{"id":3236,"date":"2022-11-22T19:02:08","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T19:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.clueclinic.com\/?page_id=3236"},"modified":"2025-07-05T21:32:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T20:32:55","slug":"writing-azed-clues","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/clueclinic.com\/index.php\/writing-azed-clues\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Clues for Azed Competitions"},"content":{"rendered":"

A comment from a solver prompted me to reply with some observations on writing clues for the monthly Azed clue writing contest; a further comment persuaded me that it would make sense to create a more permanent collection of tips which would encourage interaction and could be refined over time.<\/p>\n

When I started submitting clues for the competitions, I thought I had a pretty good idea of how to write a clue, and I was terribly disappointed that my first few clues (all excellent, I felt) met with no success. Reading the monthly Azed slip, looking at the successful competition clues, and analysing Azed’s own clues in more detail, I realized that my clues weren’t actually that great, and many of them were unsound. Then I got my first VHC, and over the next few years I enjoyed a reasonable degree of success; although there have been occasions when I’ve asked myself ‘why<\/em> didn’t he select my clue?’, in general when my offerings haven’t met with favour I’ve known in my heart that they didn’t deserve to.<\/p>\n

How do you maximize your chances of getting a VHC or even a prize? Keep looking to improve your submissions and learn from your mistakes – the tips that follow may help a little. Do feel free to add your observations, to ask questions, and to disagree with me – I will be disappointed if the content of this page remains static. I will also be happy to give my honest opinion on clues that readers have submitted (or, indeed, not submitted) – either post them here in the comments or, if you would prefer that they were not seen by a wider audience, mail them to me using the address on the Contact page (only after the competition has closed, please). I might include such clues on this page if they illustrate a point, but I promise not to attribute them to an author.<\/p>\n

Apart from point 1, these are not hard and fast rules, but they are<\/em> based on my personal experience, both good and bad, of submitting competition clues.<\/p>\n

1. Soundness of clues is absolutely crucial<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Azed will not knowingly award a prize or a VHC to an unsound clue. Read through your clue as the wordplay is intended to work (rather than the surface reading) and make sure that it is grammatically correct when interpreted in that way.<\/p>\n

Bad example: “I am embraced by crazy spinster<\/span>” for MAID. As soon as you start to read the wordplay, you will see that it would have to start “I is…” in order to be sound. The easy fix is to use the future tense, ie “I’ll be embraced by crazy spinster”.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Writing a competition clue is quite different from writing a clue for a crossword, because Azed is going to get 100+ clues for the same word, and if there is (for instance) an obvious anagram then he is quickly going to get fed up with seeing it used time and again (as it undoubtedly will be). Also, while brevity might be prized in crossword clues, a two-word double definition clue is very likely to be used by other competitors, while relatively wordy clues still have a good chance of success (see tip 11), .\u00a0 Try to come up with an original idea, because that will get his attention.<\/p>\n

From the slip for comp 1752: “MIDWINTER produced a nicely varied crop of entries. Sadly, the highly appropriate anagram of \u2018wind\u2019, \u2018rime\u2019 and \u2018t\u2019 (usually for \u2018time\u2019) proved so popular that none who used it managed higher than an HC (hence the extra-long list). It always seems unfair when this happens, but I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much I can do about it. There are always other approaches to try if you suspect that your idea, however neat, may have occurred to lots of others.”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Avoid the obvious definitions where possible. A look through the\u00a0&lit archive<\/a>\u00a0will show that many of the successful entries employ definitions which are cryptic or, at least, unusual (along the lines of Azed\u2019s use of \u2018snob\u2019 to indicate a shoemaker).<\/p>\n

Good example: R J Hooper’s “It\u2019s looking like a wet weekend<\/span> with chill to follow” for HANGDOG [HANG + DOG]<\/em><\/p>\n

4. A bit of deception is good (eg a noun masquerading as a different part of speech in the surface reading), and a well-disguised break between definition and wordplay is another plus.<\/p>\n

Good example: L M Inman’s “Lying parallel, chief cause of congestion?<\/span>” for DOUBLE-PARKING [DOUBLE PAR KING, ‘lying’ = participle verb\/adjective, ‘chief’ = adjective\/noun]<\/em><\/p>\n

5. Plenty of successful clues, particularly &lit ones, use single letter indicators (eg \u2018start of\u2026\u2019), but if you are going to employ this device then (i) make sure that it is sound \u2013 \u201cBull\u2019s Head\u201d is fine for B but \u201cBeachy Head\u201d isn\u2019t, and (ii) make sure that you get full value from it, as in, say, \u2018too close for comfort\u2019 for OVERT.<\/p>\n

Good (actually, very good indeed) example: R J Heald’s “Take the lead in Cinderella, playing girl who works in rags<\/span>” for HACKETTE [(TAKE THE C(inderella)*. This ticks many boxes, in particular point 3]<\/em><\/p>\n

From the slip for comp 1676: “We all, myself as much as anyone, include references to letters in initial, medial, final, alternate, etc positions, and these are well-established conventions, but I do regard them as relatively weak and to be resorted to when nothing else seems acceptable.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

A look at some of the other examples on this page may suggest that Azed’s view on this point has softened, but you will also see that in all instances the letter selection elements are seamlessly incorporated into the clue as a whole.<\/p>\n

6. Avoid noun anagram indicators on their own<\/em>, so \u201cEton mess\u201d is not acceptable for NOTE, although \u201cTruss in a mess\u201d would be ok for RUSTS.<\/p>\n

7. Remember that definitions by example (eg ‘setter’ for DOG or ‘Trotter’ for DEL) must always be indicated by a qualifier such as ‘perhaps’ or a question mark.<\/p>\n

Good example: Dr I S Fletcher’s “Torte without filling can upset Bunter, perhaps” for VALET [(T(ort)E LAV)<, Lord Peter Wimsey’s valet – “Bunter?” would also be acceptable]<\/em><\/p>\n

8. If the competition clue word is an across word, it must be clued as such (so \u2018rising\u2019 as a reversal indicator would be no good), similarly if it is a down word then \u2018from the east\u2019 wouldn\u2019t work for reversal. If the competition word doesn\u2019t appear in the grid (this may happen in certain ‘specials’), Azed is happy for it to be clued as either an across or a down entry.<\/p>\n

9. Try not to make clues too<\/em> easy.<\/p>\n

From the slip for comp 1908: \u201cPerhaps the biggest problem of all was to come up with a clue which didn\u2019t scream the answer out loud \u2013 even some of those quoted [as VHCs] came close to this. I have no objection to easy clues, but do beware of those which present the solver with no challenge at all.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In practice, this only applies to simple clue types, such as ‘hiddens’ and ‘take the first letters’. Azed doesn’t seem to mind if the answer is obvious when the clue is more involved.<\/p>\n

Example: Dr S J Shaw’s “Smash US TV series heaped woe for\u00a0such<\/strong> housewives<\/span>” for DESPERATE [comp anag &lit, (US TV SERIES HEAPED WOE)* = (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES)*, the answer here being more obvious than its cryptic origin]<\/em><\/p>\n

10. Very short clues can<\/em> be successful, but they often fall foul of tip 2. In recent times, particularly, Azed has often favoured clues of considerable length, a quick check on the archive showing that prizewinning clues of 10 words or more are surprisingly common even for target words of four or five letters. Azed likes clues which tell a story, and the number of words (within reason, 15 probably being the upper limit) is not an issue as long as they all have a part to play.<\/p>\n

Example (good or bad? – you decide): D F Manley’s “What hand is raised for<\/span> \u2013 needing pee, about to burst, wanting the loo ultimately?” for UPBEAT [(PEE ABOUT – (th)E (lo)O)*]<\/em><\/p>\n

11. You will see that many of the prizewinning clues are &lit (all-in-one) clues. Some words lend themselves better to this type of clue than others, and there is no doubt that a good &lit clue will beat a similar clue which includes a separate definition. You will also see that often the ‘definition’ is fairly loose – a degree of additional latitude is given to this sort of clue. But producing a good (and sound) &lit is far from easy, and you will find that the published &lit clues have usually been produced by experienced competitors – that is no reason not to attempt one, but here you need to read your clue carefully and ask yourself whether as a whole it is valid both as a ‘definition’ of the solution and a wordplay that leads to it.<\/p>\n

Great example: N C Dexter’s “Item gran arranged family slides in?<\/span>” for MAGIC LANTERN [CLAN in (ITEM GRAN)*, &lit]<\/em><\/p>\n

12. Likewise compound anagrams (particularly those which are also &lit) often feature among the winners. Probably the main reason for this is the considerable range of additional treatments afforded by this type of clue (greatly increasing the chance of a unique clue as suggested by tip 2), but again these are not simple to write. Remember that the wordplay needs to indicate in some way that the solution (in a comp anag &lit often represented by ‘this’, ‘what’ etc) plus some other letters can be rearranged to form another collection of letters.<\/p>\n

Good example: C G Millin’s “Nasty innuendos could be this \u2013 also noun<\/span>” for SNIDE [comp anag &lit, INNUENDOS* = (SNIDE + NOUN)* – note the use of ‘nasty’ and ‘could’]<\/em><\/p>\n

13. Clues which relate to a recent event (a scandal, an election, or both, say) are often successful. Azed does not care whether the surface reading of the clue will make any sense in a year’s time.\u00a0 Also, Azed is no prude, and while Viz-style obscenity – or anything likely to give offence – should be avoided, a bit of naughtiness in a clue certainly won’t damage its chances.<\/p>\n

Example: M Hodgkin’s “Bojo\u2019s beloved going nuts about bride-chamber at Number Ten \u2013 outdated stuff<\/span>!” for BOMBAST [BO(jo) + (bride-cham)B(er)) in MAST]<\/em><\/p>\n

Example: J C Leyland’s “How intimate embraces lead to rakish Don Giovanni maybe getting end away?<\/span>” for IMPROPERLY [(R(akish) OPER(a)) in IMPLY, &lit, note the ‘maybe’ for the definition by example of OPERA]<\/em><\/p>\n

14. As witnessed by Azed’s own clues and many successful entries, humour is a prized commodity. This may or may not be combined with topicality or a spot of mild smut.<\/p>\n

Good example: N G Shippobotham’s “Trimmed pet\u2019s hair, wanting a cool cat” for HIPSTER [((PETS HAIR) – A)*]<\/em><\/p>\n

15. Clues which refer to Azed puzzles and competitions often do well, and not just in puzzles celebrating an Azed landmark.<\/p>\n

One of many examples: M Barley’s “Entries to Azed get brain working a good deal<\/span>” for BARGAIN [(A(zed) G(et) BRAIN)*]<\/em><\/p>\n

16. Be wary about using letters from the NATO phonetic alphabet (eg \u2018Mike\u2019 for M) \u2013 Azed has written in the past about his unfamiliarity with them, and while, as correspondent Azedophile has pointed out, Bravo, Charlie, Echo, Golf, Papa, Romeo, Tango and Victor have all appeared in published clues there is evidence that he has rejected other letters from the alphabet in the past, so I would advise sticking to those eight.<\/p>\n

17. On occasion, Azed himself uses ‘link words’ between wordplay and definition (eg ‘in’) or between definition and wordplay (eg ‘from’). There is nothing unsound about this, but when it comes to the competitions you should expect a clue containing a link word (or words) to be marked down a little. Given the choice between a link word and a comma to connect wordplay and definition, I would prefer the link word, because while both are likely to make the ‘join’ fairly obvious, the surface reading will almost certainly flow better without a pause. Ideally, a competition clue should contain a definition, a wordplay, and nothing else, but if your best clue will only work with a link word, then you should submit it. Note that for ‘specials’ such as Letters Latent, where the answer and the result of the wordplay are different, link words should not be used, since they imply an equivalence which does not exist.<\/p>\n

18. Azed quite often gives reasons in the slip as to why he\u2019s rejected or marked down particular clues \u2013 this can give a good idea of other things to avoid.<\/p>\n

From the slip for comp 1385, PANTRIES: “Four examples of unsoundness from quite experienced competitors: 1) \u2018Botched repaints? Sounds like Ladas.\u2019 This is an instance of \u2018a clue to a clue\u2019, as Ximenes would have called it, with no actual definition part at all. (The fact that it\u2019s not difficult to solve is irrelevant.) 2) \u2018Twist \u2013 near pits \u2013 presses for food.\u2019 Nice idea, with its misleading reference to Oliver T., but the first dash spoils it for me. For the anagram to work you have to assume it isn\u2019t there, but it is, and you can\u2019t just wish it away. 3) \u2018Where, each being shelved, peach tins are arranged.\u2019 Again a promising idea, with the nice double meaning of \u2018shelved\u2019, but for it to work grammatically as an \u2018& lit.\u2019 it needs another \u2018are\u2019 or an \u2018is\u2019 after \u2018are\u2019. 4) \u2018Cake goes in these.\u2019 A similar attempt at an \u2018& lit.\u2019, similarly flawed but much more easily salvaged. The syntax doesn\u2019t work in the cryptic reading, though \u2018You\u2019ll find cake goes in these\u2019 would be fine and entirely acceptable.”<\/span><\/p>\n

19. If you plan to use a particular indicator, say ‘riotous’ to indicate an anagram, but are not sure whether it is likely to be accepted, go to andlit.org.uk and do a keyword search (in this example, for ‘riotous’) on Azed clues. If the indicator has been used in successful clues for the purpose to which you intend to put it, then all is well; if there is no precedent, the fact that you were already in enough doubt to check probably suggests that you should try something else.<\/p>\n

20. One final point based on bitter personal experience – make sure there are no typos in the clue you submit. There are few things worse than having your clue returned to you by Azed with a mistyped word circled in red pen!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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