RedHotRomance

The end was in sight. My plan was for my Heliotropic series for Changeling Press to be complete at the end of the third story, To the Light. Wrong. It turns out the villain, Ideg Retkove, is not ready to ride off into the sunset. The two heroes, Val Cutter and Paul de l'Astre, are more than happy to do so and have waved good-bye. But Ideg is now demanding his own story. Since he's a vampire with a nasty disposition and a track record for wreaking havoc when he doesn't get his own way, I may have to pay attention.

So now I've got to think about how in the world to find Ideg a lover, a, gasp, soul-mate for the soulless villain. Ideg does point out that his character has undergone an arc of development, that he's no longer the vicious, manipulative scum he was (or people thought he was!) when Val and Paul first got together. Ideg also points out all his accomplishments, including the development of the serum that enables him and other vampires to enjoy the sunlight. This serum makes it possible for him to voyage anywhere in the universe in search of Mr. Right.

Ugh. Does Ideg care that I have other projects penciled onto my calendar? That he is not, in fact, the center of the universe?

Advice is needed here. What do you, my fellow writers, do when a character just won't let go? Should I just let him down gently and tell him to divert his energy to Solitaire? Or do I need to devote my energy to Ideg Retkove's quest for love?