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Constructing => General Discussion => Topic started by: Omakase on October 27, 2024, 07:38:07 PM

Title: Clue styling
Post by: Omakase on October 27, 2024, 07:38:07 PM

Hi Newbie constructor here....
(Apologies if this topic has been posted before)

Regarding the format of clues, I am curious how editors view
a.  Fill in the blank clues
b. Punny (?) clues

I've been counting how many of these styles of clues I have in each puzzle.

Does anyone else self-monitor this when constructing?
Any comments about how many are too many of these styles?

Also, when building a themed puzzle with pun clues is it bad to have other pun clues?
The theme answers are always much longer so...

Any and all responses appreciated!
Thanks

Title: Re: Clue styling
Post by: mmcbs on October 27, 2024, 07:48:59 PM

Editors vary widely in their style of cluing.

Editors change clues to suit their purposes.

FITB clues and pun clues generally should be kept to a minimum.

Degree of difficulty is more important than clue style. If your theme is basic, probably for an early week, clues should be basic. For a harder puzzle, tricky, deceptive clues should be more prevalent.

Title: Re: Clue styling
Post by: Lyly19 on October 30, 2024, 10:04:31 AM

It's wise to keep fill-in-the-blank and pun clues balanced in your puzzles, as too many of either can lead to predictability and reduce challenge; a good rule of thumb is to limit specific styles to about 10-15% of the total clues
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