Crossword Puzzle Writer Career
Crossword Puzzle Writer Career
The Real Poop
Some build with bricks, others with wood or metal. But your material of choice? Words, versatile, enigmatic, mellifluous (source) words. That's right, you are a designer of crossword puzzles, and you construct grids so solid that the Big Bad Wolf couldn't blow them down.
Crossword writers, or "constructors," are a special breed. They love to play with language, and amaze others with intriguing trivia. Pop culture is their jam.
Like Superman, constructors usually have a day job, and display their hidden talents during their spare time. A secret identity is optional. These crafty clue creators enjoy the challenge of fitting words together to make a visually pleasing block of alphabetosity. And no, "alphabetosity" isn't a real word, so don't try putting it in a puzzle.
In this field, enjoying the work is a must. The fact is that full-time work in crossword construction is about as common as hen's teeth. But things have gotten a smidge better in recent times. New York Times' current editor, Will Shortz, is the main reason that crossword constructors aren't getting paid $40 a puzzle anymore. He convinced the Times to pay its contributors $300 per puzzle, spurring other publishers to do the same (source). If you land an all-important Sunday puzzle, the Times now pays $1,000 (source).
In case you're totally new to this crossword thing, here's a quick description. The standard American crossword puzzle consists of a square grid full of tiny boxes in rows and columns. When the puzzle is correctly solved, each blank box will contain its own letter. Answers can be written horizontally or vertically, and there are usually some shaded black spaces sandwiched in between entries. Want to see something cool? Turn a crossword puzzle upside down. Most of the time, those black spaces will be in the exact same pattern, whether you hold the puzzle right side up or upside down. (How'd they do that?)
Finally, crosswords have a list of numbered questions which match up to answers inside the crossword. These clues can be straightforward definitions, clever hints, or downright tangly, snap-your-pencil-over-your-knee conundrums. Constructors must walk a fine line with each clue. They've got to avoid easy slam-dunk questions and watch out for stumpers that might send their audience to the looney bin.
Oh, and did we mention there are rules? Yep, like so many things in life, crossword construction has its own set of rules. As a constructor, you'd better follow them. (Unless you're a rebel.) Here are a few laws to live by:
Rule number 1. No one or two-letter answers. Three letters are okay, but only in moderation (source).
Rule number 2. Those little black spaces should show rotational symmetry (fancy talk for the upside down trick) (source).
Rule number 3. All characters must do "double duty" in two answers: one up, and one down (source). No single boxes allowed. (They're all at home browsing online dating sites, anyway.
Rule number 4. Puzzles should fit into one of these standard grid sizes: 15x15, 17x17, 19x19, 21x21, or 23x23 (source). Crossword newbies should start small, with maximum fifteen letters across and fifteen down.
Here's our first try, not too shabby if we do say so ourselves.
Are you ready to try your hand at puzzle construction? Each constructor has their own preferences, but here are the basics. First, work out your theme. Many crossword puzzles are designed around a theme, but it's not always an obvious one...sometimes it's a cool little inside joke for those smart enough to figure it out. Will your puzzle answers be gender neutral (baby names)? Elements that like to form (covalent bonds)? Different varieties of French fries? The possibilities are endless.
Got your theme? Well then, find an umbrella, because there's a storm coming—a brainstorm. Make a list of words that fit your theme, and don't let anyone peek. These will be the answers to your masterpiece. Vowels are your best friends, and so are those other frequent-flyer letters, like L, M, N, S, and T (source). Hmmm..."lemonest" could be a word, right? (Better look it up just to be sure.)
Once you've got your word bank, pick a handful of the best entries to be the backbone of the puzzle. Don't get too attached, though. Deb Amlen, writer for the New York Times' Wordplay blog (and creator of many a crossword), warns that "the cardinal rule is not to fall in love with any of your entries." You may have to go back to the drawing board if a word combination isn't working (source).
When you've hit upon the perfect layout, it's time to create additional entries to sandwich around your theme words like packing peanuts. Sort of like reverse Jenga. These extra words, which fill up the corners, are called...er, "fill" (source). It's okay to use an auto-fill program to make this part a little easier.
When all of the word-work is done, you shade in black spaces here and there. Check to make sure that these place savers have rotational symmetry. But...how on earth do you accomplish this impossible task? Amlen recommends making sure each theme word has a buddy of exactly the same length (source). Oh, and don't cram in shaded spaces willy-nilly, because most publishers limit the amount you can use. Usually you don't want more than 1/6 of the grid to be blacked out (source). Once your crossword is assembled, add numbers to mark the start of each answer, and split them into "across" and "down."
Now, it's time to make some clues for your audience to ponder over. Clueing can be time consuming because you're working backwards. You know the answer, but not the question. Keep your hints short and sweet; no paragraphs allowed. It's a good idea to shake things up, too...a fill-in-the-blank here, a celebrity name or word shuffle there, maybe a definition or two (source). Most importantly, keep in mind that your audience doesn't have access to your brain processes. If it took you forty minutes of research to turn up a nine-letter word for (animal whiskers), don't count on anybody else finding the answer.
"Harrumph," you might say. "Can't I just find a computer program to do all of this for me?" Yes..,and no. Crossword software is very popular, and super-useful for finding fill words to pad your theme set. Programs like Crossword Compiler and Crossfire can complete a grid with the click of a button (source). Even better, you can add your own words to the program.
The thing about computers though, is that they're not very good at thinking outside the box. And when you ask them to do wordplay, puns, or slang? Fuhgeddaboudit (source). A computerized collection of "okay" fill words will get you closer to a finished puzzle, but it probably won't float your editor's boat. And clueing is best left to human brains, at least at this point. Who knows when Skynet will turn its attention to crossword puzzles?
When your puzzle is finished, the next step is to send it in for publishing. Editors are the gatekeepers to crossword publication, and they are the ones you need to impress. Your editor (or editors) may ask you to rephrase a clue, or completely alter a word. They may tweak your puzzle themselves to make it suitable for a beginning puzzle solver, or beef up some clues to challenge crossword masters (source). Don't take it personally...take notes.
Crosswords have been America's go-to brain puzzler for over a hundred years. In 1913, journalist Arthur Wynne published an unusual "mental exercise" which required readers to answer a list of questions, and fit their responses into a diamond shape (source). Wynne's weekly "word-cross" caught on like wildfire, and other newspapers started to create their own. Legend has it that the modern term "crossword" came from a printing error, when "word-cross" got switched around (source). Error or not, it does have a nice ring to it, and crosswords exploded in the 1920s (source). The New York Times started publishing weekly puzzles in 1942, eventually upping it to a puzzle a day (source). (Still not enough, if you ask us.)
Forty years later, editor Will Shortz blew the dust off of the hallowed New York Times crossword, and introduced an updated, hipper version. Lately, crosswords have moved towards a semi-digital format, but paper is still a popular option due to app hiccups, and the audience's general fondness for pencils(source). Even so, over 50,000 people subscribe to the digital New York Times crossword puzzle, proving that online puzzling isn't all bad (source).