Is it possible for an author to easily store and retrieve a "working copy" of a piece of content as work-in-progress?

An author can store content as draft, which means it will not enter into the workflow process.  A draft piece of content will not appear on any live site, but will be entered into the database to be re-edited at a later date.  Any content can be made draft if it is not ready to be submitted for approval for publishing.