How to Find a Word Puzzle Maker

Find resources for making word puzzles.

If you enjoy playing word puzzles, you might consider making your own puzzles. Word puzzles can be used for educational purposes or simply for entertainment. It is not difficult to make your own puzzles. To begin, you just need to know how to search the Internet and/or the library for resources for beginning puzzle makers.

Instructions

1. Decide what kind of puzzle you want to make and what type of products you are looking for. For example, do you want to make a word search or a crossword puzzle? Are you looking for something free? If not, how much are you willing to pay?

2. Go to your favorite search engine. Type into the search box words related to what you are looking for. Use words such as "make crossword puzzles," "create word search puzzles"or "how to make word puzzles." If you are looking for free puzzle makers, include the word "free" in your search terms.

   Try searching several ways. First type in the words without any quotes. Then try switching the order of the words. For a more specific search, you might need to group some of your words together. You can put quotes around a phrase. To find multiple words in the same result, put a plus sign or the word "and" between the words.

3. Visit your local library if searching the Internet doesn't give you the results you want. Look up "making crossword puzzles" or "making word search puzzles" in the library catalog. Go to the section listed in the catalog and get books about making word searches, crossword puzzles or other puzzles you are interested in making. Look in these books for resources that help people make their own puzzles.

4. Get puzzle magazines from the library or a bookstore. Write to the editors of these magazines. Tell them what type of puzzles you are interested in and ask them to recommend products or websites to help you.

5. Go to a game and puzzle store. Talk to the staff about the kinds of puzzles you want to make. Ask them to recommend products or companies that make puzzles. You also should ask them to refer you to the person who buys puzzles for the store. Talk to that person about the types of puzzles he looks for. You also should ask him to recommend some resources for puzzle making.

References

• Google: Google search basics
• Learn Web Skills: Search Engines
• Media Awareness Network: How to Search the Internet Effectively