pmliner.blogg.se

1. Hobby of nytimes crossword editor will shortz software#
2. Hobby of nytimes crossword editor will shortz professional#
3. Hobby of nytimes crossword editor will shortz download#
4. Hobby of nytimes crossword editor will shortz free#

I’m proud of this one because the idea is simple yet satisfying to crack, and the construction has a lot of elegant interlock, despite the many thematic constraints.Īt that time, my constructing software was pretty basic, so I had to rely mostly on intuition and trial-and-error to get a good fill. Which of your puzzles is your favorite?Ī Sunday puzzle that I made back in 2011 called “ Getting in Shape.” I will say that the Covid pandemic, with its perpetual sameness of time spent in my apartment, has made the creative process harder since there’s just less life to draw on. I’ve found that even just taking a long walk in Central Park and letting my mind wander can do the trick. I try to keep a notebook or sticky notes on me, so that if inspiration strikes for a fun clue/answer pairing, I can jot it down and make a puzzle out of it later. Where do you look for inspiration for the Mini?įrom all parts of my life, really: A book I’m reading, a museum I’ve visited, or a conversation with a friend. I use puzzle-constructing software called Crossfire, along with the XWord Info word list, which I’ve helped curate a bit. What tools, if any, do you use to make the Mini? What do you like about them? That feels like a sign that I’m doing something worthwhile. It’s also really gratifying to meet people for whom the Mini is a small bit of joy each day. I appreciate having a creative outlet - in The New York Times, of all places! - where I can share the random bits of trivia and silly puns that pop into my head. What do you enjoy most about making the Mini? My mind-set at the time was, “Say yes to everything and figure it out later,” so I accepted the gig without really having any idea how much it would shape my career going forward. I’d interned with Will Shortz the previous three summers, and was about to start working as his full-time assistant, so he recommended that I make it.

Hobby of nytimes crossword editor will shortz free#

He wanted something free and easy for visitors to the app to play and, in consultation with Will Shortz, they came up with a daily 5x5 crossword. The Mini was the brainchild of Matt Hural, a former Games team director at The Times. Games and puzzles that involve mental dexterity, strategic planning and creativity tend to be my favorites.

I like the way it sharpens my mind, and the fact that there are endless chances to improve and learn. My favorite game is chess, which was my lifelong passion before I got into crosswords.

Hobby of nytimes crossword editor will shortz professional#

I only considered myself a professional at this once I was hired at The Times in 2014. Amy bought me Crossword Compiler (a crossword-making software) as a birthday gift that year, and I was off to the races. In my sophomore year of high school, I would doodle little crosswords in my notebooks, and progressed to making a few full-size puzzles for my dad and my aunt Amy to solve. He used to print out the puzzle for me to take on my train ride to school, and I got hooked on crossword solving. My dad was a regular New York Times Crossword solver, completing the puzzle each day with his morning coffee. Now I know.) How did you get into making puzzles? When did you consider yourself a “professional” puzzle or game maker? I failed miserably, only getting a few answers per puzzle and was perplexed at how anyone could know Elvis Presley’s middle name or the name of an extinct New Zealand bird. My mom bought me a book of New York Times Monday puzzles for the plane. My first memory of solving crosswords was during a trip to Israel when I was in seventh grade. What is your first memory of solving a puzzle? Who were you solving with?

When was your first New York Times puzzle published? Viewing requires RealPlayer.The Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City.

Hobby of nytimes crossword editor will shortz download#

You can also download the video permanently to your computer. Video segments can be viewed online as streaming video for one year from purchase date. Taped January 12, 2002, in New York City. Will Shortz, the mastermind behind The Times's crosswords, offers his insights on the rules and remarkable history of the game. The New York Times: A Conversation with Crossword Puzzle Editor Will Shortz