In Alan Wake 2, you can watch and collect eight Writer’s Journey Videos, which are all required for The Trail of the Writer trophy/achievement. These videos are triggered when you approach certain TVs in The Dark Place.
The Writer’s Journey Videos start playing automatically and are added to your collection as soon as they begin. If you want, you can stop watching them before they finish. Here are detailed instructions on where to find all the Writer’s Journey Videos in Alan Wake 2.
Writer’s Journey Video #1 (The Dark Place): At the End of Chapter 1
You can collect the first Writer’s Journey Video at the end of the Initiation 1: Late Night chapter as part of the story. After meeting Ahti, the janitor, and getting the Angel Lamp, you’ll find a backroom while escaping the Talk Show Studio. In that room, there’s a single flickering TV. Use the lamp in the room to change the room and trigger the video as a cutscene.

Writer’s Journey Video #2 (Writing): On the Ocean Avenue in The Dark Place
After you exit the Talk Show Studio and reach the streets of the Dark Place, go north of the ringing phone on Ocean Ave. Keep going on the left side of the street until you come across the Vision TV Shop. You’ll see a bunch of TVs playing the Writing tape in the display window. This one is easy to grab because you’ll need to swing by here later to pick up your flashlight and revolver.

Writer’s Journey Video #3 (Murder Sites): In a Break Room of Caldera Subway Station
As you progress through Caldera Subway Station during the Initiation 2: Casey, you’ll come across a Break Room before reaching the Derailed Train scene. This Break Room can’t be missed. You’ll need to pass through it to keep going. In there, you’ll spot a television nestled among some lockers, which you can search for some useful supplies.

Writer’s Journey Video #4 (The Dark Presence): On the Ocean Avenue in The Dark Place
Once you return to the Dark Place, visit the Vision TV Shop on Ocean Avenue again. You’ll notice that The Dark Presence will play on the display window this time. Keep in mind that this will only be available until the end of Initiation 5: Room 665 when you enter Parliament Tower. After that point, you can no longer pick this Writer’s Journey Video.

Writer’s Journey Video #5 (Visions): In Room 101 of the Oceanview Hotel
You can find this Writer’s Journey Video inside Room 101 of the Oceanview Hotel during the Initiation 5: Room 665 chapter. Unfortunately, the room is locked, and you’ll need the key to unlock it. Progress through the chapter until you reach the Ballroom Scene. Inside the Ballroom Break Room, you’ll find the Room 101 Key on a table near the save options.
After that, progress through the chapter again until you must return to the Entrance Hall scene and switch the Plot Element to “The Devil”. Before you follow the blood trail up the stairs, unlock Room 101 to the left and step inside to trigger the Visions tape.


It is important to note that this Writer’s Journey Video is available until the end of the Initiation 5: Room 665 chapter. Make sure to grab it before you leave the hotel and enter the Parliament Tower.
Writer’s Journey Video #6 (Drowning): At the Beginning of Chapter 7
After the cutscene with Mr. Door at the beginning of the Initiation 7: Masks chapter, follow the corridors until you reach the Janitor Room. Go through the door behind Ahti and all the way down to the basement.
At the bottom of the stairs, take the path on the right, and you’ll find an opened door on the left at the end. While on this balcony, hold (X) to transfer the light into your Angel Lamp. Leave the balcony, go down the nearby stairs, and transfer the light from your lamp.
Progress through this flooded storage area until you reach a dead-end, where you can transfer the light out of your Angel Lamp and reveal a hidden Break Room. Here, interact with the Shoebox and pick up Alice’s Photographs from it. They are essential to trigger the Drowning video in the upcoming scene.

Once you have Alice’s Photographs, retrace your steps until you reach the stairs from the flooded storage area. At the top of them, take the path on the right and open the door with an “Exit” glowing sign above it. Then, transfer the light from your Angel Lamp to finish the chapter and trigger the Drowning tape.

It is crucial to collect Alice’s Photographs from the Shoebox in order to receive this video. If you miss collecting the photographs, you can reload one of the previous autosaves to try again. To confirm that you have collected this Writer’s Journey Video, check the TV in Alan’s Writer’s Room.
Writer’s Journey Video #7 (Stop Writing): In the Break Room of Poet’s Cinema
Once you enter the Poet’s Cinema during the Initiation 8: Zane’s Film chapter, head to the Break Room located in the Lobby near the Concession Stand. Upon entering the room, the Alan Wake 2 Writer’s Journey Video will automatically trigger.

Writer’s Journey Video #8 (Initiations): Behind the Screen Projector in Theater Hall
During the Initiation 8: Zane’s Film chapter, you’ll reach a point where you must interact with a door on a screen projector in the Theater Hall when switching to the Grandmaster plot. After going through the door, you will find yourself in a long looping area where you will be circling around the projector room multiple times.
On your third cycle, keep an eye out for a door with the “Exit” glowing sign above it. Behind it, you will find the final Writer’s Journey tape in Alan Wake 2. At this point, The Trail of the Writer trophy/achievement should pop up if you have collected the previous videos.

Have Something To Add? Do It Here: