If you were the kind of kid who made less than stellar grades in some subjects because you became obsessed with exploring something off the syllabus, you may have been destined to be a writer. There is a noble tradition, in fact, of writers and academic failure.

The list of celebrated novelists is filled with people who did poorly in school. Roald Dahl was told by an English teacher that he would never amount to anything. F. Scott Fitzgerald never finished at Princeton. Paste Magazine’s list of famous writers who never went to college, includes Ray Bradbury, Truman Capote, Maya Angelou, Mark Twain, Jack Kerouak, William Faulkner, and Augusten Burroughs. Many of them barely graduated from high school.

A passion for writing, a devotion to reading, and intense curiosity can transform dull students into great writers. I’m not saying that grades are completely irrelevant. However, when schools and parents become obsessed with assessment, kids lose out on valuable opportunities to learn and to develop their own unique talents. As a parent, I want my son to do his best. That said, I value curiosity far more than a letter on a report card, because children who are capable of developing passionate interests and following through on the things that inspire them are likely to be more successful and happier than those who simply follow orders and do well on tests.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do… Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain

Join the four-week Flash Fiction Intensive, and let your curiosity guide your writing.