I can’t really recall which happened first: me stumbling upon Wayne’s Chrono Trigger Novel Project (before this lovely website even existed), or the creation of my own. Technically, I guess Wayne came first.
I fondly remember Chrono Trigger as my first taste of both SquareSoft and RPGs in general. I remember being awed by the game’s brilliant storyline and shaking my head in amazement at the character development. In fact, it is very possible that CT was the first game I ever played that struck me as literature waiting to be written.
Like so many others that I have spoken with, I was baffled by the fact that no written form of Chrono Trigger’s plot existed. I looked everywhere, finally stumbling upon a link to Wayne’s email address. At the time, he had nearly given the idea up (much to my disappointment). I’ll be honest, I pestered Barnes & Noble’s for months afterwards, asking if any book had been published by that title since I had last asked (is that pathetic or what?).
It wasn’t for another six months or so that I experienced another SquareSoft classic, one that changed my perception of games forever: Final Fantasy VII. Chrono Trigger had captured my interest. FF7 stopped me dead in my tracks.
The infinitely complicated story, the amazing characters, the beautiful graphics and artwork, the ingenious soundtrack … everything about the game blew me away.
I’ve been hooked since.
I had a habit of starting little books about stuff I got in to (or obsessed with, depending on who you ask). They rarely lasted more than five pages before I tired of the idea, but it was always fun to start them, and they provided me with in-class distraction.
I began writing my novel in May of 2000. Before I knew it, I had written 50 pages. Then 100. By the time I hit 200, I knew I wasn’t going to give up this time. Soon after, I heard from Wayne again. He was picking his project back up.
Somewhere along the way, I began to wonder about publication. I had long believed that these stories belonged on paper as much as they did on a game screen. It seemed that a large percentage of the world’s population was missing out on some of the greatest stories ever conceived. I wanted these stories published, no matter who did it. I still do.
It’s been about three and a half years now. Both Wayne and I have made limited contact with Square-Enix, and neither of us has been officially turned down yet. The rough draft of my novel has been finished since March ’03 at a total of 871 pages in length. Early revisions are taking shape on my computer. There is no question in my mind about whether or not my work will reach completion. As for publishing, it’s not entirely up to me.
No matter how much work I put into this, the story belongs to its creators. I cannot put my work into print without their permission. And from what I’ve seen so far, I don’t expect it to be easily given. Odds are very much against us.
During the past year or so, I’ve begun very limited publicity over the internet, from the creation of the official home website of the project to posting threads in forums and discussing it with others. Even I have been amazed by the number of people who share my desire for SquareSoft literature. They have been an ever-present source of encouragement and motivation. Seriously, all of you give yourselves a hug.
Recently my project has been experiencing some tough decisions. In the likely event that Square-Enix refuses to give me permission, I intend to put the book up on my web page as one of the biggest fanfics ever made, the “unofficial FF7 novel.” Even if my book never hits shelves, I want my many supporters to be able to experience it anyway. It’s very possible that this is the direction my project may turn soon.
In the years I’ve spent writing and working on Wayne’s committee, I’ve continued to be impressed by the amount of positive feedback our efforts have received. I know now more than ever that there is a market for these products out there.
I urge you to explore this site. If you like, I urge you to visit my own as well (http://www.finalfantasy7.info). One way or another, we hope that the non-gaming public will one day be able to enjoy these incredible tales. As I always love to state in closing, I think we all agree that these stories deserve telling.
By Daniel Floyd