Ella asked Rick Riordan:

Hi! When you were writing the extremely upsetting deaths, such as the one in ToA, were you crying? That death especially was very upsetting for me, but it seems like it would be more upsetting for the author. Also, how do you write such tears- inducing death scenes. Every time I reread them I feel so sad. P.S Thank you for all you have written. Most of the time, your books bring so much joy.

Rick Riordan I usually don't quote the god of war, but as Mars says to Frank: "Life is only precious because it ends, kid." Deaths are very hard to write. And yes, you're right, I am closer to these characters than anyone, because I created them and lived with them for so many years. Yes, I shed tears when a character says their final goodbye. That said . . . you can't have the good times without the bad times, even in fiction. The tragedies are what make us appreciate the triumphs. And the stakes have to be real. Percy warns us on page one of the Lightning Thief: "Most of the time, being a demigod gets you killed." He wasn't kidding. It isn't nice, or fair, or joyful, but death is part of life, and I've found that fiction is a good place especially for young readers to process hard feelings as well as pleasant ones. Grief, alas, is part of what makes us human, and that's something Apollo learns in ToA, and a big reason he is able to embrace his own humanity.

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