| 100% | ERNESTHEMINGWAY | 15 | Author of the concise yet evocative story told in this puzzle |
| 44% | JAMESMICHENER | 13 | Author of the novels whose titles are the starts of nine answers in this puzzle |
| 38% | POE | 3 | Author of the first detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" |
| 37% | POPES | 5 | 10 featured last names in this puzzle are also the names of these |
| 36% | SECRET | 6 | When revealed in this puzzle, it reverses the meanings of the answers to the starred clues |
| 36% | SANTA | 5 | It can precede eight first names in this puzzle to form the names of California cities |
| 36% | DANRHODES | 9 | Author of 2001 short story collection Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love |
| 35% | EYE | 3 | Either of the circled letters in 4-Across, for this puzzle's face |
| 35% | ELEVEN | 6 | The number of clues in this puzzle minus one |
| 34% | JULES | 5 | With 49-Across, author of the novel suggested by this puzzle's theme; the movie debuted 10/17/1956 |
| 34% | COIN | 4 | With 55-Down, actions that can be performed nine times in this puzzle without affecting any of the clues? |
| 34% | CONSONANT | 9 | The beginning of every clue in this puzzle |
| 34% | ENG | 3 | Language of the words in this puzzle: Abbr. |
| 34% | BOWLGAME | 8 | Either of the College Football Playoff semifinals featured in this puzzle (2 wds.) |
| 34% | TWO | 3 | Number of words in this puzzle beginning with the letter "C" |
| 34% | ZIP | 3 | Each of the numbers in this puzzle's theme |
| 34% | FEATUREARTICLE | 14 | In-depth news story, or any of the reviews mentioned in this puzzle? |
| 34% | FORESTER | 8 | Author of the Hornblower stories |
| 34% | HIDINGOUT | 9 | Theme of this puzzle, seen seven times in the grid |
| 34% | YOGIBERRA | 9 | Source of all the quotes in this puzzle |
| 34% | THEPIEDPIPEROFHAMELIN | 21 | Leader of the pack hidden in this puzzle? |
| 34% | SHAHJAHAN | 9 | Builder of the monument depicted in this puzzle |
| 33% | BILATERAL | 9 | With 46-Across, feature of the answers to this puzzle's six starred clues, in a sense |
| 33% | SUSANHILL | 9 | Author of The Woman in Black |
| 33% | TED | 3 | The character who tells the story of his life in "How I Met Your Mother" |
| 33% | ASHOWABOUTNOTHING | 17 | Description of the TV series spelled out in the circled squares (as well as this puzzle's theme) |
| 33% | NIN | 3 | Author of the story collection "Little Birds" |
| 33% | JOHNGREEN | 9 | Author of The Fault in Our Stars |
| 33% | OPLACETOGO | 10 | What some of the letters in this puzzle seemingly have |
| 33% | SYMPHONIC | 9 | Like all of the 62-Across works in this puzzle |