It’s
September and I can hardly believe I’ve been married for a whole year already.
Where does the time go? I wouldn’t say there’s never been a cross word between Paul
and me over the last twelve months, because having a bit of an argument from
time to time (or even every day!) is a healthy part of married life… isn’t it?
But ‘cross words’ of a different kind do play a big part in our daily lives – those
of the black and white squared variety.
Crosswords
are great for keeping the old brain cells in good working order, playing around
with words and expanding vocabulary, and for developing patience and
persistence – all essential requirements for any writer – and no day is truly
complete for me without enjoying, and finishing, the crossword in the paper! My
record for the Daily Mail cryptic is now down to around eight minutes on a good
day, but I have to allow a whole lot longer if I decide to have a go at the
Telegraph Toughie!
I
often browse through ebay or Amazon looking for ‘crosswordy’ items too. There are
so many – pens, egg cups, mugs, cuff links, ties… My crossword-patterned furry slippers
all the way from America have finally fallen apart after nearly three years of
wear but unfortunately nobody seems to sell them anymore, so I can’t replace
them, but I have just added two great t-shirts to my collection: a black one
with the logo ‘Live Breathe Sleep Solve’, and a grey one with ‘Black Belt in
Crossword Puzzles’ emblazoned right across the chest. A bold claim, maybe, but I have
been solving them for fifty years so it’s one I feel justified in making.
Since
writing my book ‘How to Crack Cryptic
Crosswords’ (details here)
I’ve had a real urge to start compiling crosswords of my own, and it’s proving
to be a great success.
I
started earlier this year with a crossword to celebrate the impending birth of my
granddaughter Penny, packing it with references to cots, bottles, nappies,
rattles and all things baby – and I loved doing it. I also ran a small competition
here on the blog, offering a personalised crossword as a prize, and the winner,
Wendy Clarke, asked me to compile one especially for her husband Ian’s fiftieth
birthday. What fun that was! Wendy gave me all sorts of information about her
man and I weaved it into the clues – everything from his favourite drinks, cars
and music to the names of family members and pets, holiday destinations, hobbies…
and a whole lot more!
Then
a friend I hadn’t seen for ages happened to spot me talking about the blog competition
on facebook and got in touch to ask if I could make up a similar puzzle as a
birthday surprise for her partner’s mum. My first paying customer! Emails went
backwards and forwards, with more and more obscure facts about the unsuspecting
Barbara changing hands, and again a highly personalised crossword emerged, with
every clue having some connection with the lady’s life, work, friends and
family, even though we have never met.
I
have also started writing regular cryptic crosswords with a distinctly writerly
theme for inclusion in the quarterly magazine sent out to all members of the SWWJ (Society of Women Writers and
Journalists), and did another, with the clues all based around writing and
reading, for the competition page of a recent issue of Kishboo, the e-magazine for fiction lovers.
Both are worthy causes so I didn’t charge, although I have discovered that
compilers can easily command a fee of around two hundred pounds or more for writing
even a fairly small themed cryptic crossword puzzle for a popular newspaper or
magazine!
So,
to stop me worrying over the latest plot problem in my work-in-progress or
wondering what’s happening with the completed novel that’s currently with my
agent, I’m going to take occasional time out from my fiction and article
writing work and compile (and hopefully sell) a few more specialist crosswords.
Not to try to make my fortune, but because it’s fun to do, I’m getting pretty
good at it and, as hobbies go, it’s a lot quieter than knitting - my husband just
can’t tolerate all that rhythmic needle clacking!
My
aim is not for my puzzles to appear in national newspapers - many more
experienced people than me are already doing that, so the competition (excuse
the pun) is likely to be fierce - but for them to become unusual and highly
personalised keepsakes to be presented as gifts for birthdays, engagements, weddings,
anniversaries, or at leaving parties etc. I might tackle some specialist topics
too if I can get a trade paper or club magazine interested in publishing one
for their members to crack. You name it… any theme, any celebration, any life
story... and I will do my best to produce just the right tailor-made and
totally unique crossword for the occasion. No two will ever be the same!
Rates
start from just £15 per puzzle, depending on the size and level of complexity. Does
that seem a lot? I hope not, as each one can take several hours to put
together. Crosswords will be delivered to you as PDF documents by email, in colour and suitably decorated, all
ready to print - or even to frame! – with the solution provided separately in
case you get stuck.
So,
if you fancy having a special crossword written just for you, or as a gift for
a friend, please get in touch and help me to get this new venture off the
ground. Feel free to email me at vivienhampshire@btinternet.com
to find out more, ask for a price list, or place an order. If it takes off, prices
will go up to a more commercial level next year, and I may even get myself a
proper website. Wish me luck!
Viv
And,
just to show I really can do it, here’s what some of my satisfied customers have
to say so far:
I
was wracking my brains trying to find something unusual to give my husband for
his 50th birthday and Viv came to the rescue with the idea of a personalised
crossword. I would say it was his best present! (Wendy Clarke, winner of my blog competition)
A
wonderfully unique, personalised gift for anyone who loves cryptic crosswords.
Viv takes the time and effort to find out many details about the recipient
which makes the clues and/or answers particularly meaningful. She is able to
tailor the difficulty to their level. You will even have fun finding out things
you didn't know about your loved one. Highly recommended.
(Sally Alfred)
(Sally Alfred)
Many thanks for
creating a bespoke cyrptic crossword for the summer 2015 issue of KISHBOO
e-magazine. It was a fun, fresh and original addition to our pages. and an
enjoyable challenge for our readers. (Editor, Kishboo)
