizen, it's already very, very difficult to be considered. Even the smallest of walk-on roles go to Canadian actors, and most of them do this for a living. Our quota of non-Canadian actors gets filled almost instantly. Secondly, acting is hard work that takes years to get good at. So if you are not already committed to acting for a living, have a history of roles, and have gotten yourself an agent, it's almost impossible to get considered. We don't really do open auditions, because there are already hundreds and thousands of working actors clamoring for parts, and they have already put in the work and know how to navigate the casting system, so the directors know they can do a good job. (Even the youngest actors have been doing this for years.) We did open auditions for some of the major roles at the very beginning of the process, but honestly, it wasn't even close. No one who wasn't already a committed actor even came near to competing against those actors who have made this their lives' work. So if you want to get cast in any show, there are no shortcuts. Put in the work. Years of hard work. Become an actor. Get a reputable agent. Then the agent will start walking you through the very difficult process of doing auditions. Work your way up from small parts to bigger parts. Acting, like writing a book, is something that sounds fun and cool to many people, but actually doing it requires much, much
more work than most folks realize!"
"My guess is that the normal casting process would be followed, which is to have our casting director send out casting calls to talent agents, so the best way to be considered is to get very good at what you do, work really hard at whatever acting jobs you can get, then find a reputable agent who believes in you and will help you submit for the roles you're interested in. It's extremely difficult for someone un-agented to get picked for a part, even if there is an open casting call, because you are competing against young professional actors who have gone through that process and have a lot more experience. From what I've seen, it's a tough business to crack into!"
Rick Riordan
"Demigods just kinda die over here." -- LOL, I shouldn't laugh, but that's a funny thought. I imagine demigods from other countries eventually find their way to Camp Half-Blood, or perhaps they have other means of staying alive. It's a great question I have never explored much!
Rick Riordan
This is probably because I know literally nothing about riding horses, as you can tell. On the other hand, pegasi are sentient and able to talk to Percy, so maybe they try to take it easy on him. I don't know. And the whole physics problem of wings that can hold up a horse . . . that doesn't make much sense either. I guess we just have to suspend disbelief.
Rick Riordan
The best advice I can give you is to treat every character as a human being -- as someone you know and care about, even the antagonists. Yes, it's critical to be respectful and aware of differences. If you can find a 'beta reader' from that diverse community to help advise you about what you've written, that's a good idea. I've been doing that since my very first novel BIG RED TEQUILA, which I wrote in 1994 and published in 1997. My mentor was an incredible writing teacher and lesbian mystery writer, Shelley Singer, and one of my first questions when I hired her to edit my manuscript was whether or not the gay character in the novel was believable and not a stereotype. She helped me a lot, and not just with that but with the basics of good writing
Having said all that, the bigger point is to treat the characters like real people. Despite our differences, I firmly believe that humans are more alike than we are different. We all have the same motivations, needs and feelings, more or less, so if you start with that understanding and try to respect the character as a person, you can't go too far wrong. At least, that's my hope!
Having said all that, the bigger point is to treat the characters like real people. Despite our differences, I firmly believe that humans are more alike than we are different. We all have the same motivations, needs and feelings, more or less, so if you start with that understanding and try to respect the character as a person, you can't go too far wrong. At least, that's my hope!
Rick Riordan
It's a tricky thing to determine, much less prove, whether someone has plagiarized your art. For one thing, you cannot copyright ideas, only the specific ways in which you explore and relate those ideas. Just because someone writes about mythology, or even demigods in the modern world, does not mean they could legally be charged with stealing from me, for example. They would have to do something really egregious, like naming their character 'Percy Jackson' or having their characters go to 'Camp Half-Blood' in Long Island. You cannot even copyright titles of books, so someone else could technically write a book called The Lightning Thief and there's not much I could do, unless the content and delivery was so similar to mine it was obvious. Add to this that Greek mythology itself is thousands of years old and thus public domain. Anyone can write about it, legally speaking.
All that said, occasionally we will find someone trying to sell blatant Percy Jackson merch online without permission, or content that is based on Percy's world. In such cases, we notify Disney Publishing and let them handle it.
Generally speaking, I try not to focus on things that might or might not be plagiarism, because again, it's often a gray area where I can't do much. It's best for me just to focus on telling the best story I can tell, and hoping it's good enough to rise to the top! I suppose every artist has to decide how to handle these issues in the way that makes most sense to them and causes them the least angst!
All that said, occasionally we will find someone trying to sell blatant Percy Jackson merch online without permission, or content that is based on Percy's world. In such cases, we notify Disney Publishing and let them handle it.
Generally speaking, I try not to focus on things that might or might not be plagiarism, because again, it's often a gray area where I can't do much. It's best for me just to focus on telling the best story I can tell, and hoping it's good enough to rise to the top! I suppose every artist has to decide how to handle these issues in the way that makes most sense to them and causes them the least angst!
Rick Riordan
Thanks. I'm not sure. I guess I just think that most humans worth writing about are unhinged. If there are any interesting hinged ones, I haven't met them.
Rick Riordan
I don't really pay that much attention to fandom reactions, honestly. I am sure these scenarios happen, but I usually don't think about it. Once the book is out in the world, it's kind of nice that it belongs to readers, not me anymore, and they can interpret it how they like.
Rick Riordan
Some days it feels like I am always sleeping and never writing. Other days it feels like the reverse. But I mean . . . writing is my job, and I enjoy it, so if I just keep plugging away, even though I am honestly not the fastest of writers, over the course of almost thirty years I end up with a large number of books! There's really no secret to it. Just keep doing it.
Rick Riordan
Oh, I've got plenty of fantasy recs for older readers right here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ! Just click on my reviews and browse through. Lord of the Rings and the Earthsea books were formative for me when I was young.
Rick Riordan
I don't get to travel as much as I would like, but I enjoy going to Italy so I can practice the language. I also love Ireland, Iceland and Norway. I'm sure if I went to more places I would love them, too!
Rick Riordan
I love Terry Pratchett, but no, the Mist is an actual force from Homer's Iliad, so the concept isn't mine and it's pretty old!
Rick Riordan
I was first published in 1997, when self-publishing meant something VERY different than it does now, so I have no idea what would've happened. It's also been so long since I broke into publishing that the entire business has changed, so it's difficult for me to give any helpful advice. The advice that remains true is this: write the absolute best book you can. Make it as polished and excellent and finished as it can be. Then and ONLY then try to get it published.
The rest of my advice is my best guess, but I could be wrong! Traditional publishing has advantages. The publisher does your editing, your marketing (sort of), your distribution, your graphic design. They can give you a better chance of getting your book noticed and into bookstores. BUT it's still an incredibly long-shot to get published, then another even longer shot to get noticed, then another long shot to become successful, and even if you manage all that, the publisher and bookseller take most of the profits. Last time I checked stats, only one in ten published books ever makes a profit. If you self-publish, you have do to literally everything, from design to marketing to distribution to editing, but if you manage to succeed (again, a huge long shot) you will get a much larger share of your sales. If you are famous for something else, like you are an influencer with a massive following, you might find self-publishing more doable? If not, you will find it very difficult to get attention all on your own.
I don't say all this to discourage you, but go into it with your eyes open. I started trying to get published when I was twelve years old, in 1977. It took me twenty years before I got my first book published. Even after that, I had to write and publish eight more novels before I wrote Percy Jackson and became a full-time writer. Your path may be different, but the one thing you will absolutely need is determination not to give up. Which publishing company should you solicit? Look at the companies that publish books you enjoy, and the kind of books you want to write. That is the best place to start. Good luck!
The rest of my advice is my best guess, but I could be wrong! Traditional publishing has advantages. The publisher does your editing, your marketing (sort of), your distribution, your graphic design. They can give you a better chance of getting your book noticed and into bookstores. BUT it's still an incredibly long-shot to get published, then another even longer shot to get noticed, then another long shot to become successful, and even if you manage all that, the publisher and bookseller take most of the profits. Last time I checked stats, only one in ten published books ever makes a profit. If you self-publish, you have do to literally everything, from design to marketing to distribution to editing, but if you manage to succeed (again, a huge long shot) you will get a much larger share of your sales. If you are famous for something else, like you are an influencer with a massive following, you might find self-publishing more doable? If not, you will find it very difficult to get attention all on your own.
I don't say all this to discourage you, but go into it with your eyes open. I started trying to get published when I was twelve years old, in 1977. It took me twenty years before I got my first book published. Even after that, I had to write and publish eight more novels before I wrote Percy Jackson and became a full-time writer. Your path may be different, but the one thing you will absolutely need is determination not to give up. Which publishing company should you solicit? Look at the companies that publish books you enjoy, and the kind of books you want to write. That is the best place to start. Good luck!
Rick Riordan
You're right that "κυανοχαίτης" (kyanokhaitēs), can be translated as "blue-haired" though it can also mean "dark-haired," just as "gray-eyed Athena" could mean "bright-eyed Athena," indicating a level of brightness rather than color. I am not an expert on Ancient Greek language, however! I just thought dark hair made more sense than blue hair, which might be a little distracting!
Rick Riordan
I can't see that far ahead, honestly. I don't have any such books planned. Never say never, but right now, the other projects I have on my plate (both books and potential TV shows) will keep me occupied for the next five years at least! Can't give you any more specifics right now, unfortunately, but stay tuned!
Rick Riordan
I mean, people really haven't changed very much over the centuries. That's why Greek mythology still resonates! Weirdly, I think the farther back you go, the more books resonate. Books that were published like fifty years ago tend to sound dated to me (and I'm old!) but if you go back hundreds of years, some books seem particularly fresh and relevant. During Covid, I started reading the Decameron, about a group of young people who flee the city to escape a medieval plague and spend all day telling each other stories. That felt VERY timely during the lockdowns.
Rick Riordan
At present, no one can possibly know the answer to this, including me. As I've said before, I'd consider it a huge win if we can just get five seasons of Percy Jackson made, covering the five original books. The first season was a huge hit, which helps a lot, and I'm pretty sure viewers will like the second season even more, but in the current environment, how many shows can you think of that have lasted for five seasons or more? A few, yes, but not many. Hopefully PJO will get that chance, but no one knows yet -- not me, not Disney, not anyone.
Now consider how many shows have lasted for five seasons and remained SO successful that they spawned a sequel series that also lasted five seasons? That's an even rarer event. It's hypothetically possible for us, I guess, but it all depends on the continued success of the first series, which no one can predict.
Since Heroes of Olympus happens after PJO, you'd really need to finish airing PJO the TV series before you could launch Heroes. Otherwise the story wouldn't make much sense. So . . . again, just hypothetically, IF we got the remaining three seasons for PJO green-lit one after the other, and IF we filmed and released them as quickly as possible, it would still be years before anyone was even ready to discuss a sequel series like Heroes of Olympus. We'll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I'll be doing everything I can behind the scenes to help PJO keep moving forward and exploring other potential adaptations of my books, but nothing is certain!
Now consider how many shows have lasted for five seasons and remained SO successful that they spawned a sequel series that also lasted five seasons? That's an even rarer event. It's hypothetically possible for us, I guess, but it all depends on the continued success of the first series, which no one can predict.
Since Heroes of Olympus happens after PJO, you'd really need to finish airing PJO the TV series before you could launch Heroes. Otherwise the story wouldn't make much sense. So . . . again, just hypothetically, IF we got the remaining three seasons for PJO green-lit one after the other, and IF we filmed and released them as quickly as possible, it would still be years before anyone was even ready to discuss a sequel series like Heroes of Olympus. We'll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I'll be doing everything I can behind the scenes to help PJO keep moving forward and exploring other potential adaptations of my books, but nothing is certain!
Rick Riordan
Anytime you try to tie Percy's world to a real-world year, you will melt your brain. The timelines don't synch, nor were they ever meant to. For example, the entire Heroes of Olympus series happened over the course of a single year in 'Percy time,' but the books took five years to write in 'real time,' so there's no way you can track what 'real' year it is in Percy's world. We just have to accept that the books happen in a vague sort of 'present day' without worrying about exact years in the real world.
Rick Riordan
I am not sure why you assume there are no Christians in my books. Some of the Christians, in fact, are the same as the gay characters. Nico di Angelo, an Italian from the 1930s, is most definitely Roman Catholic, though he doesn't talk a lot about his relationship with his religion. Will Solace, born outside of Austin, Texas, was raised a Protestant.
I'm not sure what proper Christian rep would look like in your opinion, but to me, it is someone who tries to follow the teachings of Christ -- love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, grace, care for the unfortunate, turning the other cheek even to your enemies. There are quite a few heroes like that in the books, and I imagine some of them are Christian.
Matthew 25: "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me."
The Christians probably would not announce themselves as Christians with speeches and T-shirts and flashy cross necklaces, but let their deeds and their attitudes speak for them:
Luke 11: "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Deuteronomy 15: “Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
They would above all follow Jesus' greatest command to love one another:
John 13: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.�
And this means they would love and show kindness to everyone, not just other Christians:
Matthew 5: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Again, I see lots of characters like that in my books. Some of them, I imagine, are Christians.
I could go on, but I hope that answers your question. It raises an important point: How can you tell when a character, or a person in real life, is a Christian? To me, the best Christian rep is found in characters (and real people) who try to follow the example of Christ. As in all ages of the world, we never have enough people who actually do that.
I'm not sure what proper Christian rep would look like in your opinion, but to me, it is someone who tries to follow the teachings of Christ -- love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, grace, care for the unfortunate, turning the other cheek even to your enemies. There are quite a few heroes like that in the books, and I imagine some of them are Christian.
Matthew 25: "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me."
The Christians probably would not announce themselves as Christians with speeches and T-shirts and flashy cross necklaces, but let their deeds and their attitudes speak for them:
Luke 11: "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Deuteronomy 15: “Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
They would above all follow Jesus' greatest command to love one another:
John 13: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.�
And this means they would love and show kindness to everyone, not just other Christians:
Matthew 5: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Again, I see lots of characters like that in my books. Some of them, I imagine, are Christians.
I could go on, but I hope that answers your question. It raises an important point: How can you tell when a character, or a person in real life, is a Christian? To me, the best Christian rep is found in characters (and real people) who try to follow the example of Christ. As in all ages of the world, we never have enough people who actually do that.
Rick Riordan
We always need more representation in books, and I'm always trying to make sure all kids can see themselves as heroes in mine! That said, I don't usually start with the idea: "I am going to include this particular type of representation," and then build a story around it. I usually start with the story and let the characters tell me who they are as I write them. They are pretty good about letting me know! Nico, Alex Fierro, Lavinia Asimov, Frank, Hazel, Ben the combat wheelchair user in the Tower of Nero, even Sarah (actor Threnody Tsai) the wheelchair user archer from Hermes cabin who we created just for the TV show: all are examples of characters who developed organically in this way. I created the story and the characters within it said, "Hey, this is who I am! Write me as I am!" I think (I hope) that this process makes the characters feel like a natural part of the fabric of the demigod world. It's hard to say will I ever do more of this or that type of rep, because "ever" is a very long time, but the older I get, the shorter "ever" seems. I also have to face the fact that most of the major characters I will ever write, I already have written, and most of the books I will ever create, I already have published. Added to this is the fact that the BEST rep, in my opinion, will almost always come from writers who have lived the experience of their characters, and those are the writers we need to be up-lifting. But of course I will keep writing as long as I can, and will keep trying to be inclusive, and when I don't do the best job of it, which will inevitably happen despite best efforts and best intentions, I will try to do better next time!
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