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About the CTNP

 

    It all started with a simple idea: novelize one of the greatest stories ever presented in a role-playing game (RPG) and, in so doing, transform it into an enthralling literary great.  Today, the Chrono Trigger Novel Project Establishment embodies a mission that reaches beyond the story itself and into the very culture of our modern media.

    If you are unfamiliar with the story of Chrono Trigger, please take a moment to view this page for a briefing.

The Mission:

    Mission Statement: With a keen focus on quality, enhancement, and preservation, to pursue the steps necessary to create and ultimately publish a full-length novel series based on the video game Chrono Trigger.

    Mission Summary: The Chrono Trigger Novel Project exists to facilitate the creation and publication of a full-scale novel based on the video game Chrono Trigger, a novel which itself enhances the original story through additional scenes, added depth via descriptive detail, heightened character emotions and interactions, and the filling in of plot holes as much as feasible.  Throughout this endeavor, the stance of the project's leadership and associates are 1) respectful and fully understanding of Square-Enix's need for copyright protection and 2) that the correct circumstances of opportunity and quality warrant extensions of this protection as a business decision, and that this novel represents such circumstances.  Keeping in accordance with this stance, it is also the goal of this project to maintain regular and productive contact with Square-Enix regarding the opportunities and possibilities which accompany the successful outcome of this project.

    Enriching a timeless classic like never before.
    The CTNP came into existence for one main end result: Publication and distribution of the Chrono Trigger novel as presented and put together by Wayne Kramer (novelist@chronotrigger.info) and this project.  While on the road to reaching this goal, the project has been established as means of rallying public involvement and, through past efforts, gaining support for the novel.  Today, the primary focus of the project is on completing the novel itself, maintaining effective contact with Square-Enix, and keeping the Chrono fan community informed.

    It doesn't stop here.
    Our mission isn't just about writing a book, however, and there's actually quite a bit more to it than that.  The novel represents a special link between the worlds of video gaming and literature, bringing them together in a much more comprehensive way than what has ever been done before.  Bringing the Chrono Trigger story into a novel allows for captivation, detail, background, character development, and an all-around experience that the game alone could not provide.  As such, the novel becomes a complement to the game itself, feeding directly from it yet building upon it at the same time.  It thus creates a new market which is different yet intimately related to the RPG itself, possibly opening the door for novels of similar caliber from other games in light of its potential success.

    Parents and gamers alike will find this project invaluable.
    This is a new market which not only appeals to gamers but also to parents as children and teens take an interest in both the game itself and the novel that supplements it.  Through a novel of this nature, gamers can look forward to expanding their experience beyond the game itself, and people can take comfort in knowing that time will be spent reading in addition to just gaming.   This project is also about perseverance, showing both enthusiastic and doubtful fans alike that any dream can be accomplished if accompanied by passion, drive, acumen, patience, attention to detail, and faith.

The Actions:

    With such a massive effort, there is a lot of action involved.  Simply put: one person really can't (or, at least, shouldn't) do it alone.  While I've tried and succeeded in doing quite a bit, I have found that it is now increasingly necessary to rely on the skills and willful efforts of some of the most trustworthy, reliable, and elite supporters of this project.  These supporters make up the project's Editorial Team and otherwise contribute to the project through involvement at the project's forum, assistance with specific needs (images, illustrations, development, etc.), and spreading the word.

    Today's Novel Project focuses on two critical goals: completing the novel and maintaining direct communication with Square-Enix.  The objectives in terms of these goals are to complete at least two full-length novels covering this story based on Chrono Trigger and achieve face-to-face discussions with the appropriate corporate officials to identify and execute the steps which must take place in order to make the novel's publication a reality.  Aside from occasional information updates on the website, all work in the project goes into achieving these results.

The Novel:

    So great are the positive aspects in this novel that the following highlights represent only a partial list.  Here is some information that you may find interesting:

Projected Number of Pages: There are approximately 298 single-spaced Word document pages covering "Book 1."  "Book 2" is well underway, and the entire story should be roughly 600 Word document pages (default margins and 12 point Times New Roman font).  By my own calculations, this amounts to approximately 517 pages per book in standard published form.
Projected Number of Books: 2
Projected Number of Chapters: 21 in Book 1 and another projected 24 for Book 2
Average Pages per Chapter: 15
A Few Highlights:

• Bonus Chapter 1 preceding the events of the game • Crono talks
• Expanded dialogue for all characters • New scenes (meant to correlate with the existing storyline)
• New characters (limited use and generally of otherwise non-active characters; see Demo Chapter 4 as an example) • Prologue, epilogue, and glossary planned in addition to the actual story
• Currency designation of "gil" instead of just "G" • Deeper back story for the Kingdom of Zeal and the ancient legend, including mention of an Ancient Language
• Written using third person omniscient writing style  

The Corporate Field:

    Square-Enix Co., Ltd. is a company with many very well-instated policies.  It makes perfect sense that they would create a policy to automatically shut down any attempts at publications that include stories that their writers wrote and created.  As supporters and activists in this project, it is very important to understand the grounds by which Square-Enix makes these policies.  Every day, individuals are seeking to write comics, short stories, poems, and books that use copyrighted names belonging to the company.  The policy makes sense because it is the easiest and fastest way to deal with these issues, and it protects the quality and integrity of the copyrighted work.  This is the best way for the company to protect their brand and keep it unique within their corporate guidelines and name.

    Square-Enix is a solid and well-established corporation and will listen to any new venture that can benefit them and the gaming community.  They may not be officially prepared to accept a project or request of publication that is as serious, well-adapted, and comprehensive as this, at least not one coming directly from the fan base.  Players of RPG's always want something more, whether that be a good sequel or something totally different like a novel or a movie.  In many cases, they want them all, so why not benefit everyone and provide them?  Obviously, as we have seen with the creation of a Final Fantasy movie, we know that an exception can be made somewhere down the line by an individual who has a mind open enough to understand this and to act upon it.  This movie, however, was an extremely costly venture for the company that it may not want to repeat without more promise of success.  A novel, however, is considerably lower in risk and cost.

    For reasons also mentioned in the "mission" section above, this novel can only benefit Square.  It's a product that will be ready for them, reducing their work to a minimum.  It is also my understanding that the novel must pass their standards, and I will work with them to make sure that any concerns, inconsistencies, and requested changes that they may bring up are addressed.  Publishing the novel exposes the story of Chrono Trigger to the mainstream public (especially with the proper marketing and distribution) in a new and sophisticated way, opening the door to new opportunities and potentials.  Not only could new interest spring up for role-playing games, but a successful novel could very possibly lead to new ventures, even including a movie, a Chrono Trigger remake, or a new game in the series.

    In light of this, Square USA, as I have seen in the past (note that this was before Square Co. and Enix merged), is completely powerless to take a decision such as this completely under their wing.  Though they are the quickest and easiest outlet for a project born and created in the USA, the true origins of the story and its game go to the country of Japan, where the main headquarters of Square-Enix reside.  While the American office may be able to act as a liaison to the main headquarters, it is there in Japan that this novel will have to be presented to the officials who will evaluate the opportunities for corporate benefit represented in the cause of the Chrono Trigger novel.

    There, the corporation of Square-Enix must realize that the acceptance of this novel is only beneficial to everyone.

The Future:

    It is certainly the ultimate hope of this project that Square-Enix will soften their hearts, open their minds, and listen to what we RPG lovers have to say: A gaming novel industry is a successful industry!  With so many RPG's out there with rich storylines, (such as the one in Chrono Trigger), the scope of this single novel project could very easily broaden and pioneer the field of gaming novels to a new level.  The sure success of this CT novel would undoubtedly shine a bright light at the end of the tunnel for all great RPG's, including many that have been produced by Square themselves, meaning only good things for the company to come from this effort.

    Square-Enix must be brought to the enlightenment that this novel is a very serious effort and not just a comic, fanfic, or reminiscence of a great gaming story.  It is the full conversion of a very rich RPG story into a full-length novel that everyone (not just the gaming community) can enjoy.  Full quality control of its every aspect is in place.  To broaden the scope of RPG stories into the literary world increases the richness of the stories, allows the stories to be shared and compared with other published greats, makes parents happy by encouraging their children to read as a supplement to gaming, and opens and links both industries into something new, lucrative, and very potentially successful.

 
 

Chrono Trigger™ and Chrono Cross™ games and characters © Square-Enix Co., Ltd. and Bird Studio/Shueisha. All rights reserved.
Chrono Trigger Novel Project ChronoTrigger.info Website © CTNP.
CTNP is not in any way affiliated with Square-Enix Co., Ltd.