If you’ve done any poking around the site you may have noticed a semi-broken link to the “Crosswords” writing samples page. I say semi-broken because the link is functional, but it only brings you to a site that says, more or less, that crosswords are coming soon.

With my recent acquisition of Crossword Compiler, that soon may be sooner than I’d hoped. I haven’t studied the ins and outs of the product just yet, but it promised to help me along in my crossword writing quest. I’m very wary of software that promises to help make people better writers. I’m not a technophobe…I’m particularly enthusiastic about books or audiotapes or videos that promise to make people better writers either. I believe–and I think that any good writer will agree–that the only way to become a better writer is to write. Or maybe read. But definitely, definitely write.

It’s true for fiction, it’s true for journalism, so I can’t think of a single reason it would be different for crosswords. I will say, though, that Crossword Compiler comes with a nifty set of dictionaries and word lookups that I expect will be handy in a pickle.

This program also gives me the ability to save crosswords in an online-publishable format. This means, that with the right software, I’ll not only be able to publish my puzzles in a nice-looking fashion–I’ll be able to publish them in a nice-looking and playable fashion, which should spice things up over at the Writing Samples page.

At any rate, I still need to figure out how to do it, so if you have any suggestions contact me.

I’ve long been lamenting the sorry state of the reference section of my bookshelf. At least I would have long been lamenting it if 90% of my books weren’t stacked in totes in my garage. At any rate, there’s nothing worse than needing a quick synonym or an answer to 25-across and not having anywhere to go for it.

There’s the internet, I know, but the purist in me understands that only cheaters use Google to finish the Saturday puzzle. When it comes to writing and needing a quality thesaurus, yes, Microsoft Word has one built right in, but it’s limited and cumbersome, and I would just as soon find the perfect word in the perfect book.

The problem is that quality reference books are prohibitively–almost preposterously–expensive. Even shopping used on the internet, it’s difficult to find something that strikes the appropriate balance between quality and handsomenss, so I kept on limping along. I’d ask for these books every Christmas, but my family, knowing that no sane person would actually want books for Christmas–let alone reference books–forwent my request and instead purchased me clothing and razor blades.

Enter Half-Price Books. This story recently cropped up in a strip-mall in the Appleton area within a stone’s throw of a Barnes and Noble.

Thinking it was insane for a Mom & Pop shop to open so close to a B&N, I decided to stop in before the books were all hauled out and the store was replaced with a hair salon. I wanted to poke around a bit, and figured I might be able to get some tattered thesaurus on the cheap. I was amazed at what I found.

Impeccibly organized and impressively stocked, I found the reference area immediately, and instead of sorting through piles of torn paperbacks, I found myself staring at walls of brand-new, dirt cheap reference books. I left the store with three books after searching for about 10 minutes, but I could’ve spent hours there.

I wondered how a M&P shop got its hands on such a quality selection of books, but a little bit of digging found that Half-Price Books is a chain, or more likely a franchise, which means the store has buying power.

They purchase books from customers, as well. I tend to steer away from stores eager to buy goods from me, as they naturally don’t have my best interests in mind, but I look forward to seeing Half-Price books thrive.

I can’t provide anything close to a full review here, but suffice it to say I’ll be returning in the future.