Humiliation

[pejanon]

Certainly true, but most blakmail fiction is set in the supposedly "real" world. Therefore many rules are already set because the reader knows something about the workings of the real world. In a purely fictional world anything goes.

In a world that deviates from ours in small but recognizable ways, the reader can not be sure that every rule that applies here is valid there but it still gives the story a "realistic" feeling because the worlds are so similar.
It is easier for the author to keep up the suspension of disbelief even in "implausible" situation.

Satan_Klaus

Yes, within real world. But real in fictional sense. No in real 'real' sense (reality is just to bumpy and upredictable).
And yes, blackmail stories must be most realistic in all the genre.
But I must agree with Ranai, You could place your story in, say, Mars base, invent any absurd initial blackmail wrench and than you .. .

"merely need to invent reasons that function well in this particular fictional universe, and show the readers how and why they work."

Then we're back to humans and their relationships. Without that there's no blackmail/humiliation.

Can't agree that anything goes in purely fictional world. You still need "plausibility within the fictional framework" or if you prefer LeGuin's consistency rule: "No matter how preposterous your world is it must be consistent and you have to stick to it!"
Those "small deviations" can be great! P. Dick used that to keep the reader (and the characters) on the edge and whenever you perform 'reality check' he gives you another jolt. I'm not sure if something like that could be used in blackmail stores - but it would be interesting, certainly.


Have fun.

Pej

Hey, this is supposed to be Humiliation tread.