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A Guest Post from Rick Riordan on Writing as Apollo in The Hidden Oracle
If there’s an author who needs no introduction, it’s Rick Riordan, the wildly creative and witty powerhouse behind the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the The Kane Chronicles, and most recently, the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. Riordan’s books are so smart, funny, and irresistible, that fans are constantly clamoring for more. And we’re in luck, because the first book in his brand new The Trials of Apollo series will be in stores on May 3! In the first book in the series, The Hidden Oracle, Apollo finds himself trapped on earth in human form as punishment from his father, Zeus. Below, Riordan shares what it was like to write from Apollo’s point of view.
I’ve always wanted to be a Greek god. Maybe not permanently, but how fun would it be to have a throne on Mount Olympus, at least for a little while? I’d love to throw a few lightning bolts, smite a few unbelievers, and maybe change into a golden cloud or an eagle or a giant capybara just because I could. When I got the idea of writing a series from the point of view of Apollo—lord of archery, music, poetry, and about a dozen other assorted things—I couldn’t resist.
I’ve explored the world of Percy Jackson many times. I’ve used the points of view of numerous demigods. But never before had I tried to write in the voice of an immortal Olympian. The Trials of Apollo was a unique challenge that made Camp Half-Blood fresh and new for me all over again.
On one hand, our protagonist is a four-thousand-year-old deity who has seen it all. He has watched empires rise and fall. He is powerful, immortal and skilled at everything he does. He is used to being the most popular, handsomest god in the room, even if he does say so himself.
But now his father Zeus has punished him by throwing him down to earth, turning him into an awkward mortal teenaged boy with the ghastly alias Lester Papadopoulos. As a newly made mortal, Apollo can’t smite unbelievers. His archery, music, and poetry aren’t up to their normal godly standards. And he certainly won’t be turning into a giant capybara any time soon. Apollo/Lester has only one chance to stay alive—he needs to reach Camp Half-Blood, where he hopes the demigod campers will help him find a way to regain his throne on Olympus.
Writing from the point of view of Apollo was a real balancing act. He has all the experience of a god. He remembers his former glory. But he is stuck an awkward adolescent body that doesn’t do what he wants it to do. That dichotomy appealed to me, and I think it will appeal to a lot of middle grade readers. At that time in our lives, we are all struggling between what we hope to be and what we actually are. We want to be Apollo. Sadly, most days we are Lester.
I loved exploring the world of Percy Jackson from Apollo’s perspective. As a former god, he is both super well-informed and utterly clueless. He delights in simple pleasures like showers and bacon. He is horrified by such mortal inventions as toilets and underarm deodorant. He wants to be loved and admired. He thinks he deserves this. But the longer he is human, the more he questions his immortal privilege. Is it possible—gasp!—that Apollo was not as perfect a god as he thought? Is is possible—double gasp!—that he might actually have something to learn from these puny mortals?
Those questions are only partly answered in The Hidden Oracle. Fortunately for me, I have five books in the Trials of Apollo series to watch Apollo change and grow. I have a feeling he’s going to need all of that time to figure out his destiny, not to mention figuring out mortal toilets. Will our formerly godly hero find his way back to Olympus? Stay tuned, demigods!
The Hidden Oracle is on shelves May 3.