I started making crosswords last winter. 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.
I’m really proud about a lot of stuff that I’ve accomplished, especially in the last few months. 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.
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.
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- Universal’s December 22, 2021 puzzle: “Alchemy”
My print debut, and I think Universal was the perfect place for learning the ropes of the construction process.
I swear, I didn’t plan on my published crossword debut having such a blog-appropriate theme!
THEME: LEAD to GOLD
17a. [*”Goodnight, Irene” singer (Note: The first words of the starred clues’ answers form a sequence)] LEAD BELLY
24a. [*Websites’ waiting periods] LOAD TIMES
35a. [*Dish featuring Yorkshire pudding and sausages] TOAD IN THE HOLE
50a. [*Was I right or was I right?!”] TOLD YOU SO
59a. [*Kindergartners’ rewards] GOLD STARS
In general, I’m pretty proud of this puzzle. I don’t think I used too many gluey words, and I feel like I found a bit of my voice in the cluing. I’m also grateful that many of my original (and often-snacky) clues made it to print.
One thing that was really valuable for me was the submission process. Initially, I just submitted the concept of a LEAD to GOLD word ladder as a theme query, without a grid. 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. 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.
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- LA TImes December 28, 2021 puzzle
I’m not as proud of this puzzle as my “Alchemy” one. But that’s okay!
THEME: Tea/Tee/T-time
17a. [Teatime] AFTERNOON REPAST
41a. [Tee time] GOLF RESERVATION
65a. [T-time] DRESS DOWN FRIDAY
This was actually the first solo puzzle that I ever made. 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.
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!).
The fill in this one isn’t spectacular in my opinion – not a whole lot of interesting words, SMEE crossing CREMA, etc. But probably the aspect I’m least thrilled about is the cluing. I didn’t really know what I was doing, so there’s not much wit shown – lots of mediocre synonyms. On the one hand, I was pretty fond of SMEE clued as [Captain Hook’s right hand?]. But I swear, I’ll never live down the fact that I accidently clued ENDS as [They’re justified by the means, sometimes] rather than [They justify the means].
Altogether, I think it’s a lesson in revision. 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. Next time, I’ll try to do the due diligence that my puzzles deserve!
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- Independently published (on Crosshare) December 11, 2021: “This puzzle can read your mind.”
Minor spoilers ahead: Before reading, feel free to solve this 7×7 puzzle here.
I actually had this idea for a mini crossword at the beginning of the year, but only put it into action 11 months later. Never say never!
I’m putting this on the list because it reminded me that constructing can still be fun. I was feeling some burnout in December – my 15×15 puzzles were feeling like a chore rather than a pleasure to fill. But this crossword was fun to start, and not too much of a pain to finish.
For the first time in a while, I was truly excited about what I was making. I had never made a Schrodinger puzzle before, so it was super fun trying to figure out a construction method. The puzzle ended up being sort of a palate cleanser, and helped me remember that I’m not beholden to anyone. Getting published in the paper is fun, but there’s a certain satisfaction from just letting your puzzle fly freely into the world.
Full 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?!?). All of the comments were really positive, too. Overall, it was just a much-needed reminder that despite the occasional frustration, crossword puzzles can create a lot of joy.
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So… How does the blog fit in?
One aspect of blogging that I really enjoy is how it helps me consolidate my thoughts. Not just for readers, but for myself. Writing these posts is forcing me to think about crossword construction in really interesting ways, and I think it’s making me a better constructor.
At the same time, I feel like I’m sometimes neglecting the blog. Since July, I’ve written just 4 “real” blog posts – less than one a month. Part of the reason is that my posts are relatively long: always more than 1000 words. Lots of thinking, editing, rewriting, procrastinating, etc. It’s a vicious cycle of writing, overthinking, and paralysis.
AND SO: I’m going to set a schedule for myself. A post every Monday for a year. I’m not sure exactly what changes I’ll need to make: Maybe I’ll aim for shorter posts, and maybe I’ll rethink the topics I tackle.
But I’m hoping that my once-a-week resolution will force me to be less precious, about both my posts and my crosswords. I sincerely believe that I’m at my best when I’m having fun thinking about puzzles and not getting too trapped within my thinking. Paradoxically, more posts may very well result in more puzzles.
Will my plan work? Find out next week, on Crosswords 2022: The Series.
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Do you have crosswords reflections/resolutions of your own? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.