CROSSWORDS: Authoring: References

General | AI | Clues | Courses | Cryptics | Diversity, Inclusivity | Editors |
File Formats | Fill, Dict., Word Lists | Grids | Publishing |
Rules, Publishing Specs. | Themeless | Themes | Tools, Resources

General

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Clues

Courses

Cryptics

Diversity, Inclusivity

Will Shortz 2023
Will Shortz at the 2023
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
International license from Wikimedia Commons

Editors

File Formats

Fill, Dict., Word Lists

Grids

Publishing

Rules, Publishing Specs.

Themeless

Themes

  • Constructing Analysis #1: Stuffed with Ambition! 10/13/2021
  • Why the LA Times Won't Accept Your Three-Entry Theme
    (and Why You Should Make the Puzzle Anyways)     8/11/2021
  • NYT Wordplay series: How to Make a Crossword Puzzle: Part 1
    two NYT constructors, Ben Tausig and Finn Vigeland, demystify the process of developing a theme set; 4/11/2018
  • It Themes Somehow Familiar
    how could two crossword constructors come up with puzzles that are almost exactly alike?
    BRAVE NEW WORLD, INTRAVENOUS DRIP, CONTRAVENE, COBRA VENOM; Slate/ 11/27/2009
  • Ten bullshit themes
    1. the stepquote; 2. Deletion themes that don't make new words;
    3. Anagrams of some other entry plus the word ANAGRAM;
    4. Randomly circled letters that spell out some kind of word;
    5. Random phrases plus entry that's clued {Word that can precede/follow the beginnings/ends of W-, X-, Y, and Z-Across};
    6. The same word used as the clue for all the theme entries but in different sense;
    equally offending is the one where the clues are gradual beheadings/curtailments/adding a letter;
    7. First-words-are-synonyms puzzles; any puzzle whose theme is colors, rhymes, rhymes involving colors,
    celebrity's first and last name whose last name is the first of another celebrity;
    8. Phrases that contain some repeated two- or three-letter element in the middle of them spanning a word break;
    9. The "curriculum vitae" with entry that is clued {Subject of the puzzle};
    10. The clue would be something like {Three dogs} and the answer would be a random list; BEQ; 5/6/2009
  • Cruciverb: Advice on Themes; Theme Entries;
    Quote Themes; Theme Types; Theme Advice for Novices

Tools, Resources