The computer scientist Christopher Langton observed several decades ago that innovative systems have a tendency to gravitate toward the “edge of chaos”: the fertile zone between too much order and too much anarchy. (The notion is central to Stuart Kauffman’s idea of the adjacent possible, as well.)

Creativity arises from making new connections—contemplate unexpected things together. Don’t wait for moments of inspiration to strike. Creativity is a muscle; exercise it. There’s a logic to creativity: find what works for you, break it down, and you have a process that can serve you forever. Unstructured freedom is the enemy of true creative achie

The very act of finding one’s bearings as a writer, or exploring within the laws of a particular cosmology, can often unleash a sense of excitement and prolific creative output.