> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usenerve.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Author > AI-powered writing assistant with Live Draft collaboration # Author & Live Drafts Author Overview Author is Nerve's AI-powered writing assistant that helps you create, edit, and refine content for any work use case. Combined with Live Draft, it provides a seamless writing and collaboration experience for everything from job descriptions to performance reviews. ## What is Author? Author is your intelligent writing companion that can: * Generate content from scratch using natural language prompts * Adapt tone, style, and format to match your specific needs * Incorporate context from your existing documents and files * Follow templates and structural guidelines for consistency ## What is Live Draft? Live Draft is an interactive document editor that enables: * Real-time editing and iteration on your drafts * Collaborative editing with teammates and Nerve * Version history and change tracking * Direct export to Google Docs, Notion, Box, Dropbox, and other platforms ## Getting Started ### Creating Your First Draft **Automatic Creation**: Live Drafts are created automatically when you ask Nerve to write longer-form content. **Manual Creation**: Click the "Start Draft" button under any chat or Nerve message to begin a new draft. ### Writing with Author 1. **Enter your prompt** - Describe what you want to write (e.g., "Write a job description for a product manager") 2. **Add context** - Use "Add Content" to include relevant documents, files, or snippets that should inform your draft 3. **Apply templates** - Use "Template" to set structural or stylistic guidelines for consistent formatting 4. **Specify style** - Request specific tone, voice, or formatting requirements 5. **Review and refine** - Edit the generated content in the Live Draft editor ### Understanding Add Content vs Template * **Add Content** brings specific documents, files, or snippets as context for your draft. Use this when you want the AI to reference or synthesize information from particular sources * **Template** sets structural or stylistic guidelines for your draft. Use this when you want consistency in format or need to follow a specific outline * **Combine both approaches**: Add relevant content for context, then apply a template to shape the output structure ### Editing and Collaboration * **Inline Editing**: Click anywhere in the draft to make direct changes, just like a regular document editor * **Patch-Based Updates**: When requesting changes, Nerve only updates the selected section, making the process faster and more efficient * **Team Collaboration**: Share drafts with teammates for feedback and co-editing * **Version Control**: View previous versions and see diffs between edits to track changes or revert when needed ### Publishing Your Work Once your draft is ready, you can: * Copy in the best format for Google Docs, Notion, Box, Dropbox, or other platforms * Send drafts via email * Share unique links with collaborators * Copy content for use in other applications ## Best Practices ### Effective Writing Workflow * Start with **clear, specific prompts** that describe your desired outcome * Use **Add Content strategically** to bring in relevant background information, previous documents, or reference materials * Apply **templates for recurring document types** to maintain consistency across your organization ### Collaboration Tips * **Iterate frequently** using inline edits to quickly improve your drafts * **Leverage version history** to monitor changes and collaborate transparently with your team * **Save successful templates** and context as Projects for easy reuse across multiple documents ### Content Strategy * **Performance reviews**: Add self-assessment documents and use output templates that match your HR system * **Team updates**: Create templates that ensure consistent structure and include all necessary information * **Marketing content**: Establish brand voice guidelines and use them as templates for all content generation ## Common Use Cases * **Performance Reviews**: Combine self-assessment documents with HR-compatible templates for comprehensive, structured reviews * **Team Communications**: Draft weekly updates, project status reports, and announcements with consistent formatting * **Marketing Content**: Generate blog posts, newsletters, and social media content that matches your brand voice * **Documentation**: Create user guides, process documentation, and knowledge base articles * **Proposals and Reports**: Draft business proposals, project reports, and analysis documents ## Troubleshooting * **Content not matching expectations?** Try being more specific in your prompts and adding more relevant context through Add Content * **Templates not working as expected?** Ensure your template follows a clear structure and includes specific formatting guidelines * **Collaboration issues?** Check that all team members have appropriate access permissions and that version history is enabled * **Export problems?** Verify that your target platform is supported and that you have the necessary permissions to export content ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can I collaborate with others in real time?** Currently, Live Drafts are individual workspaces, but you can share drafts with others for feedback. **How do I revert to a previous version?** Use the Version History feature to view and restore older drafts. You can see a complete diff of changes between versions. **Can I use my own custom templates?** Yes! Add your templates through the Output Template feature or save them as Projects for easy reuse across your organization. **What file formats can I export to?** Live Draft supports direct export to Google Docs, Notion, Box, Dropbox, and other major platforms, plus standard copy/paste functionality. ## Need Help? For Author and Live Draft specific questions: * Contact support at [support@usenerve.com](mailto:support@usenerve.com) * Join the discussion in your Nerve Slack channel **Ready to start writing?** [Open Author & Live Drafts](https://app.usenerve.com) to begin creating your first AI-assisted document.