My Writer's Block

Since Druid Derrick is unfinished, I haven't talked about it much. Not since March before last has there been a post about this story. In fact, there hasn't been much work on anything new for quite some time. Promoting my book, being social, building a fan base (I hope), not to mention my personal life and a couple Facebook games I spend way too much time playing, tend to get in the way of actual writing.

I have thought about this book a lot, in fact one scene plays through my mind over and over. When I get there it will pour out of my mind like water from a faucet. But first I have to get there. You see, I have a dilemma. Writer's block, to me has always meant that I'm trying to push my character in a direction he really doesn't want to go. Should I continue to claw my way past this, or should I do some rewriting and make some rather major changes?

My character is in a relationship that started out as a measure to protect her life. Though there is plenty of love, anything close is, and always will be, impossible. To further her protection, she needed a name change and a location change. To hide the danger from her family and friends they got married, but my character isn't a Christian so I thought it only proper they have a Druid Joining as well. This is where I'm having my problem.

Since the relationship, marriage not withstanding, will always be distant, should I go ahead with the Druid Joining or not? Or should I go back and rewrite the whole relationship, tone down the love or even make it only a friendship, make her an object of protection only and no marriage at all? That means I'll have to think of another way for her to have a name change and another reason for her to move to the other side of the country.

Derrick goes to great lengths to be neutral in all things. He sees it as his duty to protect his grove and all the secret, sentient citizens within his reach - the centaurs village, the entrance to the dwarf and gnome caverns and the dryads that people his grove among others. With a few exceptions, humans are not included under his protection. One woman and her daughter are the majority of those exceptions. A police detective and his partner are tolerated, but only if they don't intrude too far or push too hard.

Shortly before this latest relationship, the one that's giving me so much trouble, Derrick has been going through an emotional roller-coaster, and maybe it's too much for too long. I suppose I could have him simply change his mind. What do you think? There is a spell on his place still in effect that prevents anyone from telling lies. It would work on him too.

Currently, I've decided to read through another of my works, and then I think I'll read through the last part of this one and see what I can do. Any suggestions would be most welcome. I would even really welcome someone who has the time to read through the whole thing and give me some feedback. There's nothing like another pair of eyes behind a different brain.