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Learning How To Construct Grids

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Glenn9999:
I am interested in getting some questions answered about how to construct a crossword grid now, after getting into solving them for a year or two now.   Presently, I have not located any references that answer my questions. 

Are there any good accessible references in mind that specifically answer laying out a grid in a good way to facilitate fill, how to determine or help whether fill is possible, or any rule of thumb on how to best create fill?  I feel I made a good first try, but ran into problems that took a whole weekend to try to work out that I couldn't do it too well trying to fit a "interesting" word or two in and ended up with several boring words in the whole grid (cue Wah Wah horn).  And if I can't find other words in the grid that I'd be excited to see...

Also, what makes a "good theme"?  I came up with a good basic one to do this learning grid off of, but hopefully for what I do, I hope to find something that's as exciting to me as some of those fill words I like to see.

But the main thing is if I'm going to do it, I need to learn how to do it correctly.  And in that sense, have at least the chance of being published.

So, any suggestions?

RichP:
Check out Sage Advice on the left and the thread under Construction - Etc. called  "General rules for filling in a grid?"

Glenn9999:

--- Quote from: RichP on April 29, 2016, 10:59:22 PM ---Check out Sage Advice on the left and the thread under Construction - Etc. called  "General rules for filling in a grid?"

--- End quote ---

Thank you for your response.  I've seen most of the "Sage Advice", but I'll take a look at the other thread.  What I saw initially seems helpful.  The only real thing I don't see a clear start on is how to do fill in order to find the most success in filling the area with at least one other word that could be interesting (besides theme entries).   

As I've been a bit slow for time and my work on trying to learn how to do certain types of grids I still can't finish, I'll probably have more questions/need of assistance when I can walk-through what I have here.

4wd:
check out the crossword constructors handbook by patrick berry focuses on a 15x15 grid though techniques can be applied else where.

Glenn9999:
More self-referential stuff for when I sit down soon to get it done (while I take way too much time on grids, I'm solving about 95-98% of them successfully now): RichP refers to this thread.

Just to sound it out for myself as I think I may be getting on the track of how to answer this, minus the rough pictures I could draw and put in (video would be even better) - 15x15 here of course: Observationally, it looks like most grids are "woven together" then filled in. 

1. Start by placing the longer theme type answers (or whatever required for the theme) alternately from top and bottom to maintain symmetry and preserve a legal grid (answers of 3 characters or more).  But black square after themers and then set word on other side.

2. Then form crosses with verticals using the bounds of the grid to fill a lattice some place again working from top and bottom.  Leave one black square between words again in the middle.  These represent the words that one would have the most freedom to define for themselves and can be themers as well.

3. I'd have to play with it a bit after that, but I would say this is where you would have to word-shop, fit things, etc, etc.  Farthest away from the intersections is where you want your "odder" lettered words, closer to the intersections you want to take whatever (reasonable) you can get...

To answer a quick question from elsewhere, yes I'm well-aware of the software (CCW, etc).  But I want to learn how to do it instead of have a program do it for me.  Because I have a very particular set of skills...skills I might want to use. :)


--- Quote from: 4wd on June 15, 2016, 12:07:15 PM ---check out the crossword constructors handbook by patrick berry focuses on a 15x15 grid though techniques can be applied else where.

--- End quote ---

Doesn't appear in Amazon, as does most other books I've seen recommended.  Sorry.

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