JD Salinger: Bullets, bombs, and a book

A client recently told me that he can only write at a particular time of the day and only on certain days. This was not the result of a tight schedule or the demands of work or parenting.

His brain simply doesn’t function well at specific parts of the day.

I told him that J.D. Salinger worked on “The Catcher in the Rye” while serving in World War II, carrying parts of the manuscript in his backpack while landing on the beaches of Normandy.

He continued to put pen to paper while fighting through the Hurtgen Forest, scribbling between battles.

The book was eventually published in 1951 when Salinger was 32 years old. It’s sold more than 65 million copies to date.

Only being able to write at certain times or certain days or in specific locations or with particular pens is the problem of people with no real problems.

Shut up and get to work.