Many people wonder how J.D. Salinger wrote one of the most controversial and trademark coming-of-age novel, The Catcher in the Rye, which continues to be a Best-Seller and impact current and future generations. As a young writer, reading The Catcher in the Rye for the first time was a monumental experience. After reading it, with every piece of writing I create, I try to someway, emulate Salinger's style. But here's the thing: The Catcher in the Rye didn't become popular because it emulated another book or author. In fact, it was infamous due to the content, voice, and lesson.
While writing The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger went through war, heartbreak, and rejection, something that this generation of writers either haven't experienced or try to avoid. In order to write what we know, we have to live and experience new things to then create so we can portray different worlds and characters. That's where it all starts.
Holden Caulfield floated between several short stories that Salinger wrote and in each short story, Holden was portrayed the same way: a young adult male who was annoyed by the false lives he saw people living. During that time, writers who tried to rebel against society were considered communists.
Being a writer is about taking risks. The Catcher in the Rye was not a Best Seller because it taught great values to young readers, but because it was honest and clear about a generation whose voices were clouded by what society wanted them to say.
In order to write a novel as great as "The Catcher in the Rye," as a writer, you need to experience new things, be fearless, and be honest. Readers don't want to listen to someone who doesn't believe in what they are writing. Give birth to a character that can connect to a generation. Mold and create a story that will echo through generations. There can't be only one Salinger in this world.