BLATHER REVIEW

Puzzle 5

Another week, another crossword.

Ah, my first triple stacks. I'm getting better at this but there's still a little fudging. Namely, the lack of perfect symetry in the grid.

Feh. Rules are made to be broken. :)

You know the drill.
Click to solve with AcrossLite.

Or, Download PDF file

Themeless, Too

Well, it's early Monday morning and I've finally finished this week's Saturday puzzle.

(Yes, I do need to work on this more during the week. Why do you ask?)

I re-wrote this grid as I clued it, which should give you fair warning.

It's hard to clue a toughie because I, as a newbie constructor, never know what is "tough but fair" for my target audience.

For instance, I could give the clue [Opening track to Iggy Pop's "Party"] which maybe three people would immediately recall was the song PLEASURE. Or I could agonize over whether the clue [Beatles song originally adressed to John Lennon's first born] might be too cryptic a clue for HEYJUDE. You just don't know.

Anyway, here is my latest effort, completed just in time for the Monday blahs. I hope this gives you a worthy respite from the early week dailies.

Amy, of course, would have nothing good to say about it, so I wont even ask. (She'd tear me to shreds while we're just lookin' to have some fun.) Here it is anyway:

Puzzle opens with Across Lite.
Click to solve. file

More random thoughts of a newbie crossword constructor

I've always made my puzzles the old fashioned way. With pencil and paper.

There are some constructors who still do it the old fashioned way. In fact -- based on my experience with crossword puzzle-making software -- I don't know how a successful constructor can create a puzzle utilizing crossword puzzle-making software.

Oh, sure, the software can help you find words to fill in some gaps. But the software can never come up with a theme and it can never provide phrases that are the parlance of the day -- the ones that inspire grids and create those gaps in the first place.

Is it any wonder that Brendan Quigley included the name "Susan Boyle" in one his puzzles three days later than I expected him to? No, it isn't. Even crosswords take time.

So anyway, I wont pronmise to be another Quigley. But I do promise to try.