It ain't over till the good looking guys sing

July 10th, 2006

Il Divo is Italian for -- great story idea!

I not only learned about Il Divo last week, I saw them perform. If you're one of the uninitiated -- as I used to be, oh such a short time ago -- imagine an amalgam of the voice of Julio Iglesias, the looks of actor Orlando Bloom and the sex appeal of Italian soccer player Fabio Cannavaro. Then multiply times four.

That's because Il Divo consists of four unnervingly good looking young male opera singers who have been packaged -- emphasis on the word packaged -- into a pop/opera fusion act by Simon Cowell, the creator of and cranky British judge for American Idol. Cowell apparently scoured the world seeking exactly the right sound and look. (We also speculate that being single was a key part of the job description.)

To see Il Divo perform is not so much to attend a concert as it is to attend an event. It's not just about the singing, although these guys certainly have the pipes, it's about the giant video screens, the smoke machines, the light show, and the wall of sound. It's often schmaltzy and completely over the top in a way I hadn't witnessed since seeing Elton John way back in grade 11. But also tons of fun. Well, apart from the group's constant reference to the "girls" in the audience -- when the median age had to be close to 50. Still, perhaps the constant shrieking misled them...

When we left the concert, I said to our friends Lawrence and Maureen, who had so kindly invited us, "I've just witnessed a pop culture phenomenon that I didn't even know existed 12 hours ago." And what on earth does this have to do with writing? Let me get to that...

People constantly ask me where I get my story ideas. Whether the questioner is a business owner who publishes an email newsletter or a corporate writer who produces a print publication, the problem is the same: How do you feed the hungry beast? How do you come up with enough story ideas to fill your space?

My answer is now: Il Divo. That is code for: Look around you. There are story ideas everywhere; you're just not seeing them. What phenomena -- sitting right under your nose -- are you missing? What are your customers talking about? What's hot in your business? What do people talk about around the water cooler? All of these ideas can be turned into stories.

And unlike pop opera stars, you can write your stories without being even remotely good looking, or knowing how to sing...