An Online Interview with Rick Riordan
How is writing a children’s book different than writing an adult book?
You know, when I was writing Percy Jackson, I didn’t find it much different than writing an adult Tres Navarre novel. I think kids want the same thing from a book that adults want — a fast-paced story, characters worth caring about, humor, surprises and mystery. A good book always keeps you asking questions, and makes you keep turning pages so you can find out the answers.
I didn’t simplify anything to write The Lightning Thief. I didn’t worry about vocabulary or sentence length or book length or any of that. Of course, I tend to write in short, snappy sentences anyway, but I think it would be a mistake to “write down” to kids. They hate that. They want to be treated like intelligent and sophisticated readers, and who can blame them? I made sure the content was appropriate for young readers — after all, my own son was the first reader — but as far as the writing style, I hope Percy Jackson will be just as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids.
I did do my best to keep the book interesting. I’ve taught reading for many years, and I know that kids get bored with long descriptions that go on for pages and pages. They get bored with books that don’t seem to have a clear plot. I don’t think adult readers are much different. If anything, writing a children’s book made me a better adult writer, because I forced myself to tighten up my storytelling.
