: Is a novel based on the facts of a person's written journal considered plagiarism? According to Plagiarism.org, copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority

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Sometimes plagiarism isn't about the source, it's about not mentioning the source. When people write stories "based on true events" or historical novels about old kings, even when they use old journals or historical sources it's not considered plagiarism. The more obvious the sourcing, the less likely you have to mention it. If it's based on the events of something like the American revolution, even if you lifted complete speeches from the founding fathers, it's not considered plagiarism.

It sounds like you are wanting to write historical fiction.

Historical fiction is defined as movies and novels in which a story is made up but is set in the past and sometimes borrows true characteristics of the time period in which it is set. A novel that makes up a story about a Civil War battle that really happened is an example of historical fiction.

And this sounds like exactly what you are doing. The fact that you are focusing in on one person doesn't matter. I would write a small introduction about the person it is based on, or how you found the source material if they are not a known historical figure.

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It sounds like what you're writing is effectively a work of historical fiction derived from a work that, given its age, is almost certainly in the public domain.

As such, copyright isn't much of a concern. You would still want to mention the source in your preface, but as long as you're only using it as an outline for your narrative, it's no more plagiarism than the numerous modern adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes stories.

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You seem to have got yourself lost in the weeds somewhere. A novel, by definition, is a fictitious account. The story of a real person, based on the events written in their journal, would be a biography or memoir.

Publishing a story about a real, living person without their permission is likely to get you sued. However, if you their permission to use their journal they are unlikely to allege plagiarism.

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