You're on the right track with what you said Woodlouse. Not too many options starting like that are there? Go with your instincts, I was convinced it was an instruction like 'create' but it is rather more a titular thing.
Not often Woodlouse, more as a way of commenting on the puzzles as a whole as clearly any attempt at assistance or guidance is frowned on there.
I'd add re this that the ending is unambiguous - once you get there it is clear if you have everything right as the final resolution of the unclued octagons and squares is definitive (and achieved using the method outlined in the 16 squares).
Murky - there is (technically) a double unch in the form of two blanks initially in the top left unclued octagon, and also in the top one on the right hand side. The unclued octagon in the centre of the top row only has one as a wibbly accounts for one of the blanks.
As I said before though, the endgame once cracked is unambiguous (hurrah!) so you won't have any doubt about which order to fill the double blanks in if you just follow the same method as for all the rest.
I've just started to look at this. Do I assume that the first letter of each answer does not necessarily go in the centre of each square/octagon?
Also I am completely stumped by 5 and 7. "Screen woman over promotion" and "Potential quarrels about one's foot". I see there is an early hint for 7 but PES and quarrels = arrows or tiles leads me nowhere.
Orson, you assume correctly. The centre of each can contain any one of the five letters.
For 5, 'woman' is SHE (placed around something).
For 7, PES is also a container. Read it as 'about one, is foot'