How I Cranked Out Seven Mini Crosswords in One Rainy Day

Here’s a quick note on how I managed to make seven mini crosswords in a single day—a personal best, and a fun little productivity win.

The Morning Panic

I woke up thinking:
I’m falling behind.
I like to have a cushion—some puzzles in the bank, ready to go. But I was down to just one. I like to have at least eight.
The problem?
No start words. No inspiration. No plan.
That blank-screen feeling hit hard.

Then It Hit Me: The Simpsons

Like a lot of ideas, it came out of nowhere.
What about The Simpsons?
So I started rolling through characters in my head:
Homer. Bart. Lisa. Marge.
And then into the deeper cuts:
Ned. Burns. Moe.
Just like that, I had seven start words. (Actually more, but seven was the goal.)
“The streak came from one cartoon.”
That’s my secret: I don’t just make one themed puzzle—I’ll stretch a theme into a whole run.

From Zero to Seven

Once I had the start words, I was off.
I rattled through three puzzles in the morning, another right after lunch. It was raining, so I stayed inside and rode the wave. Later, I walked to the library, grabbed a desk, and finished three more.
Start to finish, seven puzzles.

What Made It Work

Here’s the thing: for me, it’s always the start word that takes the most mental energy. Once that’s in place, it’s just grid-building and clue-writing. And if the theme is strong, it guides the rest of the build.
That’s why this worked.
I didn’t overthink it—I just ran with one idea and let it carry me through.

“For me the hardest part is always that first word.”
After that, you’re just assembling the grid and bombing through clues.

What’s Next

I’ll write more soon about how I come up with clues (spoiler: I spend more time on them than I probably should). But this little streak felt worth sharing.
Seven puzzles. One day.
And now, a full week’s worth in the bank.
Not bad for a rainy Tuesday.