Lack of Theme words using Crossword Compiler

[JBAdamsJr]

I am trying to create either a 15x15 or 21x21 themed crossword puzzle using Crossword Compiler, but I am having some problems, which might just be in the way I am trying to create these. I can get it to lay out 4-5 of the longer words and create a grid around those words, but then it usually comes back saying it cannot fill in the grid using the default word list. I have tried creating a theme word list of 20-25 words for it to use for the fill-in grid words, but it cannot use any of those words. I have also tried creating a theme word list of 185 words to use to fill in the grid, but it still cannot use many of those, even though many of those are small 4-5 letter words.

Is there a trick to creating a themed puzzle that uses a larger number of theme words along with the words from the default word list? Or is a theme puzzle one that only has 4-5 long theme words, and a few smaller words, and that is all that is needed to call it a themed puzzle?

Any tips or suggestions in how to approach creating a themed puzzle in Crossword Compiler would be appreciated.

[mmcbs]

1. For a 15x15 themed puzzle, your theme entries (3-5 of them) should mostly be between 10-15 letters in length, and a total theme letter count from the high 30s to the high 40s. If you have more theme material than that it will be hard to fill.

2. The default word list that comes with Compiler is woefully inadequate for professional puzzle construction. An excellent word list can be obtained from xwordinfo.com, though you have to be a premium member to get it. If you are a subscriber to this web site's database you can get a word list called "ALL" that can be merged with your default word list for a big improvement.

3. Sometimes even with the best of word lists and a viable theme set it's still difficult to get a fill. In that case you may need to rearrange the grid by moving the themers around, or adding a black square in a problem area. There is a lot of trial and error to this process.

[JBAdamsJr]

I have gotten the word list from xwordinfo.com site, which you suggested that I merge with the Crossword Compiler default word list. If I can do that, why would I not want to take all of the better and larger Crossword Compiler word lists, and merge all of those together to get an even larger and better overall word list?

[mmcbs]

Good question. Every word list has garbage, and the larger the word list the more garbage there is. The xwordinfo word list has (IMO) the best balance of exhaustive usable entries with the lowest ratio of garbage.

One thing you can do with Compiler is remove words in one list from another list. So, for example you could take the huge Wordweb list and remove from it every word that's in the xwordinfo list. Then look at what's left in Wordweb and decide whether you would want to add that to your "main" word list.

I have spend hundreds of hours curating my default word list - taking out things I don't want use - adding things that I do want to use. This is part of a constructor's life.