Listener No 4621, True: A Setter’s Blog by Piccadilly
Posted by Listen With Others on 13 Sep 2020
Having had the basic idea for TRUE, I tinkered with the wording so that the solution would be a rectangle. I put bars into the grid and decided on some of the number/letter equivalents so that I could do a few clues to give the solver a gentle way in. That was the easy bit.
Next I assigned the rest of the letter/number values randomly and set about the rest of the clues. Finally (the tedious bit) I checked that the puzzle was unambiguously solvable.
Why do I set numerical puzzles? Firstly I don’t hate setting them, only solving them; secondly it’s nice getting paid for them.
I submitted TRUE on 18/04/20 and it was accepted for publication on 5/07/20 – could that be a record?
Listen With Others 
Alastair Cuthbertson said
I think Casting Out Nines would run it pretty close regards the record.