So. The Manuscript.

I started writing fiction at age seven. We had an old ecru-colored computer with a screen box longer than my torso at the time. You know how they were: Unattractive, heated dust magnets that required a desk the size of a dining room table to accommodate their angular mass. I sat down one night, without any clear goal in mind, and wrote a heartwarming story about two sisters finding the perfect gift. I wrote it in multiple points of view and in all three persons.
Stories often present themselves to me in this fashion. They don't come as a steaming entree, set before their recipient in satisfying, tasty glory. They come as raw meat needing to be seasoned, trimmed and cooked. Sometimes they still need to be...well you know. Dead.
This analogy is not going the way of inspiration. My apologies.
I have since learned something about the craft of storytelling, such as "finished" does not mean "revised," and when your gut tells you it's not ready to be submitted for publishing, your gut is probably right. Fortunately, my gut tells me that I'm finally getting close. The Manuscript, started at age 16, is nearly done. That's not the official title, but it's become a fitting nickname until it's deemed finished and publishable.
I had tea with the villains today (I drank the tea, they told me about their fears and ambitions). It was delightful, and very creepy. It turns out they're so much smarter than I gave them credit for, just like some real people. There seems to be a misconception about true villains among some storytellers these days, as if one can cut straight to the triumph of the protagonist without allowing the antagonist to really shine. Villains are people. They may be bullies, they may be mad with power, but they still care about something, and they can still grieve. They have their own reasons for what they do, thank you very much, and they want a little time to elaborate. Their contribution, if one chooses to accept it, is a conflict that deepens the story and makes it worth reading. My protagonists are more than willing to risk life and limb against these guys. The least I can do is listen to my villains for a few hours and allow them to tell me what they really, really want to do. I'm so glad I did.
Because when they were finished, I had my ending.