There are eight Writer's Journey videos in Alan Wake 2, and players that want to earn the Trail of the Writer achievement will need to watch them all. While fans are guaranteed to encounter several of these videos as they work through the Initiation chapters, that is certainly not the case with all of them. Indeed, fans will need to make a concerted effort if they hope to find all Alan Wake 2's Writer's Journey videos, and this guide is here to assist with that endeavor.
To note, while the menu that allows players to review their obtained Writer's Journey videos suggests that there are nine of these collectibles, that is not the case at the time of writing. While that may change when Alan Wake 2's NG+ mode is added, or when its DLC is released, players that are currently going for 100% completion only need to concern themselves with the eight Writer's Journey videos that are detailed below.
Alan Wake 2: Writer's Journey Video Locations
1. The Dark Place
Players are required to interact with a TV near the end of Alan Wake 2's Initiaton 1: Late Night chapter, and that action will cause the first Writer's Journey video to play.
2. Writing
This Writer's Journey video can be viewed by approaching the front of the Vision TV Shop next to the "BOOKS" neon sign, and players can reach that building by heading north from the payphone that Alan answers at the end of Initiation 1: Late Night.
3. Murder Sites
Alan is sent into the subway tunnels during Alan Wake 2's Initiation 2: Casey chapter, and players will find the Murder Sites Writer's Journey video in that area's Break Room.
4. The Dark Presence (Missable)
As with Writing, this Writer's Journey video is viewed by approaching the front of the Vision TV Shop, and players can secure it as early as Alan Wake 2's Initiation 4: We Sing chapter. Notably, this video becomes unavailable upon completing Initiation 5: Room 665 and entering Parliament Tower, and fans should make sure to obtain it before that point.
5. Visions (Missable)
Players can find this Writer's Journey video inside Room 101 in the Oceanview Hotel, and they can enter that room by using the key that is found in the Ballroom's Break Room. This is yet another collectible that is inaccessible once the player has finished Alan Wake 2's Initiation 5: Room 665 chapter and entered Parliament Tower, and fans should address it during their time in the Oceanview Hotel.
6. Drowning (Missable)
As players work through Initiatoin 7: Masks, they will encounter Ahti the Janitor, who indicates that some of Alice's photographs are in a shoebox in the basement. While fans can complete this chapter without ever finding those photos, the Drowning Writer's Journey is only accessible if they are collected. Here are the steps that should be taken to secure Alice's photos, and the video plays on the stack of TVs that players will find near the Studio's exit.
- Use the door in the Janitor's Room to take a shortcut to the basement.
- At the bottom of the stairs, enter the Laundry and absorb the light.
- Exit the Laundry and look right. A new flight of stairs will have appeared next to the Laundry door.
- Descend those stairs and replace the light in the Laundry. This will make it possible to move through Basement Storage and into the Workshop.
- Replace the light in the Workshop. This will cause the shoebox with Alice's photos to appear on the desk.
7. Stop Writing
After entering the Poet's Cinema in Initiation 8: Zane's Film, players should stop by the Break Room next to the Concession Stand to watch this Writer's Journey video.
8. Initiation (Missable)
The final Writer's Journey is in the section of Initiation 8: Zane's Film in which Alan runs through a loop of rooms filled with film cannisters. After starting the third loop, players should look for a door with an exit sign in a corner, and the video is playing on a TV beyond that door.
Alan Wake 2 is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
