Try ruining a stereotype

“What to write about?”. This is a question that tortures many writers, bloggers, and even professional journalists. 

How to attract an audience’s attention and to satisfy people’s hunger for a fresh idea?

There are plenty of recommendations and guidelines about the issue on the Internet. Experienced publicists say that it’s easier to find news in everyday life. Sometimes it works as great as storytelling, especially if you generously spice your narrative with human emotions. 

I believe that I have found another road to inspiration. If you can’t see a decent topic for a text, try ruining a stereotype. 

For instance, I spent last night in a Siberian village. There was a big local celebration. 

What do people outside of Russia (and even in Russia, by the way) usually think of life in Siberia? They often picture deep snow and hopeless poverty, dark gray landscapes where gloomy and exhausted people are hunting for bear and guzzling vodka. 

To be honest, I myself was really surprised to see happy families with beautiful children, smiling and dancing, and nobody falling over drunk. There was a local rock band playing popular tunes that you can usually hear in Moscow or London. Later a fire-show and fireworks made the party sparkle. 

Would you be surprised to learn that people in Siberia enjoy locally grown watermelons, huge pink tomatoes, apricots and delicious apples? All these fruits were introduced to Southern Siberia in the nineteenth century by Decembrists - dissident noblemen, who were deported from St. Petersburg to Siberia in 1828 by Nicolas I. 

It goes without saying that if you want to ruin a stereotype you’ll need to learn something new about the topic or get first hand experience in it. 

It’s never easy to change people’s minds or replace deeply rooted preconceptions, but you will agree that it is a worthy job for a good writer.