Dragons Eye - Attribution within G+

This is a short post to thank all of you for helping me complete writing the story I started out back in mid February.

When I started, I had an old story from my great aunt in mind. It was a simple story, half-remembered, with one or two twists. Expanding it has embellished it beyond all recognition, and for that I blame you all.


During the time I was writing, many of you gave direct or indirect support, some posting or reposting material you thought would be useful for me - whether a picture of a stone house at the bottom of a stream (thanks +Nikola Sen), locations or interiors and and items of interest. I appreciate the time some were able to put into in engaging with me. Some had previously talked to me of cats or dragons or science or history.  I called on many of these ideas and thank you all for all that help. Some of you have quietly denied any attempt to assist. +Klara Moody took a tour around Australia shortly after I started to write - but the tour and the cyclones that beset it contributed in lots of little ways to the story.

Reading a complex piece of writing is a comparatively lengthy diversion of time - in comparison to appreciating a photograph or other piece of craft, even when engagement is taken into account.  I am conscious of how much time those side trips to a web site to read an article or argument can take. I am deeply touched that many of you put aside your time and read one or more of the stories presented here. Your support was gratefully received.  I thank you for your vocal support: +Viscount Anthony Fuller +Tam jk  +Renee Leach , +Terry Ward   +Sian Ridden  +Matthew Fowler +Sal E.  +Martha Brimhall   +Joshua Miller  +Firdaus Idros  +Kathleen Robinson  +Graciela Quiroga , +ging embradura +Belinda Kamel  (who started me writing in G+) +Allene Angelica  +Virginia Harris  +Kitten KaboodleInc  +oh!! sweet pea  +Marjo Slingerland-Boks  +Nina Anthonijsz  and +Jenny Gray (who was one of the first people to speak to me on G+). I have not mentioned all of you who have quietly followed the story from start to end - my thanks to you as well.  This was not intended to be a children's story. It trips over a couple of difficult issues concerning personal relationship. I appreciate you not attributing the strange ideas coming from some of the characters to me.

+madhura ravishankar  lit the fire for the story, and +Ann Pollak mischievously kept it hot. You both helped establish the initial voices, directly contributing text to the initial exchanges, and helped me so much through the process.  +Zelda Le Roux  made me smile many times, making an early suggestion about Anthem, which I picked up in the story line. +Monique Helfrich  quietly followed the story giving support, reminding me of the importance of music. Peer Gynt led to Greensleeves and other important plot changes - I sometimes think in music. She also reminded me that Anne McCaffrey's dragons were genetically created. +Laisa Gran  kept a weather eye on progress, quietly reminding me of direction once or twice, and telling me of Himmelen & Havets.  I owe special thanks to +Paul Jones who found a powerful first people story and stayed with me while I got it.

+Jennifer Solomonsen challenged me on a number of occasions, forcing me to concentrate on continuity and a rationale for the story. In a couple of deceptively simple comments she changed the flow of the story a couple of times. She suggested looking at parts of the story from a different perspective - which led to a significant change in the way I wrote the 2nd third of the story. One early comment which I have been aching to incorporate is one about spiders being communicators - which reminded me of the spider like creatures in Samuel Delany's world's in "Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand" - a book which through its depiction of work practices, changed the world. In a similar way +Chris Sutton  triggered a different line of inquiry when he reminded me about the Ringworld saga. I also appreciated +Keith Jones  referring me to the Welsh legions of the dragons - 'The Mabinogion' and the Celtic myths. Single minded concentration on Nordic sagas has left many gaps in my knowledge. From a different perpective, +Lucky Triana  publishes a regular stream of contemporary and folk wisdom, which I enjoy reading.  She cheerfully punched a couple of holes in the plot, worried about the cats, noted the effect of air resistance on terrestrial acceleration and also reminded me about the importance of perspective.

One of the most powerful elements of the G+  community is the subtle change that happens when your circles become aware of an emerging interest or some crisis point. During writing, a natural temptation for writers would be to withdraw a little and concentrate on the writing. I tried not to do this, although my time became sliver thin. I am glad I did not, because I gained a great deal of inspiration by staying in touch through your own posts.

+Jan Reid - Lennox and +Jai Baidell, both wonderful Australia writers, spent a little time helping me in different ways. It was very useful to look at their style of writing, and their approach to the task of writing.

Finally +Eugeniya Hilzinger  and +J Fletch  reminded me of the power of releasing old memories through writing. It is a cathartic process, one sometimes I do not properly recognize.

Thanks

Peter Quinton
Palerang