Formerly known as the “Sunday Summer Substitute”, editor Cap'n Rick now takes the helm for 'Smooth Sailing Sundays'. As The Commodores sang about Sunday morning, the SSS will focus on easier metas. SSS will also support smaller grids and will mentor new constructors on request. Puzzles released each Sunday around 8am Eastern. Nudges released same day at Noon Eastern. New constructors are welcome.
I hadn't constructed a meta in a while, but when the Cap'n's call for crosswords coincided with my discovery of a scrap of paper containing an idea for a meta I had written down last year - this puzzle came to be. So thanks to @Cap'n Rick for the slight nudge to construct again, and for the editing and test-solving of the puzzle. And many thanks to @Joe Ross for the detailed instructions for the preparation of the files for this post. I hope I followed the instructions correctly.
You know the drill - start writing!
Writers might use the answer to the meta.
Nudges will be posted later today, and the solution on Saturday.
I hope you enjoy!
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta!
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 contest-style (meta) crosswords that we've created to help raise money for cancer-related organizations - get the bundle at http://crosswordsforcancer.com
11 solvers so far.
Time for nudges: There are 5 starred clue entries. I know that's apparent, but sometimes if I'm short on time I may just reveal an entire puzzle and work on the meta without looking at the clues. Or I may be so caught up in solving the meta that I forget the starred clues. So in case you didn't notice, or forgot, they're there. And the wording or content of the clues has no bearing on the meta at all.
The 'start' in the title refers to two things. The beginnings of the starred entries, and something related to writing that can be added to the beginning of them.
Look at the first 4 letters of each theme entry. What common writing implement can be added to them to form new words?
New words? Find alternate clues that would fit those words. What are the initials of the alternate entries in grid order?
Five starred entries lead to a five-letter word. But it doesn't quite fit the prompt. If you add a common writing implement to the start again, it might make more sense.
I hope those nudges helped! If you need more, feel free to PM.
Check out this very cool project by many of your favorite muggles to raise money to fight cancer. You get a fun puzzle bundle and good causes get $. Win-win: Crosswords for Cancer
Do you have do so many crosswords they run together and you think "oh, that must apply to the clue... oh, wait. That was in another puzzle"
So nudge four.... I can use it *once* in this puzzle and the others remind me of *other* puzzles I've done in the last 24 hours but other wise I just don't see them in this puzzle. I must be overlooking something obvious because... I'm *not* seeing them here.
EDIT: Okay. Got them here. But seriously the six or other puzzles in the last 24 hours really clouded them out.
SSSolved, with nudge #2. Well done and fun. Thanks!
