I never learned to fly from the books. I truly think the best way to become a great fighter pilot if to use ur imagination to destroy the enemy besides you. If you have a great imagination or maneuvers, I think you can be a great fighter pilot.
There's a reason BFM and ACM consist of a relatively limited repertoire of known moves, even though some are specific to aircraft type. They work. Over years of air combat successful maneuvers have been retained and those less successful have been dropped.
The better idea is to study the past until you have an understanding of each maneuver and where and when it might best be used as well as understanding the geometry of air combat along with energy management. This will keep you from learning bad habits (moves) that may be difficult to un-learn at a later date.
The art, or imagination as you put it, is in the combination of ACM to create angles (geometry) and energy management to gain an advantage. Sure you can get lucky doing something else but consistent, successfully executed ACM with a deep understanding of energy and angles will make you scary good.