Forum Timewarp inside a diary

A diary can be a very effective way of telling a story,  but it is difficult to use to to the extent of writing a captivating book.

It might be a good idea to write a scene that seperates the narrative from the diary, and brings it into the present completely.  Just an idea.

My thought exactly.

There are some risks looming in this idea. First of all, I'd also suggest making some sort of separation/distinction between the diary part and the fictional reality segment. And here's why - people rarely like surprises in stories, especially surprises that change the whole concept of the story (example, a series of events that around page 50 turns out to be a dream - probably not a good idea unless your goal is to piss people off).

For that reason I'd suggest describing upfront your character as sitting down to write his/her diary, cause it allows for a smoother transition later on. There are not too many surprises, no abrupt changes in the story structure, and your readers won't suddenly at some point realise that this is not a diary novel. It also gives you a chance to break up the diary part with an occasional switch to character, his thoughts, his surroundings (setting) etc.

Hope this helps.