Have you seen the awesome 7xwords website yet? Check it out! The index page shows you all 312 possible 7x7 crossword grids (subject to a few standard rules as described on the "why?" page ). That amounts to a new puzzle six days a week for all 52 weeks of the year and constructors could claim a grid for a certain day in advance. When I first heard about this project on Twitter toward the beginning of the year, I was really intrigued and hoped to take part. I looked for a date that was not imminent (so I could worry about making a puzzle later) but also not too far off in the future (so I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting until the last minute). I picked April 3 because it was soon-ish and also not within a day of a holiday. I didn't even think to look at what the grid would be, so I'm glad it ended up being something manageable (the image at the top of this post). A few weeks later, when I started working on the puzzle, I looked for interesting people bor...

I'm starting a crossword blog, and this is it! Here's a quick summary of my crossword journey to this point: I've enjoyed puzzles of all kinds since childhood: logic games, crosswords, Scrabble, brainteasers, trivia, etc. I started playing competitive Scrabble tournaments in college and kept that up for a few years, but haven't played in a while. In grad school, friends and I would solve the New York Times  crossword together daily, and I starting exploring the indie puzzle-verse, as well. I made a bunch of crosswords just for fun, but didn't really share them beyond my circle of friends. I also made some crosswords with indie music themes to share on a website I was working for about the local music scene. (If you lived in Pittsburgh around 2010-2012 and remember the  Draw Us Lines blog, let me know!) After that, I got caught up with finishing grad school and entering academia. I would still solve puzzles for fun, but not as often as before. I started making some ...