Do you enjoy crossword puzzles?
If so, you're in good company! Not only are they a fun way to pass the time, but crosswords may actually improve your writing.
It’s
common knowledge that crosswords help facilitate left-brain thinking, but did you also know that working them helps
stimulate creativity, too? Think about it… When you work a crossword, you have to interpret a variety of clues and consider words in different forms than you're used to. While working a crossword puzzle may not directly boost a sense of imagination and wonder, this tendency to view words in many forms can carry over to your writing efforts.
I've always loved puzzles, dating back to my childhood when I would work endlessly to complete jigsaw puzzles and spend countless hours on a handheld spelling bee device. (Yes, I still have this, and believe me when I say it was far more entertaining than today's smartphone apps!)
Several years ago, at the height of my executive work career, I sought a quick and easy way to mentally escape the pressures of my job. I didn't want to resort to TV shows or even books and magazines. I needed something I could carry with me for those times when I felt stressed or stuck. I found the crossword app by Redstone games and was immediately hooked.
The benefits of this daily practice quickly became apparent. Not only did the app provide an emotional reprieve, but it also energized the part of my brain that likes to learn.
Here are just a few of the benefits this practice can provide.
Ditch the word-of-the-day toilet paper
Ever feel like your words are redundant or flat?
Like they carry no meaning, or you revert to the same terms over and over?
With fiction, especially, there's the tendency to lock in on phrases you find familiar rather than seek out new ways of saying things or (better yet!) replacing description with action.
Enhancing your vocabulary is one way to come up with new and exciting ways to get your message across. Who knows? You might even learn something. I did!
Wutz rong with my speling?
One of my closest work friends and I had a longstanding joke about her spelling. Even with spell check on, I'd get emails from her that were riddled with errors as her brain worked faster than her fingers could.
Working crossword puzzles slows you down. And the more often you see a word spelled correctly, the more likely you are to retain that knowledge.
When you go to edit your own work, this is important (and it keeps you from relying solely on software to catch your mistakes). Its like having a teacher built into your screen.
Take a backseat, Ginkgo Biloba
Although
the jury is still out on whether brain puzzles truly prevent mental decline, there’s no denying the level of focus and concentration that crossword puzzles require. Completing them on a regular basis helps develop these skills and also teaches you to block out distractions, a valuable practice for those long writing sessions.
An added bonus? When you can't sleep or are agitated about something, working a crossword puzzle helps you relax. This is often my go-to at the end of the day. There's just something about the mental stimulation that prevents me from fretting or stewing on things.
Improve your problem solving skills
Crosswords require you to think until you find a solution (assuming, of course, that you don't cheat). The problem-solving skills you develop through diligent completion are invaluable when you get stuck on a project or simply cannot decide what to write.
Crossword puzzles also tap into your logical thinking skills, especially those with advanced clues. I use this part of my brain to recognize patterns as I complete complex puzzles. Doing so lets me fill in certain spaces (for example, adding an "s" to a box when the clue indicates a plural response) when I get stuck.
These are just a few ways to use crossword puzzles to your advantage. Next time you feel stuck, try working a crossword puzzle to jumpstart your creativity. Not only will this shift your attention away from the problem at hand, but it might also improve your language skills.
Of course, not all writers enjoy crossword puzzles, and there’s nothing wrong with that either! The great thing about being creative is the freedom you have to try different things until you find what's perfect for you. For
nicheless writers like me, this is what it's all about.
