Puzzling

Pens down! All the writing AND all the editing and proofreading are finished! \o/ Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies (the in-depth 'how to' book, with 16 full crosswords) and Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies (a companion volume, with 56 crosswords) are FINALLY DONE! The books will be out in Australia, the UK, and the USA in August this year. My god, what an effort ... I started work in the middle of last December, so both books were written in just over 4 months. In the past 6 days I've solved and edited every single one of the clues in the second book (about 1,500 of the little toads). My red pen for editing literally ran out of ink on the last page, too! LOL I don't have to work on weekends or evenings now ... it'll take a bit of getting used to!

The writing of both books is DONE, thank heavens. All that remains now is to proofread and make final corrections on the second book ( Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies ), which mainly involves checking all 56 of the crosswords yet again. I will only get a week to do this in, the proofs will probably arrive tomorrow. So, in 4 months I wrote two whole Dummies books, with around 2,500 cryptic clues between them. If there's ever a Volume 2 of the crosswords, I definitely want more time! I can handle writing one cryptic a day – it's intense, but do-able ... more than that is dreadfully exhausting (I've been averaging 1.5 crosswords a day for the past several months). Griff is glad I can leave my desk sometimes, now!

I've just received the first batch of page proofs for the first book ( Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies ), it's starting to look like a real book! Very exciting  :) Now I "just" have to edit the first book, while still working 12–15 hours a day on the second ... aaaaaah! Clue writing in progress on my Mac screen (Crossword 36 from the second book) ... after this one is done, I've got 20 crosswords to go. Have written roughly 1,700 clues so far, about 600 to go! 14 days to deadline ...

Is this the perfect teapot for me? Yes, yes it is ... A Peter Cardew design from 2008. I managed to find the single stockist that still had them (in the States), they shipped it to a friend in the USA, and she shipped it on to me! I especially love the fountain pen handle on the lid! And it pours very well. Disappointingly, not all the words are tea-related, they've put a bunch of coffee words in there too! Clearly they didn't get a crossword setter in to help with the design ... but otherwise, it's great. I love that it's on a British grid, too, as most 'crossword-themed' paraphernalia seems to have American grids. I've been rather silent of late, sorry, but work on the two Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies book is occupying all my time and brains. The first deadline has been met, for all the 'how to' chapters, and I'm now well into writing the puzzles for the books. I also have to stay on top of my syndicated puzzle commitments!

It's official, folks! I've just landed the book deal to write TWO new Dummies titles with Wiley Australia ... both due at the same time  O.o  The books will be out in August 2012. Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies will be the 'how to' book, which I've been wanting to write for years now ... I first submitted the proposal to Wiley USA three years ago! (Wrong market, cryptics are not widely done in the States). I updated my proposal, and sent it off to Wiley Oz a few months ago, and it's got the green light! Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies will be the companion volume, which will contain a goodly collection of cryptic crosswords to solve, with a brief intro and solving tips (cribbed from the main book). Both manuscripts due by early April 2012. SOON. Eeeeek. To ease the panic I'm now in, here's a cute puppy piccie, of Griff just after his bath — where did all the floof go?! He is a very wriggly energetic puppy, with an advanced case of h...