by Mayv 'SpearBourne' Amaia

Created on: May 20, 2010   Last Updated: July 21, 2011

A curtain story, or curtainfic, is a fan fiction story which focuses on domestic duties or the domestic bliss of a couple.

A common scene for curtainfic is the romantic pairing, whether a heterosexual couple or a same-sex pairing, deciding to move in together and going shopping for curtains. It is from this plot line that the genre got its name.

The couple might also be featured performing some type of mundane domestic chore, such as washing dishes or rearranging furniture. Some curtain stories simply have the couple enjoying a quiet evening at home, relaxing or chatting over dinner.

This genre tends to be generally free of angst, turmoil, or other themes on the darker end of the spectrum of fan fiction. True curtainfic also rarely includes depictions of sex. Picking out china patterns would not typically become a bodice-ripper with the dishes being broken by passionate flailing of limbs.

Because of the light-hearted tone of these stories, curtainfic can be seen as a variety of WAFF, or "Warm And Fuzzy Feeling" fan fiction.

Curtainfic, as a genre, somewhat overlaps with Kidfic, or stories that focus on soon-to-be parents preparing for the arrival of a child.

Fan fiction writers can use this type of story as a sort of "breather" from more action-packed, dramatic, or angst-ridden chapters. Curtain stories can also provide a way for a writer to delve into character study without worrying as much about a plot or story arcs.

These can also be comedic chapters wherein characters who are normally seen in fantastic or intense settings attempt to perform some mundane, everyday task, such as 24's Jack Bauer going out to buy paper towels.

Somewhat ironically, curtainfics tend to be quite popular with fandoms based on series of more serious natures. Perhaps this is because writers of fan fiction wish to see tormented characters achieve some semblance of normalcy and happiness.

Take, for example, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Angel, the vampire with a soul. While this couple has never managed to "live happily ever after" on screen, curtainfic could have them finally experiencing happiness together without demonic interruptions or, as in one episode of Angel, "I Will Remember You," time being reset to before they were able to rekindle their romance.

This episode could be classed as a curtain story, but in the end, because time was rewound to just before Angel was able to become human again, it became something of an angst story.

This genre of fan fiction can provide a welcome break from angst-ridden or complex plots that can be depressing at times. Curtainfic also allow "star-cross'd lovers" who have not previously been permitted to have an untroubled romance to, at long last, live happily ever after.

References:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CurtainFi c

http://fanlore.org/wiki/Curtainfic

http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/I_Will_Remember_You

Learn more about this author, Mayv 'SpearBourne' Amaia.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.