Australian Crosswords

I can’t really remember my first steps when I decided to try to compile a cryptic crossword, however, I do know lots of things I DIDN’T do before attempting to do so. It’s a common mistake for an amateur to just “have a go”, believing that they have enough knowledge from being on the receiving side of something to at least create something reasonable. This goes for any kind of task, not just crossword compiling. I failed miserably at making sourdough after following recipes for four months because I didn’t really understand how to maintain a starter properly. Once I learnt about keeping a starter at home and about how to test its strength, I never looked back.
I had done no research or reading or solved crosswords from different sources before I started to compile. To some extent I had gleaned how clues worked, but you need more as a setter: you need to know why clues and the crosswords themselves are constructed the way they are. Without that knowledge amateurs will produce amateurish crosswords based on the crosswords they solve regularly. It’s very important to learn cryptic theory before trying to compile. Clue types, grid design, grammar, acceptable abbreviations, solvable wordplays, balance, difficulty etc are all areas that need to be understood to some degree BEFORE that first crossword is written. Start with a firm foundation and your efforts will demonstrate that you understand what you are trying to do.
My first cryptic crossword attempts were assembled with solver knowledge with little understanding of fundamental cryptic principles. Consequently they were laughable (according to my brother) despite me feeling that I’d done a reasonable job. Nothing really changed in that area until I did something about my lack of cryptic knowledge.

Answer: JANUARY TWENTY-SIX, AUSTRALIA DAY

The first time I climbed Mt Gower on Lord Howe Island I shared the experience with a number of people including an editor of a newspaper for seniors. It’s a long, guided walk, taking most of a day, so you can find out a lot about your fellow climbers if you want to. I was particularly interested in the editor’s views on the puzzles in his paper as I am always on the lookout for an opportunity to peddle my wares. He revealed to me a stark reality: he had no idea about the quality of the puzzles he ran or whether the readers of his paper liked them. He said there was almost no feedback, and if there was, it was due to a mistake or a disagreement about an answer. From week to week most articles elicit some reader responses, but crosswords didn’t register. He felt frustrated by the lack of information and could do nothing except stick with what he had. This demonstrates how important it is to speak up when a crossword isn’t good, or the crossword in your local paper changes and it isn’t up to scratch or you think the crossword should be better. Figures vary, but it’s generally accepted that for every single person who complains there are at least 25 who want to but don’t complain (and businesses know this) – that means your complaint carries a lot of weight.
As feedback is minimal (thanks to those who do take the time, BTW), when something goes wrong in the production of a crossword (like missing clues, wrong clues, wrong solution etc), publishers get to find out some information about how many and who are doing the crossword, and generally complainers supply extra feedback as well which is almost always positive for the setter. So while the publisher hates a crossword production error, the setter doesn’t mind it happening on a rare occasion.