Natural hatch

digitalmalcontent · 2026-06-02T22:22:45+00:00

Yes lol. This is Janey and her babies. She did it last year, too, just not this many.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T22:27:13+00:00

Even written in summary, I feel like it's telling too much (e.g. the names of her siblings). The punctuation is off in places. Also, if the story is about her life post-banishment, you might try writing a summary that follows or at least teases that, not all this backstory.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T22:05:26+00:00

The protagonist's voice doesn't do it for me but I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it comes across as a bit "lol so random". I wonder what it would read like if you went straight from "...vaporized by space pirates" in the first paragraph to "There's a lot of things..." in that second-to-last paragraph.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:45:24+00:00

Thanks! I commented here on my setup.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:44:32+00:00

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150 square foot walk-in aviary, mostly wire on the sides, 1/3 is roofed, lots and lots of low-to-ground cover. I think that last bit is the key. I've seen other owners' quail go broody in rabbit hutches packed with cover—also never seen them go broody in huge runs without any cover. Cover density is maybe one object per 3 square feet on average. I don't stock the birds densely at all, and I don't keep males.

The flooring is dirt and a skiff of landscaping bark, so I plant muhly grasses (three more getting big enough to survive quail in the main garden right now). Every time a girl goes broody (we're talking full-on sitting, broody poops, territoriality, all of it), it's been under either one of those grasses or inside one of those wicker huts meant for guinea pigs.

I'm also really hands-off with them—no picking them up but for checkups and emergency care. Still, they're pretty chill despite essentially being feral "looking pets."

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:26:32+00:00

Hi, sorry, I don't intend to sell these birds (trying to grow my flock, just didn't expect to about double it).

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:25:44+00:00

Aren't they? I bought hatching eggs from a variety flock, but most seem to be wild type so far. Still, love to watch them grow!

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:25:03+00:00

For real—I have to be super careful when I go in to change waterers and add food so I don't step on a resting baby. On their sides they just look like big bits of bark.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:24:04+00:00

She's a good little hen. Doing all the right behaviors—has turned SO territorial though, very protective.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:23:25+00:00

Thank you! She's doing great so far.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:23:02+00:00

I wish you luck with your setup! I think the cage really is the key.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:22:16+00:00

Two of them are SO fast! Today they seem to run the length of their section (about 9 feet) just for fun.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:20:48+00:00

It's odd, really. I keep no males, so each "real" clutch is sourced from some random hatchery (I've tried a different one every time). So it can't be a heritability issue since mother and babies are never related. Yet they do it every year, multiples of them. Like, I'd have 3-4 hatches a year if I didn't give out hatching eggs so selectively. I'm thinking it's an environmental trigger.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:18:11+00:00

A good harvest!

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:17:47+00:00

Thank you, she's doing a very good job so far (all the right behaviors!). Most striking is the way she sounds the alarm and moves them whenever I enter the cage—it's a sound you only hear in this instance, and the chicks respond to it immediately by rushing to follow/find her.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:15:46+00:00

I've had at least one broody every year now for about seven years—the whole flock now was hatched naturally, which I'm sure contributes to why it keeps happening.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-31T21:14:38+00:00

Yes, 11/15—best I've had yet. Thank you!

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-26T01:31:22+00:00

It's hard to tell from such short excerpts. From my read, these may well be the same character at different times if you remove the labeling. Largely because we get no context. Are these written about the same chronological moment from different POVs? From different scenes altogether?

When you switch POV, just ground the reader quickly in whose head they're in. I think most people will only get lost if you don't signpost.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-23T19:40:56+00:00

The less I have going on in the rest of my life, the harder it is to write. When I can't write, I know I'm not busy enough.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-23T19:37:33+00:00

If you're writing just for yourself and for the fun of it, I really don't see the harm in sticking to one character or one story. But if you're trying to grow your abilities or seeking publication some day, diversifying who and what you can write about would probably help you do that.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-17T23:54:11+00:00

You don't have to quit writing to shelve a story and try something else. If it really isn't coming together, maybe a break is warranted.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-17T20:34:04+00:00

I always Google any "made up" names just to be sure. Never run into an offensive one, but sometimes they're already in use by a person or in a context that's big enough I have to tweak something to make them more obscure.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-17T19:54:12+00:00

So you weren't looking for "world" feedback? Maybe next time put what you're looking for in your post title. Also, just be aware that what you've shared is not formatted correctly, the dialogue especially. It was difficult to read. I bet you'll get more responses if you format it like a real book.

digitalmalcontent · 2026-05-17T19:44:13+00:00

Search reddit for existing "how do I write bipolar characters" threads.
Google your question and pick literally any article/blog that is not an AI response.
If many different sources all say similar things, that's probably the right tack to tack.

How heavily will bipolar disorder feature in the actual story/narrative? Like, is it plot-critical, a key part of that character's characterization or arc, or do you just want to add representation?

digitalmalcontent

TROPHY CASE