Whether you want to make your own crossword puzzles, or just wonder how they are created, this post is for you. A user over at StackExchange asked how to create a puzzle in 
The cwpuzzle. It isn’t quite as easy as I had envisioned, but is still relatively simple. The key part of Thorsten’s code looks like this:
\begin{Puzzle}{16}{12}
|* |[1]O |[2]P |E |R |A |T |I |O |N |* |* |[3]B |* |* |* |.
|* |* |L |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |[4]R |A |N |G |E |.
|[5]E |* |A |* |[6]M |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |R |* |* |* |.
|S |* |[7]C |O |O |R |D |I |N |A |T |E |G |R |I |D |.
|T |* |E |* |D |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |R |* |* |* |.
|I |* |V |* |E |* |* |* |[8]V |A |R |I |A |B |L |E |.
|[9]M |E |A |N |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |P |* |* |* |.
|A |* |L |* |[10]L |I |N |E |G |R |[11]A |P |H |* |* |* |.
|T |* |U |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |X |* |* |* |* |* |.
|I |* |E |* |* |* |[12]S |C |A |L |E |M |O |D |E |L |.
|O |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |S |* |* |* |* |* |.
|N |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |* |.
\end{Puzzle}
And here is the result:
The Puzzle
The Answers
A pretty neat tool, overall.
Crossword fans might also like this video, with remarks from a classic crossword puzzle “grid man:”
Very cool!