Constructing: Fill: Example: OLLI

Example | Ready to Clue?

quick fillgridExample

  • At end of Grid section: theme entries were placed, [right: CF#03]
    with a successful (though not great) "quick fill" [far right].
    ("CF#"on Figures refers to file versions we could revert to)
  • Restart. After selective filling progresses,
    later options generally become more limited,
    -- and perhaps unsatisfactory, or even impossible.
  • After unsatisfactory fill, restart.
    Swap positions of REBELLIONS and ARMADILLOS [below right: CF#04]
  • fill1pinkThe pink 'N' (=required) indicates limited fill choices
    -- a potential problem?
  • RHINO fits. Add more fill -- so far, so good [far right: CF#05]
  • Add circles for theme letter sequences (could be added anytime) [right: CF#06]
  • Coincidentally, OIL LEASES and HOI POLLOI have symmetric circled letters.
  • fill3fill2Finding other symmetric theme entries would have been difficult!
  • More... -- all filled in! [far right: CF#07]
  • Check if any entries are undesirable, or too difficult to define / clue.
  • fill5fill4It's sometimes possible to rework subareas of the puzzle without starting over.
  • Erase & re-fill upper left corner to eliminate SOH, IAL
    [right: CF#08]
  • Rework middle left area to eliminate PALAK
    [far right: CF#09]
  • Though not too much crosswordese, a few unusual/
    foreign words remain: AIRDAM, ADELLE, ORL, AMOI, SEL, etc.
  • -- and partial phrases: ASNEW, ITART, IDBE. SEL and SELAS -- acceptable overlap?

Ready to Clue?

  • Remember? "My biggest piece of advice for a puzzlemaker is never
    put an obscure word in the grid just because it's the only thing that will work.
    Re-do the puzzle instead, even if it means going back to the beginning
    and putting the theme entries in different positions." ~Trip Payne
  • Is this grid & fill good enough for now, at least as an example -- start writing Clues?
  • In retrospect, ambitiously keeping all 6 theme answers has led generally
    to some less than exciting fill, and/or difficult grids,
    e.g., too many black squares or theme entries not flush-to-edge, etc.
  • Depending on class time and student preference, we could
    -- with updated dictionaries and different collective brainpower:
  • keep same theme entries (15,15,10,10,9,9) and grid
    (maybe swap some theme entry locations); fill
  • keep 6 theme entries, but choose / design a different grid; fill
  • keep 2 longest (15,15) theme entries, add new odd-length center entry
    (non-evens too short?); new grid; fill
  • keep 4 longest (15,15,10,10) theme entries; new grid; fill
  • ...