FAQ: FAIRYTALES & FOLKLORE
We got far more questions about the theme and it's limitations than we expected, so hopefully this (paraphrased) FAQ will help any of you who are still looking for clarification of something! Until the writers have to hand in their entries, we will pin this post to our tumblr page and expand as needed.
Is my local/cultural folklore too obscure to use as inspiration?
As a rule of thumb, if it has a Wikipedia page you're good to go. When the time for posting comes around we'll ask that you credit/mention your inspiration in the tags or A/N of your fic, and the keyword you use in your note should be enough for people interested to learn more to be able to look it up. If the readers don't have any 'easy' way to learn more about it, then it might not be a good fit for the event.
How well-known does the chosen fairytale need to be?
You don’t have to keep with Disney/Grim-level mainstream but it should be something that’s at least some level of established. Like, if it’s been a properly published work it should be fine, but if it’s just a little tale written in some obscure letter that happened to get published in a wildly overlooked collective eventually, that might not be a good fit for this event.
Can I also use a movie as inspiration?
Depends on the movie. If you're thinking about old Disney movies then that should work because most of them are based on a fairytale themselves. When in doubt, try checking its Wikipedia page, there often is a mention about it. Just a general fantasy movie or the likes doesn't qualify, though.
And what about turning MadaTobi into some folklore 'race/class', would that be enough?
Depends on the execution. If you turn them into some fae and explore them acting within the rules commonly believed attached to those beings then that's fine. If you just slap on some wings and pointy ears and call it a day, though, than that's more fantasy than folklore and won't qualify.
What's the limitation of using in-verse folklore?
We have said we will accept in-fandom based folklore in regards to red eyes are blessed stories, but only because of the references to Amaterasu, who is a goddess in the Japanese pantheon of Shinto deities. We would like any folklore-based submissions to have some degree of relation to real-life lore, whether that’s religious or cultural in nature (e.g., greek gods and their adjacent powers, various different cultural takes on fae lore, etc.). We won't be accepting any stories that create entirely new folklore or draw from Naruto in-verse folklore without any reference or tie to real-life fairytales or folklore stories.
Do I have to write a play-by-play of my baseline material?
No, you're free to adapt as you'd like. But please try to stay at least as faithful to your inspiration that those who know the original tale would be able to recognise it's traces in your work without being told about it.
We hope this cleared up some lingering confusion but feel free to reach out if there are still some questions left.