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How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:58 am
by Alurker
So I just wrote my first graphic digestion scene. While I think it turned out well its not something I'm personally into but it was fun to write I was hoping someone could offer samples or advice so I can improve

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:19 pm
by voreking100
Do you have a link?

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:08 pm
by TheDragonBoy
I you want to PM me with a link or something I wouldn’t mind taking a look the next time a get the chance.

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:28 pm
by PhantomWolf
( She released a gasp of relief, as her head exited the suffocating tunnel, that had been the esophagus. The relief was extremely transient, as her lungs were filled with the sizzling and gaseous odor of the boiling digestive fluids, which caused her to violently hack and cough as the heat filled her lungs. Fearfully, she looked around, and though the lighting was minimal, she could make out the fleshy pink stomach walls, filled with veiny fissures and shallow crevasses. Said walls, were thrumming and pulsating, in perfect tandem with the booming heartbeats of the monster's pulse. A vibrating bass so powerful, it sent tremors to her bones. She shrieked in terror, as the rest of her statuesque body, was squeezed into the stomach chamber, immediately landing in a sauna-like pool of neon green digestive fluids. A semitransparent, fleshy membrane, sealed over the tunnel she had just been squeezed through, eliminating all chances of escape. Panicking, she began to claw at the oily, slimy walls, searching for a means to hurt the best and urge it to regurgitate her. Every frantic movement of exertion was rapidly, depleting her very limited oxygen supply, and to make matters worse: the green fluids were slowly rising in temperature.)

Here ya go, describe the environment of the predator's stomach, go into detail about the sounds, the taste, the feel, the sight of the stomach. (imagine the most humid place you've ever been and then imagine been stuffed inside a sleeping bag filled with oil). Hope this helps you, ~Phantomwolf

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:52 am
by IvesBentonEaton
From my research, most stomachs make enough acids and enzymes to coat a meal. We're used to seeing a lot of fluid in stomachs because most creatures, including humans, chew their food to an almost liquid (or at least bite off chunks) to fit down the esophagus, and to increase surface area of the food being exposed to digestive fluids. Victims that have been cut from a snake's stomach (to take a common example of a swallow-whole predator) are found to be covered with a sort of a dirty gel, but not immersed in a sea of acids and enzymes.

This makes sense from an efficiency standpoint: it is a minimum use of chemicals to coat the prey inside a stomach whose rugae—the stomach folds—expand or contract to keep the stomach walls producing those chemicals in contact with as much as the meal as possible. So while a stomach of a snake would certainly lack oxygen, be hot and humid and very slimy, it would not be a sloshing pool of digestive fluids except inasmuch as layers of its prey slough off during digestion. These, of course, would pass through the pyloric sphincter into the intestines for further processing rather than linger in the stomach.

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:40 am
by NightRoller
IvesBentonEaton wrote:From my research, most stomachs make enough acids and enzymes to coat a meal. We're used to seeing a lot of fluid in stomachs because most creatures, including humans, chew their food to an almost liquid (or at least bite off chunks) to fit down the esophagus, and to increase surface area of the food being exposed to digestive fluids. Victims that have been cut from a snake's stomach (to take a common example of a swallow-whole predator) are found to be covered with a sort of a dirty gel, but not immersed in a sea of acids and enzymes.

This makes sense from an efficiency standpoint: it is a minimum use of chemicals to coat the prey inside a stomach whose rugae—the stomach folds—expand or contract to keep the stomach walls producing those chemicals in contact with as much as the meal as possible. So while a stomach of a snake would certainly lack oxygen, be hot and humid and very slimy, it would not be a sloshing pool of digestive fluids except inasmuch as layers of its prey slough off during digestion. These, of course, would pass through the pyloric sphincter into the intestines for further processing rather than linger in the stomach.


Well, not only did I learn something today, but I learned some very interesting aspects about how I could describe it as well! This makes a lot of sense, too. Wish I'd known this sooner, but I'll definitely keep it in mind from now on.

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:37 pm
by Vorepun
Adding to the above, peristalsis of the stomach is a big factor in digestion, they would be at some level of constant movement. Acid and enzymes would be rubbed in, from what I understand both are clear as opposed to green, there realistically wouldn't be light unless a light source was added.

There also wouldn't be any sizzling, though that is a common trope I see. If you've ever thrown up on yourself or something, gastric fluid burns sensitive tissue way more than skin. They probably wouldn't feel any pain immediately over the majority of their body, but the eyes, nose, mouth, ect would be a different story.

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:41 pm
by Cuddlekins
Not really sure what you're into specifically, but I don't think it's as simple as "graphic" and "non-graphic". More of a sliding scale, imo. Like, I don't like to write about the blood and gore of being digested, but I love going into detail on the pain and agony of being digested, the fear that comes with the realization, the dread of knowing death is near, and the steady loss of feeling and faculties as the prey's body is melted away and their vital signs start to slip.

So, I guess like... I would reckon being digested is pretty terrifying, so make sure you go into what's going on in the prey's head. Even if someone doesn't want to write about flesh literally being burned away and all the blood and guts and stuff, just going into that would make it seem that much more graphic from an emotional standpoint.

Re: How to write a digestion scene?

PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 10:01 pm
by VoidicFang
Everyone is focusing on the details they want and not the writing process.

Decide on a story to focus on.
Usually from the prey or pred's perspective, how can they tell what is happening?
Connect details to something that a character cares about, or connect it to the audience by giving the juiciest details of the process.

Does the sight of their melting fingers scare the prey and make their heart drop because it forces the prey to come to terms with their fate?

Or does the girl's lump flatten away as she is taken by the werewolf's body?

Some people want the details, some want the characters, mix them if you can.

Write something nice and share it with me.

I'd love to read a story version of this one :3
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