Writing sucks: Love/Hate

It's the unofficial novel-writing (or novella-extension) month in town, since the writers' groups noticed a manuscript contest offered by Kwani? Literary Trust, deadline next month.
I bet the contest has inspired many like me to quickly finish up their novels.

An actual reward for African writing? 

Pass me some of that loving.

It seems Kwani announced back in April with a minimum length of 60,000 words.

SIX-TY THOUZ...!

Then they lowered the minimum to 45,000 words, moved the deadline from August 20th to September 17th, and won my attention :) 

I had a new 25,000 word sort-of manuscript when I first saw the announcement.  Part of it is mentioned here, re: anthology. I was going to finish it last month to around 30,000, but then I thought, there may never be another major African reward for African writing, so BabyGirl why not try to almost reach 40,000 so you can maybe enter the contest.

Well, I'm doing that now and it's really bloody hard work.  I wish the doggone thing would write itself.  I look forward to not working on another novel for at least another year.  It will be short stories all the way: done in two thousand words, lol

Seriously though, this book is becoming better as I extend it.
Worried first about diluting the writing I had so carefully built up, but instead it's becoming more complete and potentially satisfying to the reader.
Think: 

Many people hate ambiguity within the novel, which I do for fun in poetry and which I had in the early drafts.   
Example: 
Did the terrorist meet the clerk or was it just another new dad?  
What do YOU think - it could be either way.  
It's your story - just tell me the answer.    

Also, most people hate it when you just "stop in the middle of the story" like short story writers love to do.  That is why so many stories end in weddings or proposals, death and finality.
Examples: 
Tell me the ogre was banished to eternal prison and will never be able to kidnap little children again.  
Or 
Her husband finally died of cancer so he asked and she said yes and then he kissed her.  Curtains! The End.  

Well, I'm fixing things up to suit a dumb brilliant but impatient reader, and exhausted excited that my first storybook will be finished in about three weeks.