Sue Fracker author page
2 puzzles by Sue Fracker
with Constructor comments
Lance is a pharmacist who moved to Mint Hill, NC, so his family could be closer to nature, hiking, and adventure. He helps his amazing wife homeschool his three kids. The older kids will be learning crossword solving/constructing, so hopefully, it will be a race to see which of us will appear next!
| M | I | T | T | S | S | P | A | N | U | R | S | A | ||
| O | N | I | O | N | T | U | T | U | S | E | T | H | ||
| J | A | C | K | O | F | A | L | L | T | R | A | D | E | S |
| I | L | K | O | R | S | E | I | N | E | |||||
| T | I | L | F | I | V | E | Y | E | A | R | O | L | D | |
| O | N | E | M | I | L | E | U | M | P | S | E | E | ||
| S | E | D | A | N | A | R | M | A | E | R | O | |||
| K | N | O | W | I | T | A | L | L | ||||||
| L | E | T | O | V | I | M | O | P | T | I | N | |||
| A | G | O | D | E | F | A | W | E | S | O | M | E | ||
| M | O | T | H | E | R | I | N | L | A | W | A | T | M | |
| S | A | A | B | I | O | N | S | H | E | |||||
| M | U | L | T | I | H | Y | P | H | E | N | A | T | E | S |
| T | R | U | E | P | E | P | A | O | T | E | R | I | ||
| S | F | P | D | S | A | Y | S | D | A | R | E | S |
| G | A | B | I | N | G | E | C | L | A | S | P | |||
| I | R | O | C | R | E | A | D | A | E | G | I | S | ||
| S | T | I | R | C | R | A | Z | Y | S | T | U | N | S | |
| T | Y | L | E | R | T | A | S | T | E | T | E | S | T | |
| W | A | K | E | B | Y | E | ||||||||
| A | R | A | W | E | N | D | Y | S | R | A | I | L | ||
| M | U | S | C | L | Y | R | I | P | M | I | N | E | ||
| I | N | C | A | S | D | E | N | J | A | D | E | D | ||
| G | O | O | F | B | U | S | D | I | N | E | R | O | ||
| A | N | T | E | L | O | S | I | N | G | S | T | N | ||
| T | O | O | C | A | S | H | ||||||||
| S | U | P | E | R | G | L | U | E | A | O | R | T | A | |
| S | P | A | R | E | E | L | B | O | W | R | O | O | M | |
| T | O | N | I | C | S | N | O | B | A | M | M | O | ||
| S | N | E | A | K | T | A | X | I | P | E | R |
I'm pretty sure I finished building this puzzle at 2 a.m., covered in eraser marks and pencil lead. Imagine if you had 15 children and had to remember the exact moment each was born — recalling the inspiration behind this puzzle is kind of like that even though it was CHOSEN for publication — my first. How was I to know THIS would be THE ONE?!!
I remember intending to make it visually fitting for the theme. I remember brainstorming room types, and I still have the page of all my scribbles. I was intently focused on the symmetry. When it all came together, I felt the thrill of satisfaction, but truly had no idea this one would make the cut.
I'm not sure how others construct their puzzles, but I print out blank grids and pencil everything in, erasing words that don't work, rearranging black squares as needed, consulting my phone or laptop for word lists, etc. When the grid is done, I punch it into the software for clue writing and submission formatting.
I love the act and the challenge of hand building the grid. I love erasing and writing in new words over the eraser marks. I wait to firmly color in the black squares until the puzzle is completely finished. It's like the final touch. In the end, it feels like a piece of art.
I hope you enjoy solving my puzzle!