Well, I'm not quite sure how to keep a Cloudcuckoolander from sounding forced. I'm very good at writing them since I feel that I'm one myself. I guess you could just establish a limit as to the weird things that your character could come up with and do, but firmly establish it as part of the character.
Yamato Nadeshiko has to do with an entire set of personality traits and behaviors, which includes acting demure and polite all the time, as well as keeping the house under control. The ideal Japanese woman, in other words. Nightmare Fetishism is not really a desirable trait to have in a wife, so I would say no on that one. However, the naiveness and Genki Girl tendencies work a little better, so I would say yes so long as those don't interfere with the demureness and etiquette.
However, I can't really help you with the Personality Powers, though. Sorry. ^^;
So, in short- for Point one, make sure that the Couldcuckoolanderness makes sense. Point two is a no. Point three is a yes so long as it's not too pronounced. Point four is an "I dunno".
edited 21st Feb '11 4:54:15 PM by CrystalGlacia
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
Insert witty title here
I should have known point 2 made no sense XD. Thanks, anyway.
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker
(That Guy You Met Once)
She could still be a Nightmare Fetishist as long as she keeps it (very, very) secret.
Project progress: The Adroan (102k words), The Pigeon Witch, (40k). Done but in need of reworking: Yume Hime, (50k)
SURPRISE
To try and not force the oddness, think of, well, what you'd babble to yourself when you were sure no one else was around to listen. Sounds odd, don't it? That's what most cloudcuckoolanders do.
Was Jack Mackerel. | i rite gud
(they/them)
I'm a bit of a Cloudcuckoolander myself, so I can try to answer that first question. You know how sometimes your train of thought goes through a bunch of different topics, so that you end up thinking about something completely different than what you were originally thinking about? Also, you might have a few strange thoughts along the way that don't really make sense.
Most people will just ignore these wild tangents and move on. The Cloudcuckoolander actually voices those thoughts, but fails to provide anyone else with adequate context, so it seems like it comes out of the blue.
For example, let's say you're thinking about how mathematics shows up in nature. The most obvious example of this is fractal geometry, such as what you see in ferns, clouds, or broccoli flowers. In particular, there's this really cool kind of vegetable called Romanesco broccoli which displays a very clear and distinctive fractal pattern. (It's also quite tasty when cooked and sprinkled with pepper and olive oil.) Speaking of broccoli, ever notice that cauliflower looks like broccoli that's been bleached or something? Reminds me of those video games where you can combine items to make new stuff.
Cloudcuckoolander: "I want to make a video game where you can combine broccoli and bleach to get cauliflower. That would be awesome."
Everyone else: What.
It makes sense internally, even if everyone else is totally baffled by it. I'd guess that it's much less likely to sound forced if you come up with this sort of reasoning behind it.
edited 21st Feb '11 7:00:51 PM by Enthryn
1) I kind of let myself go when I write a cloudcuckoolander. Instead of forcing myself I just pretend I have no inhibitions and use stream of consciousness.
- Osaka from Azumanga Daioh is the quintessential cloudcuckoolander. Study
the ways of the master.
- My character Nekssa.
2/2a) It might be possible but you'll have to either have the cloudcuckoolander and Nightmare Fetishist tendences be surpressed (Her home is spotless; you'd never guess that she likes to look up spiders on the internet and keeps a copy of Lady Chatterly's Lover and Mad Magazine under her pillow). Alternately, she could be a Perky Goth or Elegant Gothic Lolita, where the Yamato Nadeshiko qualities are expressed in a Nightmare Fetishist style.
- Audrey Hepburn's cloudcuckoolander character, Holly Golightly has Yamato Nadeshiko tendencies without actually being a YN.
- Cassandra Nightingale, a Yamato Nadeshiko - style Hot Witch.
- Naal'suul Val'Beldrobbaen, Elegant Gothic Lolita Lonely Rich Kid (seen here).
- The demon from the horror - comedy "Dark Angel the Ascent" (NSFW link due to gore) is an example of a Hero with an F in Good / Blue-and-Orange Morality - style cloudcuckoolander with a nightmare fetish Up To Eleven. No Yamato Nadeshiko, though.
3) Depends on how loud.
4) Fire or electricity kind of makes sense, something that can get out of control, but can also be warm and helpful.
5) Energetic and depressed works. Alternately, you could subvert it by "life" being a shy Yamato Nadeshiko and "death" being a Perky Goth, "life" as a Cloud Cuckoolander and "death" as Deadpan Snarker.
edited 21st Feb '11 8:33:44 PM by FrodoGoofballCoTV
OMG its Bonnie Gruesen
I'm kind of in need of this too, writing Luna Lovegood for fan fiction makes it a must do. I don't think I've seen but a few people get her right.
Fractured, my Harry Potter Fic: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6655978/1/Fractured
Nemesis
I'd recommend against a 'death' character being a Perky Goth myself; it stands a good chance of people thinking you're ripping off Neil Gaiman. Original when he did it, not so much now.
A brighter future for a darker age.
For the tusedere libby, try super-charisma, and ice/fire powers, to represent her popularity and her bipolar personality, resepctivly.
OMG its Bonnie Gruesen
In regards to Death being a perky Goth, most people have never even read Sandman, I wrote a Death character like that before I learned about Gaiman and it wasn't until a friend mentioned it that anyone or myself made the connection. The thing is that no idea is original. Death has been done over and over and someone who looks long and hard enough is bound to find similarities with your work.
Fractured, my Harry Potter Fic: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6655978/1/Fractured
Death kid should maybe be a Nightmare Fetishist and somewhat of a loner, while life kid is sociable, kind and Friend to All Living Things.
You might consider going for more a Stepford Smiler type with #2, rather than Yamato Nadeshiko. StepfordSmilers are meant to be a bit creepy.
My biggest advice for a Cloudcuckoolander is to make sure his/her thoughts and actions make sense to you, the all-knowing creator, but the character doesn't explain himself/herself well to others. So he/she goes off on a tangent that you've planned out, but they only verbalize or act on the last bit.
If I'm asking for advice on a story idea, don't tell me it can't be done.
Six doubts in one, because I'm kind of spamming this board XD. This might become my "I have doubts concerned a trope" mega thread.
1) I'm having issues writing a Cloudcuckoolander without sounding forced. Any ideas X_X?
2) I was thinking of creating a character who's a Yamato Nadeshiko with Clocuckoolander and Nightmare Fetishist tendences. As in, she would be sweet, gentle, loyal to her loved ones and a good cook, but would also be slightly out of it and have a strange fascination with poison.
2a) Or maybe she would be a Yamato Nadeshiko who's not a Cloucuckoolander but would still be fascinated with poison and horror books and sometimes make dark jokes.
3) I have another character who's loud, slightly irresponsible and energetic, but she's also sweet, loyal to her loved ones and a domestic goddess. Would she qualify for YN? Just curious.
4) ...And changing completely the subject... Ideas of Personality Powers for a Loveable Libby who's a bit of naive Tsundere?
5) Speaking of personality powers... I was thinking of creating twins, with Personality Powers. Older sister would have life powers, younger sister death powers. I would like them to have different personalities. I can't think anything other than energetic and depressed, respectively. Of course, there would be more to them than that. I would only need a basis.
edited 21st Feb '11 5:05:19 PM by risingdreamer
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker