For the longest time my character put it as "my stomach is tumbling like a dryer..." Then the thought occurred to me this afternoon... MY MC DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A DRYER IS! So, what are some of the other good descriptions for a rolling, clenched up gut that's about two seconds from launching its contents all over the floor?
What time period/culture (there are many) is your MC in that he/she is not aware of what a dryer is? I have a lot of answers,. but it will vary depending on where and when your MC is saying this?
They are familiar with a seacoast yes. It's post apocalypse sci-fi, so the MC knows what a dryer is, but not really what one is like when it's turned on.
Okay then, think waves surging and crashing on the rocks, bubbling and foaming as they recede, over and over.
Bit late on this, but when reading Cogito's post, the first word that came to mind to do with nausea was, 'churning'. It gives the feel of movement but also the separation of fluids and solids.
Same here, but it sounded so cliche' to me. That's why I was looking for something a little different.
I think it's possible to use it without it sounding too cliched. Now, if you were to write, 'my stomach is churning' I would think that, but when it comes down to it, isn't every word potentially a cliche? It's what you do with the word. When I combined it in my head, with Cogito's water analogy, I started to picture quite a potent image. It might not work for you in this case, but I wouldn't discount a word for not knowing how best to deploy it, or for fear that it will end up sounding like a cliche. Isn't that part of the skill set we are all striving toward?
You know, they do have operational cement mixers. Does a cement mixer churn, or does it tumble? Blend? Roll? Hmmm...
Hi Alesia, A variant of churning could be 'roiling', which would also play with the waves/water metaphor. Beyond this, you could have some fun describing the sensation by likening it to something else with which your character is familiar. Such similes could be serious or humourous. If the nausea is a result of fear/fight-or-flight response, then you could use ideas describing the sensation of the bottom falling out of their stomach. Other ideas: their stomach is rebellious? Stomach feels like it wants to be intimate with the throat? Stomach turning like a twister/tornado? Stomach like an acrobat on acid? I feel like I'm pushing my luck now, so I'll leave it at that. ;-) Good luck, and I hope I've helped. Andy
A WORLD WITHOUT DRYERS?! WHAT HORROR!! MY STOMACH IS KNOTTING!! The after-world with swirling sea spouts dropping putrid dead things from the chunky froth. Things thrown in to finish rotting but returned too soon by a vortex that welled them up from a place they were not meant to be. It briefly spoiled her moment in the fresh breeze, hanging clothes she just washed in a bucket. A welcome break from hours of ironing and cooking and cleaning. She smiled, good ole days had dryers, at least her husband told her of such things. Yet another moment spoiled, something fell from above and knocked her to the ground. She gagged from its clinging stench, wiped slimy entrails from her face. Stood up and threw down. So...Why the long face? Just kidding. A very captivating photo.
