I was surprised at how similar the process to creating a crossword puzzle was to that of several of my other interests, including music composition and computer science, both of which I was studying at Princeton. They all involve an inherent set of rules and logical structure, but also allow abundant opportunity for creativity and artistry. I could go into more depth with the analogy, but I’ll save the ink.

Anyway, I started off by playing around with constructing software and making puzzles for friends when I had free time — nothing serious for a couple years. I quickly got better at solving crosswords, and began to do more and more themeless puzzles, which captured my interest. I loved how freely the fill pulled popular language from the air, how effortless the wide-open swaths lay and how devilish-yet-fair the clues read (how is that for crossword poetry?). I knew I wanted to make them myself. After a bunch of failed submissions (both themed and themeless), my first New York Times Crossword was published. Since then I’ve submitted almost exclusively themeless puzzles out of my passion for this subgenre.

Why do you do this to yourself?

It’s a bit of an addiction, but also a wonderful creative outlet. I enjoy making low word count grids, generally 64 or 66 words with wide-open middles or “gaping maws,” as I like to call them. However, as you might imagine, low word count themeless puzzles are especially brutal to fill cleanly. I have a rather large collection of partially filled themeless grids that I sadly shelved because I couldn’t finish the grids cleanly.

It’s a taxing hobby, but there is such a feeling of satisfaction when a puzzle comes together!

What do you enjoy most about making puzzles?

Making crossword puzzles allows me to bring joy (and, shh, sometimes minor frustration) to thousands of people around the world, while concurrently stimulating my own mind with challenging grid design and cluing.

Also, more important, the New York Times Crossword is a representation of what our society at the time considers knowledge-worthy. How wonderful it is to contribute to this cultural snapshot with colorful clues and entries that showcase interests and passions of mine and help to normalize previously underrepresented groups, such as the L.G.B.T.Q. community (of which I am a member), which is the most fulfilling part for me. I think making crosswords is something that many people — especially younger people — would find wonderfully satisfying, and I’d encourage anyone interested to give it a try!