no-skips november day 3
In 2021, I attempted to post a new crossword everyday in an event I dubbed “NaCroWriMo.” Unfortunately, I was not able to complete this event and, as a result, I have carried that shame ever since. That is until this month.
For every day in November this year, I’m posting a new crossword puzzle in an endeavour I’m now calling “No-Skips November.” Some of these puzzles are themeless, some are themed, some were even constructed before November, but it doesn’t matter: I’m not skipping a single day on this blog. I’m posting a new crossword. Every day. For a month.
This is also an effort to drive subscriptions to my Patreon, which is the best way to support me directly! My Patreon ensures that I’m able to sustain myself financially during months with less puzzle work, so I can spend more time making the puzzles you enjoy. Subscribers get a new themeless puzzle every week, and Inner Circle members typically get an extra 3-4 puzzles per month.
In 2019, I went to school at Humber College for their Comedy: Writing & Performance program. At that time in my life, I thought I wanted to be a career comedian. I spent a lot of my time in high school writing comedy, and I have the journals to prove it. That same year that I was starting comedy school, Gary Gulman was also posting a new piece of comedy advice every day. If you’re any type of writer or performer, I highly recommend going through it all, but there’s one tip that has stuck with me since I read it:
Sometimes people ask me how to get started in crossword puzzles. While I don’t know how to guide you to a career similar to mine, I do have one piece of advice for people just starting out: make puzzles for *you* first. Don’t worry about any audience other than yourself when you’re starting out. What puzzles do you want to make? What are the puzzles that you would like solving? I think constructors get caught up in trying to meet newspaper standards before they even meet their own.
Sure, it’s good to know the rules of symmetry and clue grammar, but it’s invaluable to trust your own taste. Why settle for crossword fill you don’t like? Why write off crossword fill that you do? Do you actually *like* your own crosswords, or are the word scores on a downloaded word list just telling you that you should or shouldn’t like your grid? Everything is subjective. Knowing *why* you like your own puzzles will help you tailor them for certain venues when you do plan on selling your work.
Do it for you. Don’t stress about finding your audience at first; if you make stuff you’re a fan of, the people with similar tastes will find you. But do it for you.
Today’s puzzle probably couldn’t get published in most outlets for being “too indie,” but I think it’s a very “me” puzzle to construct. If you’re a fan of my work and you like this puzzle, then Gary Gulman was right. Three cheers for the Gul. Enjoy!
Enjoy the puz! If you’re craving a second 15×15 themeless from me today, check out my Crossword Club puzzle today. Also: feel free to share the link, comment below if you like the puzzle, and check out my Patreon!
– Ada
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