 Mystery: December 18, 2019 Issue [#9919] |
This week: Dark tribute Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week: "Love is a wonderful thing, my dear, but it leaves you wide open for blackmail."
~Jasper Fforde |
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Imagine that you have a secret, a terrible secret that will destroy your life if exposed. You think you are safe, but one day you receive a message "I know what you did." Will the person reveal your secret? Or will they make you pay for their silence?
Dictionary.com defines blackmail as the action (treated as a criminal offense) of demanding payment or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. The word blackmail basically means "dark tribute." It originates with a 16th century Scottish term for tribute paid to warlords and chiefs in exchange for protection.
Because blackmail is rooted in secrecy, it fits in to mystery stories perfectly. The blackmail might be the central mystery, and the story might revolve around discovering the identity of the blackmailer or finding a way to stop them. In other stories, blackmail might serve as a motive for a more serious crime, such as murder.
Blackmail is often associated with money, but the blackmailer in your story might coerce their victim into providing anything of value, such as a job or promotion. A teacher might be blackmailed into giving passing grades or other academic awards. A blackmailer who is also a stalker might force an unwilling victim into marriage or divorce. The victim might even be forced to commit murder for the blackmailer or commit suicide to protect loved ones.
Emotional blackmail is the use of fear, obligation, and guilt to coerce someone in a relationship to do something they don't want to do. Examples include a controlling mother who "guilt trips" her children into visiting her or a husband who threatens suicide if his wife leaves him. While emotional blackmail can have terrible results for the victim, it may or may not be a crime, depending on what the victim is forced to do.
Something to try: Write a mystery story where blackmail is the central crime. |
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