The Selfies questions for 2023 fiction winner Halima Khatun

Has your writing process evolved over time? My process is now much more streamlined. I have found my sweet spot is dictating the first draft on my iPhone notes. As a busy mum of two, much of this is done while I'm pushing my son in his pram! There are many stages after this, but over time, I have learnt to be more efficient with self edits, and ensure that I send a very clean draft to my beta readers, then my editor, then my advanced readers. Also, I spend more time plotting the outline of chapters, whereas before I would largely start with a blank page. However, I do leave elements of surprise in the book, for both myself and the reader! Often, the best plot points come when you see where the characters will take you.