How to write a story together with a friend in WriteWithPaige

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Open sharing

   Open the story and tap “Share” at the top of the chat (it reads “Shared” once someone has joined). You can also use the project’s ⋯ menu in the Projects panel and choose “Share”. When you make a new project, you can switch on “I’m writing this with someone” and sharing opens right away.

2. 2

   Step 2: Make and send the invite

   Tap “Share invite”. On a phone this opens your share menu so you can send it in a text or chat app. The link also appears in a box with “Copy link”. Each link works once, for 7 days.

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   Step 3: Your friend joins

   Your friend opens the link. If they are new, they tap “Join free and start writing”. If they already have an account, they tap “I have an account”. Then they tap “I’m 18 or older, join”.

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   Step 4: Write together

   You both see the same chapters and Story Bible. Type in the same chapter at once: you see each other’s cursor and words as they appear. Either of you can ask Paige for the next scene or a rewrite in your own chat.

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   Step 5: Manage people any time

   Open the share sheet again. Under “People in this story”, tap the ⋯ next to a name for “Remove from story”, “Block” or “Report”. Unused links show under “Waiting to join” with “Cancel”.

What you share and what stays yours

Everyone in the story can read and change the chapters and the Story Bible. Each person’s chats with Paige stay their own, and so do their Muses and their plan. Your co-author never sees your conversations.

In the share sheet, the owner is marked “Owner” and everyone else “Can edit”. There is no read-only role.

Story Bible settings belong to the owner. In a shared story, the “Paige and your Bible” setting shows “Set by” with the owner’s name, and only the owner can change it.

How the invite link works

One tap on “Share invite” makes one link. Tapping it again shares the same link, so you never make two by accident. The link “Works once, for 7 days”.

Under “Waiting to join” you see each unused link with when it was made and the day it stops working. Tap “Cancel” to kill a link you sent to the wrong person.

You can make 10 invite links a day. After that the sheet says to try again a little later.

• “This invite has expired”: the link is older than 7 days. Send a new one.
• “This invite was already used”: each link works once. Send a new one.
• “This invite link doesn’t work”: it may have been cancelled.
• “Open your invite link again”: the invite was not saved in that browser. Tap the original link once more, in the same browser.
• “This is your invite link”: you opened your own link. Send it to your friend instead, or tap “Open the story”.

What your friend sees

A signed-out friend sees who invited them and a page called “Writing together, live”. It explains the basics: “Type in the same chapter”, “Paige helps you both” and “Nothing gets lost”. It says it is free to join, no card needed, and that the link works once.

They tap “Join free and start writing” to make an account, or “I have an account” to sign in. Then they see the story name and two promises: everyone can see and edit the chapters and Story Bible, and their own chats, Muses and plan stay theirs. They tap “I’m 18 or older, join”.

Inside, they get a welcome: “Paige is ready to write with you.” If the story already has chapters, Paige offers “Catch me up” to give them the story so far.

Typing at the same time

When you both have the same chapter open, you see each other’s cursor with a name on it, and words appear as they are typed. There is no sending drafts back and forth.

Every chapter keeps its version history. Deleted chapters and Bible entries wait 30 days in “Recently deleted”, so either of you can bring something back.

Remove, block or report someone

Open the share sheet and tap the ⋯ “Options” button next to a person. What you can do depends on your role. The owner can remove, block and report. A co-author can block or report the owner, and report other co-authors.

Leaving a story and keeping a copy

If you joined someone else’s story, open the share sheet and tap “Leave this story”. You won’t be able to open it after you leave.

Before you confirm, switch on “Keep a copy” to get your own copy of the chapters and the Story Bible. Your chats with Paige move into that copy. Then tap “Leave”.

How many co-authors each plan allows

The limit belongs to the story’s owner.

• When your one spot is used, the sheet says “Your plan’s one co-author spot is taken.” with “See Plus”.
• Co-authors are for writing projects. Adventures and Business workspaces can’t be shared this way.
• If you don’t see “Share” at all, the story can’t take invites (for example, it is an adventure).

Questions