How to write a cryptic crossword: A three-week course at the Guardian

Learn how to torment your friends with your crossword setting skills and take part in group activities, where you’ll create a puzzle that will be published on the Guardian website - with John Halpern (aka Paul), the Guardian’s most published setter

From finding words that you love, to filling the grid and writing clues, learn how to create cryptic crosswords at this unique Masterclass with John Halpern (aka Paul), the Guardian’s most published setter. Over three consecutive Saturday mornings, you’ll learn the skills of crossword setting, and put what you’ve learned into practice during fun practical activities.

During the course, you’ll create your own cryptic crossword, and also create a puzzle as a group which will be published on the Guardian website – perfect for boasting to your friends and/or torturing them with your cryptic clues. With opportunities for feedback and plenty of laughs along the way, it’s the ideal course for crossword fans and creative wordplay lovers who fancy a challenge.

Content

Session 1 [September 3, 10am-12pm]

• Background and history on cryptic crosswords in different newspapers

• The process of creating a cryptic crossword puzzle from scratch

• The rules – and when you can break them

• Writing the clues, types 1-6 – anagrams, hiddens, double definitions, reversals, containers and sound-alikes

Session 2 [September 10, 10am-12pm]

• Writing the clues, types 7-12 – deletions, cryptic definitions, charades, abbreviations, &Lit, miscellaneous

• Practical activities with opportunities for feedback – create your own clues and work on a group project

Session 3 [September 17, 10am-12pm]

• The editing process – polishing your puzzle and editing like an expert

• Practical exercises and group work – finish creating a cryptic crossword as a team, which will be published on the Guardian website

• Handouts to help you develop your crossword setting skills during and after the course

Tutor profile

John Halpern (aka Paul) is the Guardian and the UK’s most published cryptic crossword setter. His crosswords also appear in the Financial Times, The Independent and The Times, among other publications. John lives in Brighton and is married to a woman whose name is an anagram of ‘entail’; they have a son whose name is hidden in the word ‘taramasalata’. He’s the author of The Centenary of the Crossword and tweets @crypticpaul.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website