Riordan's life

Inspirations

Rick Riordan's journey into writing began with his son, who enjoyed bedtime stories about Greek gods and Greek Mythology. (Robinson) When Riordan ran out of myths and stories to tell, his son asked for more with new characters and myths. So he created new ones, creating the character Percy Jackson. This story was also a way to show his son, who was being tested for learning differences, that these differences were not a bad thing and was not something he should be embarrassed about. (Robinson) Riordan was a teacher, so he had in-depth knowledge about Greek gods and Mythology, so he incorporated that into his writing. Living in an artistic household, with his mother being an artist and his father a ceramicist, also played a big role in his process of creating these stories. Rick Riordan talked about how The Lord of the Rings was a huge inspiration towards him, which led him to start making books of his own. He also began crafting stories set in locations where he had lived or currently lived, blending his personal experiences into his work. Additionally, his love for storytelling was brought to him by his appreciation for other authors like J.R.R. Tolkien. Riordan’s experiences as an educator also helped him understand the importance of engaging young readers with relatable characters and thrilling adventures. 

Education/ Work Experience

Rick Riordan went to Alamo Heights High School, where he was an editor for the school newspaper and earned third place in state for UIL feature writing. He started his college journey at North Texas State, intending to join their music program, but later decided to transfer to the University of Texas at Austin. There, he graduated with a double major in English and History. After college, he became certified to teach English and History from IT San Antonio. During his college years, he spent three summers as the music director at a camp, which inspired the idea for Camp Half-Blood in Percy Jackson. (Robinson) Riordan's first full-time job was teaching at a middle school in Texas, and he later moved to San Francisco, where he lived and taught for eight years. After having two sons, Haley and Patrick, he returned to San Antonio and taught at Saint Mary's Hall for six years, focusing on grades 6-8, before becoming a full-time writer. Throughout his teaching career, mythology was a subject he taught almost every year and it remained his favorite topic. 

Family/ Early Life

Rick Riordan, son of Rick Riordan Sr. and Lyn Belisle, grew up in a household where education and storytelling was involved in their everyday routine. Both of his parents were teachers at different points in their lives, which is a main influence on his own path. He is described to be an imaginative child, Rick was encouraged by his parents, who often read him stories, leading to his early love for literature. Despite his parents' divorce in the 1970s, which led to him being mainly raised by his mother, he still held a lot of respect for his father. Rick later admitted that "the foundation for who I would become was laid in those early years, watching and learning from my father." (Sharma) His fascination with Greek mythology began in childhood, where he engaged himself in the myths of Greek gods and heroes. This passion for storytelling was clear early on, as he wrote a handful of short stories and even attempted to get them published. In 1978, he received his first rejection note from the 'Isaac Asimov Science Fiction' magazine, a moment that was discouraging at the time, turned out to be part of his journey towards becoming a successful author. (Sharma) These experiences, combined with his parents' influence and his wide imagination, set up his future success in writing incredibly enjoyable stories like the Percy Jackson series.

Successes

Rick Riordan originally gained his reputation in the literary world by creating adult mystery novels. However, he soon faced an issue when his students expressed interest in his work, which was not very appropriate for their age. This challenge, along with his sons not wanting to engage in reading, led Riordan to create writing material that would  spark interest in younger audiences. He got this idea from his son's struggles with reading, and that led to the creation of Percy Jackson. What began as a personal plan to encourage his son to read quickly gained rapid growth, leading to the publishing of "The Lightning Thief." This book, which was initially targeted for a single reader, eventually became very popular and was recognized as one of the most enjoyed books of 2005. Its success was further confirmed when it was chosen for ‘Al Roker's Book Club for Kids’. Jeanette Larson noted, "Each book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has been met with popular and critical acclaim, and the series has garnered an almost cult following.” In 2008, Riordan expanded his repertoire with the release of "The Maze of Bones" through Scholastic, where he was trusted with outlining the overall plot for the series. (Larson) Riordan's ability to connect with young readers has confirmed his place as a favorite author in children's literature.