A crossword puzzle is an interesting game that is enjoyed by people of different age groups. The crossword puzzles are so interesting that many newspapers feature this game in their recreation section. Solving crossword puzzles requires tremendous effort. However, the effort becomes tenfold when one is creating a game of crossword puzzles. A well-designed crossword puzzle involves five steps which are explained below to help you create your very own crossword puzzle.
1. Use the right technology
It is almost impossible and even if possible a nightmare to design a crossword puzzle manually There is much software available online which eases the entire process of creating a crossword puzzle. First thing first, the right technology needs to be used to design a crossword puzzle.
2. Choose a theme
A crossword puzzle that consists of random words is not considered a great crossword puzzle. The theme chosen for the crossword puzzle should be fresh and narrowly defined. It is always a wise decision to pick an interesting theme to keep the player interested in the game. It is always recommended that before you start creating a crossword puzzle, you decide on a theme. All the answers to the crossword puzzle do not necessarily need to involve the theme. Four to six answers to the entire puzzle should belong to the theme and this is considered a standard number when designing a crossword puzzle based on the theme.
3. Add the black squares
The black border squares of the crossword puzzles need to be added after the answers are arranged in the puzzle. The black squares in a crossword puzzle break the entire crossword into tiny pieces which becomes manageable to the player. Next, all the theme entries need to be placed symmetrically which means that the corresponding length should be almost similar. Secondly, repetition of words needs to be avoided. Lastly, none of the words should be less than three-letter. Any answer involved in the crossword puzzle should minimum contain three letters. There is always an ample number of crossword creating software that adds the black squares on their own to help you from doing the tedious task manually.
4. Add the other answers to the puzzle
Once the answers related to the theme are fitted in, the rest of the words can be included in the crossword puzzle now. The words which are used in a puzzle need to be real words. In addition to words, the creator can also include any well-known phrases and abbreviations too. This is one of the hardest and the most time-taking jobs while designing a crossword puzzle and perhaps, the most important too. A crossword puzzle is a word game which, if the player chooses, can be answered with the help of tools like Word Unscrambler and Anagram Solver and many other tools. It is always a great idea that when designing clues for the words included in the puzzle, the clue should not be entirely straightforward. A simple Google search of the clue that has been provided should not give away the answer.
5. Write the clues
Once you have added all the words in the crossword puzzle, the clues for the same need to be written down which will be used by the player to get the answers. Clues are very important in a crossword password and it cannot be any random word that does not make any sense. The clues of a crossword puzzle need to be short and crisp. Further, it is always a great idea to ensure that the clues included are factually accurate. A factually inaccurate clue will drop down the trust of the player from the crossword puzzle that you have created.
After the entire crossword is ready with answers and the clues, you can try sending it to different websites or newspapers and try your luck in getting it published. Before creating your very own crossword puzzle with the help of the tips provided above, it is recommended that you try solving a good number of crossword puzzles yourself to get an idea how a well-designed crossword password looks like. Once you are familiar with it, designing a good crossword password becomes a lot simpler. The principle that a writer must be a reader too can be applied aptly in this context.
