The
Easiest Contest Ever ends tonight at midnight. Tomorrow morning, I'll
announce the five lucky winners, who will each receive a signed copy of
"StearsWords: Volume 1." Winners will be chosen randomly from whoever
sends me an email.
It really is that easy. Send an email to
robinstears@gmail.com, tell me why you like crosswords, or what you like
about crosswords, or why you want a free crossword puzzle book.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The "Whatever Crosses My Mind" Part
Since I started StearsWords over a year ago, I've been hearing quite a bit of advice from just about everyone.
"You should put ads on your site."
No, I shouldn't. I hate ads. Everyone hates ads. I will never put ads on my site.
"You should put more pictures on your site."
No, I shouldn't. Pictures take more time to load than text. My site is deliberately very plain, without fancy-schmancy formatting and time-wasting .gifs. You want sizzle? Go to a Disney website. You want steak? My site has well-done crossword puzzles, and that's all.
"You should blog every day."
No, I shouldn't. I don't have that much to say, and I believe, if you don't have anything to say, you shouldn't say it.
"You should charge more for your puzzles."
No, I shouldn't. The ones I put on my site, and the ones in my digital collections, don't take me very long to make. I spend much more time on the ones I send to newspapers and magazines. I don't agonize over every word and clue in my StearsWords puzzles the way I do when I'm really getting paid. They're great puzzles, entertaining and fun, but I'm the first to admit, they're not my best work. They're more like my better work. The exceptions are, of course, the Trivia Challenge crosswords. Those take days sometimes, but they're a labor of love, and so I consider it time well-wasted.
"You should copyright your puzzles."
No, I shouldn't. Why bother? If someone wants to print out or share a digital file with their friends, who cares? More fun for everyone, I say. I certainly can't stop anyone, and I don't want to make a bunch of lawyers rich, so what's the point? They're perfectly good puzzles, but not a one of them is suitable for publication elsewhere, so I don't have to worry about anyone claiming to have constructed one of them and trying to sell it. Nobody would buy them. Copyright is a waste of time.
"You should get a real website."
No, I shouldn't. "Real" websites cost money, and Google Sites is free. Why should I pay for something I can get for free?
"You should advertise more."
No, I shouldn't. I hate ads. Everyone hates ads.
Thank you for all your wonderful advice. I'm sure it would work for someone else, but it doesn't work for me.
"You should put ads on your site."
No, I shouldn't. I hate ads. Everyone hates ads. I will never put ads on my site.
"You should put more pictures on your site."
No, I shouldn't. Pictures take more time to load than text. My site is deliberately very plain, without fancy-schmancy formatting and time-wasting .gifs. You want sizzle? Go to a Disney website. You want steak? My site has well-done crossword puzzles, and that's all.
"You should blog every day."
No, I shouldn't. I don't have that much to say, and I believe, if you don't have anything to say, you shouldn't say it.
"You should charge more for your puzzles."
No, I shouldn't. The ones I put on my site, and the ones in my digital collections, don't take me very long to make. I spend much more time on the ones I send to newspapers and magazines. I don't agonize over every word and clue in my StearsWords puzzles the way I do when I'm really getting paid. They're great puzzles, entertaining and fun, but I'm the first to admit, they're not my best work. They're more like my better work. The exceptions are, of course, the Trivia Challenge crosswords. Those take days sometimes, but they're a labor of love, and so I consider it time well-wasted.
"You should copyright your puzzles."
No, I shouldn't. Why bother? If someone wants to print out or share a digital file with their friends, who cares? More fun for everyone, I say. I certainly can't stop anyone, and I don't want to make a bunch of lawyers rich, so what's the point? They're perfectly good puzzles, but not a one of them is suitable for publication elsewhere, so I don't have to worry about anyone claiming to have constructed one of them and trying to sell it. Nobody would buy them. Copyright is a waste of time.
"You should get a real website."
No, I shouldn't. "Real" websites cost money, and Google Sites is free. Why should I pay for something I can get for free?
"You should advertise more."
No, I shouldn't. I hate ads. Everyone hates ads.
Thank you for all your wonderful advice. I'm sure it would work for someone else, but it doesn't work for me.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Christmas Card
Merry Crosswords! I love to tell jokes about Christmas, so does that
make me a Christmas card? This week's puzzle features some truly
horrible holiday puns. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
- Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, December 13 for the answer grid.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Turkey Leftovers
This week's puzzle has a Thanksgiving theme: What to do with leftover
turkey. It's the reason I cooked a 15-pound turkey for only two people.
Coming up: Turkey Hash, Turkey Salad and gallons of Turkey Soup. This
week's puzzle features some of the things you can make with leftover
turkey. As a bonus, the .pdf version has links to the Food Network's
recipes so you can use those leftovers to make something delicious.
- Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, December 6 for the answer grid.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Easiest Contest Ever
There's at least one person on your holiday shopping list who loves crossword puzzles--maybe it's you. StearsWords would like to help you this holiday season. If you, or someone you know, loves crossword puzzles, send me an email. Let me know why crossword puzzles are great, and I'll choose five of them at random to send a signed copy of StearsWords: Volume 1.
Easiest contest ever, right?
Step 1: Compose an email explaining why you love crosswords, or why you think someone you love deserves a free crossword puzzle book.
Step 2: Send it to robinstears@gmail.com
Step 3: Wait until December 15 to see if you're a winner.
Easiest contest ever, right?
Step 1: Compose an email explaining why you love crosswords, or why you think someone you love deserves a free crossword puzzle book.
Step 2: Send it to robinstears@gmail.com
Step 3: Wait until December 15 to see if you're a winner.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Dystopia
The biggest movie this week is the "Hunger Games" sequel,
"Catching Fire." My daughter loved those books, and after hearing her
talk about them, I just had to check them out myself. Unlike the time I
checked out the "Twilight" series, the "Hunger Games" books were a
pleasant surprise. Yes, they're Young Adult books, but that doesn't mean
they're not enjoyable.
This week's featured StearsWords crossword puzzle is a salute
to dystopian futures in literature. So, hide your books and grab a dose
of Soma. There are so many dystopian futures, this week's puzzle is
extra large.Meanwhile, there's a puzzle to be solved! May the odds be ever in your favor...
- Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, November 29 for the answer grid.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
PlayStation 4 Games
As much as I love movies and TV and music and comic books, I also
love video games. When I hear, "Turn on the AC," I think, "Cool! We're
going to play Assassin's Creed!" The first time I heard about DKNY, my
first thought was, "Donkey Kong in New York?"
One of my friends runs a Sunday morning TV show that
features an "Oh WOW Moment," and I always hope it will have something to
do with World of Warcraft, but it's always about the children's museum.
This week's puzzle features some of the PlayStation games for the newest member of the family, the PS4.
- Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, November 22 for the answer grid.
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