Swain: I'll share my response with you here, rather than by Private Message (PM), because I think both the question and answer will be of interest to others.
First of all, welcome aboard, and welcome to the world of meta crosswords, in general. Every one of us, from the most expert to those who are still dreaming of getting there, were new to the challenge at one time, and meta puzzle solving is most definitely a skill that develops through repeated practice. The more puzzles you do, the more you will appreciate the variety of the mechanisms (or, as many of us call them here, the "metanisms").
This whole community exists so that players can share their love for this unique and challenging form of crosswords, and many of our most active members are committed to helping those who are new. The expectation is that you work the puzzles, as best you can, and stick with it, for at least a couple of days. The idea isn't to frustrate you; what this actually encourages is more creative thought. Even the most experienced of us frequently test out quite a few approaches, before we reach the true joy of meta solving, the so-called "aha moment".
I don't mean to dissuade you from seeing what the Discord discussions are about, but honestly, I wouldn't recommend that resource as an effective way to improve your skills. The Discord discussion is the place that experienced solvers go, to brainstorm together. I'll suggest it's like signing up for a karate tournament, before you've taken your first lesson. Grasshopper, there is much learning to be done. Otherwise, you're not really learning, and adding new tools to your solving skills; you're just watching other people solve.
Here's what I would recommend: If you haven't already discovered it, there is a practical and useful tutorial "course" that is available, right here in this forum. You can find that here:
https://xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?t=1157
Another excellent resource hosted here is this
https://xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?t=277 , a compilation of a whole lot of previous challenges, accompanied by their solutions - a great way to build your skills.
Finally, once you have spent a little time with any current puzzle, many of your fellow competitors are delighted to give "nudges". When you are first getting acquainted, it's perfectly all right to post "Can someone please help out with a nudge?", but there's some etiquette to that. When you get a helpful hint, be sure to take a moment to come back, edit your post, and let everyone else know that you've received assistance. Otherwise, we're left wondering if you still need a hand.
Once you have been nudged a handful of times, you will probably have developed your own list of helpful solvers who "speak your language", so to speak - players whose hints you have found useful. You can reach out to them directly, by PM, and if you're lucky, you will soon find yourself part of a little solving collaborative - people you can bounce ideas off of every week, while you continue to hone your skills. When you reach out for a nudge, be prepared to tell your helpful respondent what you've done so far. We're most generous with fellow Mugglers who have clearly been making a good faith effort to solve, rather than someone who just seems to be looking for the answer.
If you need a nudge for this week's Gaffney, feel free to reach out to me by PM; I would be happy to help!
Best wishes for future solves...
HoldThatThought