CRUCIVERB.COM
Constructing => General Discussion => Topic started by: Jhans09 on November 27, 2020, 12:54:50 PM
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Hi Everyone!
Just joined and I love doing crosswords and so does my mom. She is very good at them (nyt Sunday in under an hour good) I was hoping to get her a crossword themed Christmas gift this year and think she might want to get into constructing. Do you all have any advice on gifts I could give her to help her get started?
Thanks so much for your help!
-jhans09
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I assume she has a computer? If so, Crossword Compiler is a really nice program, which is used by quite a few people on this site. If she plans to construct for NYT, this software includes formatting to fit NYT submission requirements.
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Yes she has a computer. Any advice on what components of that i would be to get her. Send like single user is what I'm looking for since it will just be her constructing. Should I get any of the add ons?
She also loves to read. Any recommendations on books?
Thanks so much for your help.
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Just google "Crossword Compiler" and go to its website. There you will find the choices. Basically, there are 2 choices:
basic, in which the user fills in all the entries, or pro grid filler, in which the program itself fills in the entries. I have
pro, but quite frankly don't find it that useful. Others say they really like it, so it's your choice. Once you're on the
order screen, you'll see that "single user" cost is available. I think you can download a free trial to see for yourself.
Alternatively, I think there is a run-through right on its website to show aspects of the program.
In re: book. I purchased "The Million Word Crossword Dictionary." I think it's a great reference work to use
while creating puzzles. It's chock full of clues and very helpful for "fill-in-the-blank" entries. It's 1336 Pages of good stuff.
Hope this helps.
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The complete starter set for someone who wants to seriously get into constructing would be:
- Patrick Berry's ebook (Constructor’s Handbook)
- Crossword Compiler if on Windows, CrossFire if on Mac
- The XWordInfo word list
Probably in that order.
There are free web sites that you can use temporarily to construct, and you can use the default wordlists temporarily. So if you wanted to start small and see if she's actually into it, just start with the ebook.
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Thank you both for your help! Hope she likes it!