According to the Urban Dictionary, the number one definition of Diva is: "Female version of a hustler." Since I find that definition slightly unsatisfactory, I am going to offer one of my own: 'A Diva is a person (usually of the feminine persuasion) who turns the emotional volume up, in either direction, good or bad, in order to bask in said personal emotion and to make sure everyone in near proximity knows about it.' This may not be the only facet involved in being a Diva, but it is one of the most noticeable ones, and thus we will treat it first.
So then, given that definition, there is a fine, fine line between a 'Diva' and a 'Drama Queen.' What makes the difference? A drama queen blows anything upsetting out of proportion. A true diva, on the other hand, embraces theatrics into her (or occasionally his) self-image, causing everything, regardless of valence (positive or negative) to be worthy of extensive effort, energy, and repetition. When you're a Diva, diva is always spelled with a capital D. The day is Ecssssssstatic, or it completely Suuuuuucccccks. There's very rarely a 'meh;' or if there is, no one ever hears about it. When you're a drama queen, your days have the right to only be 'ok.' But if you get a paper cut, well, then that's Ragnarok and everybody for a several mile radius better duck for cover (although, to be fair, paper cuts really can hurt).
Thus, it would be reasonable to conclude that a Diva, in the common sense, is a person who likes to live life on the emotional edge. This involves heightening the intensity of every moment. One of the easiest ways to tell a Diva is by looking at the volume control in her or his car. Is the music blasting so loudly that people several cars over can hear it, even with all the respected windows closed? Then they're probably a Diva, baby!*
*Audiophiles and people with varying degrees of deafness are not necessarily Divas. Thus, they are the most common exceptions to this heuristic.
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