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Chrono Trigger Fanfiction
The Chrono Trigger Novel Project
10/21/2003
By Wayne Kramer
Project Web Site
CT Novel Petition
CTNP Official Forum
The Chrono Trigger Novel Project was originally started back in September of 1996, when I (Wayne), was in the eighth grade. One of my best friends, named Luke, had given me the pleasure of borrowing the game after he had finished with it. Like so many of us, I was hooked from the beginning. As the story progressed, I found myself more and more intrigued by the events at hand. I can still remember, for the first time, feeling the outrage of Crono's imprisonment and the dismal reality of the future. After sharing the emotional flashbacks of Frog's tragic past and Schala's inescapable dilemma regarding obedience to her mother, I had only one thing to say: "This story should be a novel!"
So, I started writing all those years ago. To make a long story short, I kept writing until later in 1999, when I accidentally deleted the game file that I had been working from all along. Discouraged and unsure of what to do next, I put the novel away with no intention of picking it back up. After almost exactly one year, I found that I couldn't stand it any longer, so I brushed the dust off of the old brown envelope and started from there. I knew, of course, that the entire novel would have to be rewritten since the entire first attempt (which went to the events later in the story) was very amateur in style and form. Today, I am still working on the novel, but I share the time spent writing with the time spent on the project itself.
The project itself is organized with every detail in mind. Today, in addition to the project web site (link is above) and the novel itself, there is a Committee of individuals who help to make the endeavor a manageable one. This Committee is further split into two teams: the Support Team and the Editorial Team. Detailed information can be found at the web site, but the Editorial Team, as the name implies, deals directly with the novel. This team, comprised of several, very carefully selected individuals, assists in the formulation of ideas, editing, and criticizing for the entire novel, chapter by chapter. Through meetings and detailed documentation, the team keeps in close communication and in very tight organization to bring out the best in the novel itself. This team's existence is not because of any deficiencies in my own editing skills. It's very important to note that the main purpose for this team is to keep me from being the only person with any say about the thoughts, ideas, and concepts presented into the novel. Beyond that, I'm only human, so having a few extra pairs of eyes always helps. Through the team, everything is questioned, and everything is carefully evaluated so that the story will maintain its original luster with some carefully conceived tweaks and additions that current fans will appreciate.
The process is simple by description, but the work becomes quite tedious when you get into the details of every phrase and thought conveyed in the text. To start, I write the rough draft of a chapter on paper. When the time comes, I take that draft and type it into the computer with some general edits of my own. From there, the team and I go over it again and again for as long as we see things that still need to be changed. And, though many of you may still have concerns as to the final outcome of the work, I can assure you that I will insist that any of the original designers available look over the novel to let me know what, if anything, should be changed to correspond with what they truly envisioned for the story.
The project exists on a broad scope and has attracted the attention of many from all over the world, including fans from America, Japan, Brazil, United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and many others. The greater the support, the easier it will be to convince Square-Enix that this project is worthwhile. There are no guarantees, but every bit helps, and you can help by signing the petition (use the link at the top of go to the project site) and visiting the site to see how you can directly help out with the project. Site affiliations, forum participation (link above), petition signatures (one per person, please), among other things, definitely help the scope of the project and the overall goal at hand. With a little luck and prayer, we may see a Chrono Trigger novel yet. Either way, I enjoy working with the novel and all of the excellent individuals whom I have met, and will have no regrets however it goes.
I still, of course, am the novelist, but, because so many are helping me day by day, I cannot take full credit for the final work. Only with the help of these individuals, the support of the game's fans, and the grace of God can this be accomplished. If it is meant to succeed, then it will, with or without the near-to-impossible odds. Thank you very much for reading this, and I hope that you will enjoy the Demo Chapters and what this project has to offer. God bless!
-- Wayne
Demo Chapter 2: The Millennial Fair - December 12th, 2003
Demo Chapter 3: The Queen Returns - December 12th, 2003
Demo Chapter 4: The Queen is Gone - December 12th, 2003
Demo Chapter 5: We're Back! - December 12th, 2003