The Second Lead
Once in a
while, there is a conversation that hits every mark you can possibly think of.
It is the perfect checkmate, that perfect homerun with two outs and it’s the
bottom of the ninth inning, that basketball buzzer beater with time expiring
while the basketball is in the air, or that Hail Marry at the end of a football
game and you are losing by a field goal and a safety (that’s five points). The
conversation was on the second lead or that perfect bull’s eye my daughter
calls the true name of the person who comes in second. In most contests it is
called the first runner up, but my little princess calls them the First Looser.
Yes, they are the second banana, or that person who is stuck in the friends’
zone, and of course, the only person they can talk to when they need a shoulder
to cry on. There is a reason, trait, and hazard of having a second lead.
Reason for The Second Lead
There are several reasons for a second lead character, least of which is to break up a reader’s boredom or a straight line of thought. When most people think of the second lead they see a character who is the second banana or comic relief, the fall guy or patsy, and the nice guy who comes in second or the first looser. These third wheels add spice to any recipe and cause split loyalties with readers and cause conversations to start. Yes, this is a good thing as long as there is no bloodshed, but heated arguments are welcome and encourage. You can write a story with a single character and it can be historic. However, when a second character is introduced into your storyline, only one of them can take the lead. One of the main reasons for a designated second lead (in most cases) is to allow you to raise a character to an additional lead position. Oh, but second lead isn’t the first loser. They are the prize or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They may not have great importance, but they are the focal point for the first and second leads and breaks up the straight line of thought. One of the most complicated (and welcomed ) things that must be considered closely is what type of second lead you need to elevate your story.
There are several reasons for a second lead character, least of which is to break up a reader’s boredom or a straight line of thought. When most people think of the second lead they see a character who is the second banana or comic relief, the fall guy or patsy, and the nice guy who comes in second or the first looser. These third wheels add spice to any recipe and cause split loyalties with readers and cause conversations to start. Yes, this is a good thing as long as there is no bloodshed, but heated arguments are welcome and encourage. You can write a story with a single character and it can be historic. However, when a second character is introduced into your storyline, only one of them can take the lead. One of the main reasons for a designated second lead (in most cases) is to allow you to raise a character to an additional lead position. Oh, but second lead isn’t the first loser. They are the prize or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They may not have great importance, but they are the focal point for the first and second leads and breaks up the straight line of thought. One of the most complicated (and welcomed ) things that must be considered closely is what type of second lead you need to elevate your story.
Traits of The Second Lead
Unlike the normal confrontational second lead or clearly defined villain, the usual traits of the second lead have evolved as has the times we live in. These new supporting characters are actually nice and helpful people. These types of second lead are normally introduced through them doing a good deed for the live inference of the lead character. Quite a few of these newly introduced second leads are actually considered a better fit than the lead character to the one why they desire or are in a relationship with. Some of the terms that best describe how these second leads go from perfection to the love interest to need perfection is when they become greedy (want more), needed (can’t see themselves without the other person), jealous (they isn’t considered the right person for them), and sponsored (parents supports them over the lead character).
It’s always an easy sale when the love interest is some stuck-up diva who dates some pretty boy jerk or some overly pampered wealthy heiress who is involved with a butt hole whose last name ends in a roman numeral higher than two, but there has to be some reason or event that degrades these types of characters to second lead and elevate someone who is commonly in the background to the heart of the story. In other words, the basic traits of the second leads are no longer cut and dry with a bad person, good persons who go bad, or good persons who lose one love interest for another. Yes, the stalker who are stalked and loses their pray to become a happy loser when they realized the person who was there for them all the time and saves them from themselves. Who said a second lead couldn’t have a second lead? Hell, happily ever after is basically a happy mistake or lady luck pinching cupid’s butt at the end of your story. However, the biggest traits of the second lead that you as the author must be fully aware of is the possibility of them becoming more popular than the lead character.
Unlike the normal confrontational second lead or clearly defined villain, the usual traits of the second lead have evolved as has the times we live in. These new supporting characters are actually nice and helpful people. These types of second lead are normally introduced through them doing a good deed for the live inference of the lead character. Quite a few of these newly introduced second leads are actually considered a better fit than the lead character to the one why they desire or are in a relationship with. Some of the terms that best describe how these second leads go from perfection to the love interest to need perfection is when they become greedy (want more), needed (can’t see themselves without the other person), jealous (they isn’t considered the right person for them), and sponsored (parents supports them over the lead character).
It’s always an easy sale when the love interest is some stuck-up diva who dates some pretty boy jerk or some overly pampered wealthy heiress who is involved with a butt hole whose last name ends in a roman numeral higher than two, but there has to be some reason or event that degrades these types of characters to second lead and elevate someone who is commonly in the background to the heart of the story. In other words, the basic traits of the second leads are no longer cut and dry with a bad person, good persons who go bad, or good persons who lose one love interest for another. Yes, the stalker who are stalked and loses their pray to become a happy loser when they realized the person who was there for them all the time and saves them from themselves. Who said a second lead couldn’t have a second lead? Hell, happily ever after is basically a happy mistake or lady luck pinching cupid’s butt at the end of your story. However, the biggest traits of the second lead that you as the author must be fully aware of is the possibility of them becoming more popular than the lead character.
Hazzard of The Second Lead
Popularity is a very mysterious thing and thus is possible for every character in every story. There are numerous examples where the second lead has completely outshines the lead character. Now this isn’t saying people wish to see the villain wins (which does happens-Animation movie called Mastermind), but in those cases there is a major switch between the lead character with the second lead. When this phenomenon occurs, the reader learns in the end who was the actual lead and who was the first loser. But for this discussion, we are focusing on second leads who take over the interest of most readers. Some may think this isn’t a problem and they would be both right and wrong. The glass would be half full because the overall acceptance and enjoyment of the manuscript is better than ridicule and disappointment. The glass is half empty when the second lead overshadows the story and inadvertently changes the direction of the story. This will cause less than a hopeful acceptance of the story. Oh, but there is always a silver lining and insurances of the popular second lead appearing more often in the sequel can cause an instant following and you to lose your anonymity.
Popularity is a very mysterious thing and thus is possible for every character in every story. There are numerous examples where the second lead has completely outshines the lead character. Now this isn’t saying people wish to see the villain wins (which does happens-Animation movie called Mastermind), but in those cases there is a major switch between the lead character with the second lead. When this phenomenon occurs, the reader learns in the end who was the actual lead and who was the first loser. But for this discussion, we are focusing on second leads who take over the interest of most readers. Some may think this isn’t a problem and they would be both right and wrong. The glass would be half full because the overall acceptance and enjoyment of the manuscript is better than ridicule and disappointment. The glass is half empty when the second lead overshadows the story and inadvertently changes the direction of the story. This will cause less than a hopeful acceptance of the story. Oh, but there is always a silver lining and insurances of the popular second lead appearing more often in the sequel can cause an instant following and you to lose your anonymity.
I will end this
here by saying the second lead is equally important as the lead character. Not
only because they have to play one against the other, but they also have to
complement each other. A strong lead character has to have someone to compare
them against and only someone as strong as them (if not stronger) can be seen
as a suitable adversary. The only difference between the two is that one has
the author rooting for them and the other unfortunately is chosen to become the
first loser. SD Tracy Harper
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