Screw had his first Guardian cryptic published in March 2015. At the time, I wrote: “Keener readers might have noticed Donk in the comments hereabouts, as well as in the featured clues”, alluding to his Independent puzzles.
Since then, he has established an economical, shrewd and occasionally cheeky style – so let’s meet the setter. (And if you are one of those solvers who prefers not to know what the setters look like, avert your eyes before the image at the end.)
When and where do you create your puzzles?
I tend to write either at the dining table or at a desk in our spare room. But when inspiration strikes, I’ve always got a pen and notebook handy. Driving through Dorset recently, we came across Chideock, which showed some promise for an insertion.
And when did you get the crossword bug?
Probably when I started going on holiday more regularly. I remember scanning clues occasionally when I was younger, looking for anagrams – but it only became a serious hobby in my 20s. After a few years of solving, I decided to try my hand at compiling. I haven’t revisited my first efforts for a long time and I’m not sure I really want to. I learned a lot from various blogs, and especially Dean Mayer’s DIY:COW clue-writing contests.
How did you choose your pseudonyms?
Donk is a nickname from an old pub quiz team, and I use Screw because (a) my surname’s Warder; (b) it splits into S (second) + CREW (to represent joining a second paper) and (c) the opportunities for risque wordplay.
What’s your favourite of your own clues or puzzles?
Quite a few of my early puzzles had something extra going on in them, including one with identical clues for pairs of across lights, a May Day effort with all across clues starting “I may ... ”, a puzzle using the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure as its theme (the highlighted solution of which was sent to me by the show’s writer, John Finnemore) and one that included a football pitch.
One of my favourite clues from that was:
14/22ac Part of pitch covered by Mido? (6,6)
I also quite like:
11/21ac Relentless nympho? (3,5,3,5)
Ahem. We’ll give the answers at the bottom. Which other setters do you admire?
It’s very difficult to pick out individuals from the vast array of talent in the crossword world.
But I would like to take this opportunity to thank my test solver, Sue, whose patience and guidance have been invaluable. She has put up with some very iffy ideas and always pointed me in the right direction.
What makes a successful clue?
This is tricky to answer, as solvers have very different opinions regarding what works for them. I try to concentrate on brevity, wit and an accurate definition. It’s always a pleasure to use a simple device – such as a hidden word – in a way that takes an age to discover and leaves the solver wondering how they didn’t see it straight away.
... and what makes an unsuccessful clue?
A sense of disappointment on solving.
How do you imagine a solver of your crosswords?
Someone excited to find new ways of breaking words down and who delights in the complexity of the English language. I’m always on the lookout for any words that change part of speech between the surface reading and the cryptic reading: something that can, for example, work as a verb in the surface but as an adjective when it comes to the cryptic instructions. Solvers of my puzzles probably have to put up with a fair amount of football, slang and rudeness, too.
Paper or screen?
Paper, usually on the commute.
Pencil or pen?
Pen. I like to live dangerously.
What advice would you give to an aspiring setter?
Don’t force anything. If a grid fill is becoming a chore, with limited obvious cluing possibilities, don’t be afraid to rework it. And if a clue is becoming strained by one idea, try a different approach.
How do people respond when you tell them you’re a crossword setter?
Surprise, mainly. I’m not particularly eloquent, I don’t have an enormous vocabulary and I come from a mathematical background – not the usual qualifications for a setter. Sadly, the most common response is a refusal to believe they could solve cryptics. It takes a bit of time and commitment to understand what is going on in the clues, but it’s hugely rewarding when you can polish off a hard one.
Is a propensity to play games with words ever a nuisance to yourself or others?
My poor fiancee tolerates my gibberish every day. She always puts me right with a “They won’t let you print that!” (see previous answer). She’s become a good solver now, too.
What do you think goes through a solver’s mind when she sees that it’s a Screw puzzle?
Anything apart from dread, hopefully. An expectation of entertainment, frustration, clarity, success and a few giggles along the way is my target.
And what’s the future for cryptic crosswords?
There seems to be a new generation of younger setters coming through, so I certainly see a bright future for cryptics. As technologies change, the cryptic world will have to keep up to stay relevant.
Anything else before we go?
A big thank you to solvers for keeping cryptics alive. If you get half the pleasure from solving my puzzles, as I do setting them for you, the job’s a good ’un.
Many thanks to Screw. The answers to the clues above are CENTRE CIRCLE and ONE AFTER THE OTHER.
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