Discover the character journal technique that unsticks novels and reveals plot solutions. Learn how to unlock character motivations, fix pacing problems, and find your story’s natural next step when you’re completely blocked.
The Wall Every Novelist Hits (And Why “Just Keep Writing” Doesn’t Work)
You’re 40,000 words into your novel. The opening was strong, the first act flowed beautifully, and you’ve been hitting your daily word count with satisfying regularity. Then one morning you sit down to write and… nothing.
Not the “I don’t feel like writing today” nothing. The “I genuinely have no idea what should happen next” nothing.
You know where your story needs to end up. You have plot points mapped out. But the specific path from here to there has become completely opaque. Your characters are frozen mid-scene, and you can’t figure out what they’d realistically do next.
This is the stuck point—and it’s different from writer’s block.
Writer’s block is emotional resistance. The stuck point is a structural problem: You’ve lost track of what your characters want, why they want it, and how their conflicting motivations should collide to create your next scene.
According to a 2024 survey of 500 published novelists, 89% report experiencing the stuck point at least once per novel, typically around the 30-50% mark. The most common trigger? Multiple character plotlines intersecting in ways that feel forced or unclear.
The good news: There’s a deceptively simple technique that unsticks 90% of these situations within an hour or two of focused work.
This guide will teach you the Character Journal Method—a diagnostic tool that reveals exactly why you’re stuck and precisely what needs to happen next, directly from your characters’ perspectives.
Why Novels Get Stuck: The Hidden Motivation Problem
Before we solve the problem, let’s understand what actually causes the stuck point.
The Protagonist Tunnel Vision Effect
When you write a novel—especially in close third person or first person POV—you naturally become deeply attuned to your protagonist’s experience. You know exactly:
- What they want
- Why they want it
- What emotions are driving them
- What they’d do in any given situation
But your other characters? They’ve been functioning more like props in your protagonist’s story. You know what you need them to do for plot purposes, but you’ve lost touch with what they’d actually do based on their own motivations.
The result: Your secondary characters are taking directions from the plot rather than acting from authentic motivation. When you try to write the next scene, it feels forced because you’re puppeting characters instead of releasing them to act naturally.
The Intersecting Plotlines Collision
The stuck point often occurs when multiple character threads need to converge. You’ve been following different characters in different subplots, and now they need to interact. But you’ve been so focused on individual threads that you’ve lost sight of how their motivations should clash or align.
Example scenario:
- Character A wants the promotion and thinks Character B is the main competition
- Character B is actually trying to leave the company and is hiding a secret
- Character C knows both secrets and has leverage over both
You know these facts intellectually, but when you try to write a scene where all three characters interact, you can’t figure out what anyone would say or do. That’s because you’ve been tracking plot facts without tracking emotional states and evolving motivations.
The Passive Secondary Character Problem
Sometimes characters who should be actively pursuing goals have gone passive. They’re reacting to the protagonist’s actions instead of driving their own agendas. When the protagonist pauses, everything grinds to a halt because no one else is generating momentum.
The test: If your protagonist disappeared for three chapters, would your other characters have their own compelling storylines? If not, they’re too passive.
The Emotional Lag Issue
Events that happened twenty pages ago may have had emotional impacts on characters that you haven’t fully processed. A character might be angrier, more hurt, more suspicious, or more emboldened than you realized. When you don’t account for these emotional shifts, their next actions feel wrong or unmotivated.
The Character Journal Method: A Complete Guide
Here’s the technique that unsticks novels by revealing what you don’t know you’re missing.
The Basic Exercise
Step 1: Set aside 2-3 hours of focused time
This isn’t something to rush. You need space to think deeply from each character’s perspective.
Step 2: Create a journal entry for each major character
Major characters = anyone with POV scenes or significant impact on plot. Usually 3-6 characters.
Step 3: Write from their perspective
Each entry should cover:
- Everything that’s happened in the novel so far, as they experienced it
- How they felt about each major event
- What they currently want
- What they fear
- What they know vs. what they don’t know
- How they view other characters
- What they plan to do next
Step 4: Note the discrepancies
As you write, you’ll discover:
- Information asymmetries (who knows what)
- Motivation misalignments (characters wanting conflicting things)
- Emotional reactions you hadn’t fully processed
- Opportunities characters should be pursuing
- Natural collision points between agendas
Step 5: Find the organic next scene
The solution to your stuck point will emerge from the collision of these authentic motivations.
Format Options
Option 1: First-person diary entry
Dear Diary, I can’t believe Marcus actually confronted Dad about the inheritance. Three years I’ve been trying to get him to see reason, and suddenly he grows a spine? Of course, he doesn’t know about the second will—the one I found in Mom’s safety deposit box. Should I tell him? If I do, we could team up. But then I’d have to share…
This format forces you into the character’s voice and emotional state.
Option 2: Third-person summary
Sarah’s perspective: She was shocked when Marcus confronted their father. She’s been trying to get Marcus to stand up for himself for three years. But Marcus doesn’t know about the second will Sarah found. Sarah is debating whether to tell him. If she does, they could work together, but she’d have to share the inheritance.
This format is faster and helps you organize facts clearly.
Option 3: Bullet-point timeline with emotional notes
Marcus confronted Dad (Sarah shocked—she’s been waiting for this) Dad dismissed him (Sarah angry on Marcus’s behalf) Marcus retreated (Sarah disappointed but not surprised) Sarah knows about second will (Marcus doesn’t) Sarah considering: tell Marcus? (pros: alliance / cons: split inheritance) Sarah’s current plan: unclear, waiting to see Marcus’s next move
This format works well for complex plots with many characters.
Choose whatever format lets you think most clearly. The goal is insight, not beautiful prose.
Advanced Version: The Emotional Timeline
For particularly complex stuck points, create a timeline showing each character’s emotional arc through the novel so far:
Chapter 1:
- Sarah: Grieving mother’s death, determined to claim inheritance (motivation: financial security)
- Marcus: Numb, avoiding family conflict (motivation: peace/avoidance)
Chapter 5:
- Sarah: Frustrated with Marcus’s passivity, planning solo approach (motivation: control)
- Marcus: Beginning to suspect father is hiding something (motivation: truth)
Chapter 10:
- Sarah: Triumphant after finding second will, conflicted about telling Marcus (motivation: alliance vs. control)
- Marcus: Emboldened after confronting father, hurt by Sarah’s distance (motivation: reconnection with sister)
This reveals how motivations have evolved and might now be aligned when they previously weren’t (or vice versa).
Real-World Example: Unsticking a Stuck Novel
Let me walk you through how this technique solved an actual stuck point.
The Stuck Scenario
Novel: Mystery/thriller about a missing teenager Stuck point: Chapter 22, various characters need to converge at a crucial scene, but the author couldn’t figure out who would arrive when or what they’d do Characters: Detective Chen, the mother, the best friend, the ex-boyfriend, the school counselor
The Problem
The author knew these characters needed to converge at the old warehouse where clues suggested the teenager might be. But writing the scene felt forced—everyone arriving felt coincidental, and no one’s behavior felt motivated.
The Journal Exercise Solution
Detective Chen’s journal: I’ve been chasing this case for two weeks. The captain is threatening to reassign me. I know the warehouse is connected—the victim’s phone pinged near there twice. But I can’t get a warrant without probable cause. I could go anyway, off-duty, but if I’m wrong and the captain finds out, I’m done. Still, that kid is running out of time…
Insight: Chen would go to the warehouse but disguise it as “happening to be in the neighborhood.” She wouldn’t announce it to anyone.
The mother’s journal: The police aren’t moving fast enough. Detective Chen means well but she’s following rules while my daughter is out there. I found the warehouse address in Emma’s room behind her poster. The police don’t know about it yet—I was too scared to tell them because Emma made me promise never to look in her hiding spot. But promises don’t matter when your child is missing. I’m going tonight.
Insight: The mother would go secretly because she hasn’t told police about the address yet due to guilt about breaking her daughter’s trust.
The best friend’s journal: I should have told the truth about the warehouse from the beginning. Emma swore me to secrecy about meeting “A” there, and I kept that promise even after she disappeared. But it’s been two weeks and I can’t live with this anymore. I’m going to the warehouse first, before I tell anyone, to see if there’s anything that would get Emma in trouble. If I can clean it up first, then I can tell the police the location without getting her arrested for whatever she was doing there.
Insight: The best friend is going to sanitize evidence before revealing the location, adding a ticking clock.
The ex-boyfriend’s journal: That detective is suspicious of me. Everyone is. Just because we broke up doesn’t mean I hurt Emma. But I know she was meeting someone at that warehouse—I followed her once. I need to get there before the police do and figure out who she was seeing. If it’s what I think it is, I might be able to help her without everyone thinking the worst.
Insight: He’s going to the warehouse to gather information to exonerate himself and possibly cover for Emma.
The school counselor’s journal: Emma came to me three weeks ago and mentioned the warehouse. She was testing whether I’d report certain activities. I didn’t press at the time, thinking I’d built trust for her to open up more. Now she’s missing and I’ve been too afraid to tell police about the warehouse because it would expose my professional misjudgment. But I can’t let fear of consequences stop me from helping find her.
Insight: The counselor is wrestling with professional ethics vs. practical help.
The Solution That Emerged
Once the author understood why each character was going to the warehouse and what they knew/didn’t know, the scene wrote itself:
- The mother arrives first (most desperate, least cautious)
- The best friend arrives second, sees the mother, panics about being caught there
- The ex-boyfriend arrives, sees both, assumes the worst (that they’re blaming him)
- Detective Chen arrives “off-duty” and finds this suspicious convergence
- The counselor arrives last and must decide whether to reveal what she knows
Each arrival escalates tension naturally because everyone has different information, different motivations, and conflicting goals. The scene became organic instead of forced.
How Character Journals Reveal Solutions
The technique works because it surfaces five critical pieces of information you’ve been tracking imperfectly:
1. Information Asymmetry
Who knows what? When you’re deeply embedded in your protagonist’s POV, you sometimes forget that other characters have different information. The journal exercise forces you to track what each character does and doesn’t know.
Example discoveries:
- Character B thinks the package was for them (it wasn’t)
- Character C has no idea Character A is lying (creates dramatic irony)
- Character D knows a secret that would solve everything (but has reason not to share)
These information gaps create natural conflict and plot momentum.
2. Emotional Lag and Escalation
Events impact characters emotionally, but you might not have fully processed those impacts. Writing from their perspective reveals accumulated resentments, growing suspicions, or building courage you didn’t consciously track.
Example discoveries:
- Character is angrier than you realized about Chapter 6 betrayal
- Character is more suspicious than shown after Chapter 10 inconsistency
- Character is more emboldened after Chapter 12 small victory
These emotional shifts change what characters would do next.
3. Passive Characters Who Should Be Active
When you write from a character’s perspective, passive positioning becomes obvious. You’ll see characters who are just reacting instead of pursuing goals.
The realization moment: “Wait—if I were this character and I knew X, I’d be doing something about it. Why is this character just sitting around?”
The answer is usually: Because you needed them to stay out of the way for your protagonist’s story. But that’s making them too passive for believability.
The solution: Give them their own active agenda that complicates the protagonist’s plan.
4. Missed Opportunities
Characters should pursue advantages when they see them. Writing from their perspective reveals opportunities they’d logically seize that you haven’t written them seizing.
Example discoveries:
- Character should have leveraged Chapter 8’s information for bargaining power
- Character should have formed alliance with Character X by now
- Character should have exploited Chapter 11’s vulnerability in the opposition
These missed opportunities might be your next plot development.
5. Natural Collision Points
When you see all characters’ motivations clearly, natural conflicts and team-ups become obvious. You’re stuck because you’ve been trying to force characters together for plot reasons. The journal exercise reveals how they’d authentically collide.
Example discoveries:
- Character A and Character B both want the same thing (natural conflict)
- Character C’s fear aligns with Character D’s ambition (natural alliance)
- Character E’s secret getting exposed would serve Character F’s goals (natural revelation moment)
Genre-Specific Applications
Mystery/Thriller
Key focus: Track what each character knows about the central mystery and what they’re hiding
Example prompts:
- What does this character know about the victim/crime?
- What are they hiding and why?
- Who do they suspect and why?
- What would they do if they discovered X?
Common unsticking discoveries:
- A character knows more than they’ve revealed
- Someone’s alibi doesn’t actually hold up from their own perspective
- A character should be more suspicious than they’ve acted
Romance
Key focus: Track emotional evolution and vulnerability levels
Example prompts:
- How has this character’s attraction developed?
- What fears are preventing them from acting?
- How do they interpret the other character’s actions?
- What would make them take the next step or pull back?
Common unsticking discoveries:
- Characters are more emotionally ready than you’ve shown
- A misunderstanding is more significant from one POV than you realized
- External obstacles are actually internal fears in disguise
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Key focus: Track character knowledge of world/magic/technology and their specific stakes
Example prompts:
- What does this character understand about the magical/technological problem?
- What are their personal stakes (beyond saving the world)?
- How has their relationship to power/magic/tech evolved?
- What cultural/species-specific factors affect their choices?
Common unsticking discoveries:
- World-saving plot has overshadowed personal stakes that would drive action
- Character’s cultural background suggests different strategy than protagonist’s
- Character has worldbuilding knowledge that changes available options
Literary Fiction
Key focus: Track internal evolution and thematic connection
Example prompts:
- How has this character’s self-understanding evolved?
- What theme are they wrestling with personally?
- How do they interpret the central relationship/conflict?
- What has shifted in their worldview?
Common unsticking discoveries:
- Character’s internal arc is ahead of or behind their external actions
- Thematic conflict is richer than you’ve explored
- Character needs introspection scene before action scene
Young Adult
Key focus: Track identity formation and social pressures
Example prompts:
- How does this character see themselves? How do others see them?
- What social consequences are they weighing?
- How has their understanding of friendship/family evolved?
- What’s the gap between who they are and who they’re pretending to be?
Common unsticking discoveries:
- Social stakes are higher than you’ve shown
- Identity conflict is driving choices you attributed to other factors
- Peer pressure or family expectations are creating more tension than acknowledged
Troubleshooting: What If the Exercise Doesn’t Unstick You?
Sometimes the character journal exercise reveals a deeper problem than simple motivation confusion.
Problem 1: The Character Doesn’t Want What You Need Them to Want
Symptom: You write their journal and realize this character would never pursue the goal you’ve assigned them.
Solution: Either change the character’s goal to something authentic, or add complications that force them toward your plot goal despite reservations.
Example: Character needs to infiltrate the organization, but journaling reveals they’d never risk their family’s safety this way.
Fix: Add a reason why their family is at risk if they DON’T infiltrate (flips motivation to authentic).
Problem 2: Too Many Characters, Not Enough Distinct Voices
Symptom: Multiple character journals sound the same; you can’t distinguish their perspectives.
Solution: You have a characterization problem, not a motivation problem. Go deeper with:
- Different backgrounds influencing how they interpret events
- Different values creating different priorities
- Different information creating different conclusions
- Different communication styles
Problem 3: The Plot Itself Is Broken
Symptom: Writing from character perspectives reveals that your plot doesn’t make sense or requires characters to be idiots.
Solution: The stuck point is protecting you from writing a weak story. Step back and fix the plot structure before continuing.
Example: “If my character knows X, they’d obviously do Y, which would solve the problem immediately. The only reason they don’t is because I need three more chapters.”
This means your plot depends on convenient stupidity. Revise to either:
- Make the character not know X yet
- Make Y not available as an option
- Make Y lead to bigger problems
Problem 4: You’re Stuck for Reasons Unrelated to Character
Symptom: Character journals are clear, but you’re still stuck.
Alternative problems to check:
- Pacing issue: You’re in the wrong part of story structure (sagging middle, climax not earned)
- Theme confusion: You’ve lost sight of what the story is about at thematic level
- Ending uncertainty: You don’t actually know where you’re going
- Scene construction problem: You know what needs to happen but not how to write it
For these issues, you need different diagnostic tools beyond character journaling.
Making This Exercise Work for Pantsers vs. Plotters
For Plotters:
You likely have a detailed outline and the stuck point means your characters aren’t cooperating with your plan.
Use the exercise to:
- Find where character motivation diverges from your outline
- Discover which plot points need adjustment to feel organic
- Identify where you need to add character development scenes
Don’t be afraid to revise your outline based on what the exercise reveals. Authentic character motivation trumps convenient plot structure.
For Pantsers:
You’ve been following characters instinctively, but now multiple threads feel tangled and you can’t see the path forward.
Use the exercise to:
- Make implicit character motivations explicit
- Find natural convergence points you’ve been writing toward unconsciously
- Discover which characters need more agency
Trust the patterns that emerge. Your subconscious has been tracking these motivations; the exercise just makes them conscious.
When to Use This Technique
Ideal times for character journaling:
- Stuck at the 30-50% mark (most common stuck point)
- Before major multi-character scenes (prevents forced convergence)
- When a subplot feels disconnected (reconnects it to character motivation)
- When character behavior feels off (realigns action with motivation)
- After major plot twists (processes emotional impacts)
- During revision when scenes feel flat (adds missing emotional layers)
You’ll know you need it when:
- You’re avoiding writing the next scene
- Characters feel like they’re following the plot instead of driving it
- Dialogue feels forced or generic
- You can’t figure out who should do what next
- Subplots aren’t naturally intersecting
The Transformation: Before and After
Let me show you the typical transformation this exercise creates:
Before the exercise: I need Marcus and Sarah to confront their father together in Chapter 22, but I can’t figure out how to get them in the same room or what they’d say. Every version I try feels forced.
After the exercise: Oh! Marcus doesn’t actually know about the second will yet. Sarah has been keeping it from him because she’s not sure she can trust him. But Marcus just discovered the offshore account, which Sarah doesn’t know about. Neither of them knows their father is planning to leave the country next week. They’d each be planning solo confrontations at different times—but what if their father plays them against each other by telling each one about the other’s secret? That would force them together but as enemies, not allies. Then when they discover he’s been manipulating them both, they’d unite against him. That’s the scene—not “confront father together” but “discover they’ve been played and join forces.”
The difference: The first version is plot-driven (I need X to happen). The second version is character-driven (these motivations colliding naturally create X).
Quick Reference: The Character Journal Template
Use this template to structure your journal entries:
CHARACTER NAME
Current location: [Where are they physically/emotionally right now?]
What they know: [Key information they possess]
What they don’t know: [Crucial information they lack]
What they want right now: [Immediate goal]
What they ultimately want: [Long-term goal]
What they fear: [What would devastate them]
Recent events from their perspective:
- [Event 1: How they experienced it, how they felt, what it means to them]
- [Event 2: Same]
- [Event 3: Same]
How they view other characters:
- [Character A: Their perception and feelings]
- [Character B: Same]
What they plan to do next: [Their intended action]
What would change their mind: [Alternative paths]
Current emotional state: [How are they feeling overall]
Unresolved emotional impacts: [What’s still bothering them from earlier]
FAQ: Character Journal Questions
Q: How long should each journal entry be?
A: Whatever length gives you clarity. Usually 300-800 words per character, but some might need more. Quality of insight matters more than length.
Q: Do I need to do this for every single character?
A: Only major characters (POV characters + significant supporting cast). Minor characters who appear in one or two scenes don’t need full entries.
Q: What if this exercise reveals my character is too passive?
A: That’s valuable information! Give them a goal that complicates the protagonist’s journey. Passive secondary characters are a common problem this exercise surfaces.
Q: Should I write these in my character’s voice or my own analytical voice?
A: Either works. Character voice is more immersive; analytical voice is faster and clearer. Choose what gives you insights.
Q: What if different characters remember the same event differently?
A: Perfect! Those discrepancies are gold for creating conflict and misunderstandings. Note them and use them.
Q: Do I need to do this exercise multiple times through the novel?
A: Some writers do it once when stuck; others do it at the end of each act to realign before moving forward. Use it as needed.
Q: What if journaling reveals my antagonist’s motivation isn’t strong enough?
A: This exercise frequently surfaces weak antagonist motivation. Strengthen it now before you write further and have to revise extensively.
Q: Can I do this exercise for a novel I’ve already drafted?
A: Absolutely. It’s even more revealing in revision because you can see where character motivations got lost or inconsistent.
The Bottom Line: Your Characters Know What Happens Next
Here’s the liberating truth that the character journal technique reveals: You’re not actually stuck. Your characters know exactly what they’d do next. You’ve just been listening to your plot instead of listening to them.
The stuck point feels like writer’s block, but it’s actually your subconscious protecting you from writing a scene that doesn’t work. Something feels off because character motivations and plot requirements are misaligned.
The character journal exercise gives your characters a voice to tell you what they actually want, fear, know, and plan. When you listen to those voices, the forced scene you were struggling to write disappears—and the organic scene you should be writing appears.
This isn’t magic. It’s simply making explicit what your subconscious already knows but hasn’t fully processed.
Your novel is stuck because your characters have information, emotions, and motivations you haven’t consciously tracked. Once you track them, the solution emerges naturally from their authentic collision.
So grab a journal or open a document. Give your characters two hours to speak. You’ll be amazed at what they tell you—and how quickly you become unstuck.
Unstick Your Novel Today
Right now, while you’re thinking about it, open a document and write a 500-word journal entry from your deuteragonist’s perspective (the second-most important character). Just that one entry. See what you discover.
