Overall, it was just a much-needed reminder that despite the occasional frustration, crossword puzzles can create a lot of joy. All of the comments were really positive, too. Getting published in the paper is fun, but there’s a certain satisfaction from just letting your puzzle fly freely into the world.įull disclosure: I also included this puzzle in the post because I was just completely ecstatic when Rex Parker ended up retweeting the puzzle: which no doubt was instrumental in the number of solves (more than 2000?!?). The puzzle ended up being sort of a palate cleanser, and helped me remember that I’m not beholden to anyone. I had never made a Schrodinger puzzle before, so it was super fun trying to figure out a construction method. But this crossword was fun to start, and not too much of a pain to finish.įor the first time in a while, I was truly excited about what I was making. I was feeling some burnout in December – my 15×15 puzzles were feeling like a chore rather than a pleasure to fill. I’m putting this on the list because it reminded me that constructing can still be fun. I actually had this idea for a mini crossword at the beginning of the year, but only put it into action 11 months later. Minor spoilers ahead: Before reading, feel free to solve this 7×7 puzzle here. Independently published (on Crosshare) December 11, 2021: “This puzzle can read your mind.”. Next time, I’ll try to do the due diligence that my puzzles deserve! If I had tried to re-clue (or maybe even re-fill) when I submitted, I think I would have been much happier with the final product. Īltogether, I think it’s a lesson in revision. But I swear, I’ll never live down the fact that I accidently clued ENDS as rather than. On the one hand, I was pretty fond of SMEE clued as. I didn’t really know what I was doing, so there’s not much wit shown – lots of mediocre synonyms. But probably the aspect I’m least thrilled about is the cluing. The fill in this one isn’t spectacular in my opinion – not a whole lot of interesting words, SMEE crossing CREMA, etc. I’m especially grateful that the LAT accepted this puzzle because it only has three themers – something which the LAT warns against in their spec sheet ( I wrote a blog post about possible reasons why!). I originally submitted it to the NYT (who declined on the theme), then hemmed and hawed for a month, and then finally submitted it to the LA Times… and the rest is history. This was actually the first solo puzzle that I ever made. I’m not as proud of this puzzle as my “Alchemy” one. Combined with the speedy email correspondence – mere days, as opposed to NYT’s or LAT’s 3 month queue for feedback – I really think that this has been my most educational experience as a constructor. The editors Amanda Ratkin and David Steinberg gave me some much-needed advice in every step of the process, from the theme entries to the grid fill to the cluing. Initially, I just submitted the concept of a LEAD to GOLD word ladder as a theme query, without a grid. One thing that was really valuable for me was the submission process. I’m also grateful that many of my original (and often-snacky) clues made it to print. I don’t think I used too many gluey words, and I feel like I found a bit of my voice in the cluing. In general, I’m pretty proud of this puzzle. I swear, I didn’t plan on my published crossword debut having such a blog-appropriate theme!ġ7a. My print debut, and I think Universal was the perfect place for learning the ropes of the construction process. So without further ado, let’s look at the highlights (and lowlights) of my nascent crossword journey, and see what’s next for my crosswords and the blog. But at the same time, I think it’s important to look back on the past year and to reflect honestly on what I’ve done, where I’m going, and how to get there. I’m really proud about a lot of stuff that I’ve accomplished, especially in the last few months. Since then, I’m thankful to have gotten two puzzles published (at Universal and the LA Times), plus one more puzzle that will hopefully have a solvable home by this time next year.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |