"this was a grueling story to write*." i know exactly how that is. the effortless ones are so much nicer to write, but not always better. this one is worth fighting for, though i still see one polishing revision in it's future, i see zero need for any more major overhauling.

yes, the baron is great. love the idea of the "everyman" character. like something terry pratchettt would have come up with! :)

"and it's a story about story"
yes, that doess make it doubly hard. you set such difficult tasks for yourself! but it's worth it in the end. carry on! :)