Young Writers Society

If someone blackmailed you, what three things would be the worst thing they could make you do?
It's important in a story I'm writing. Just so you know, the characters that are "blackmailed" are pretty innocent when it comes to crime.

Hmm.

If the MCs are innocent crime wise, you could have a friend/family member's well-being threatened.

Well, the most effective way to blackmail me would be to threaten my family or friends.

If your characters aren't criminals in any way, but are dedicated job-wise or something, maybe that, too?

That could work, but the thing is that most of their friends and family died at the begging
And the four people being threatened, they can't kill each other, because the blackmailing "punishment" is basically as bad as death. But, thanks so far! Any other ideas?

Hmm ... could you give us some more background of what the character's like and all that?
That'd make it easier for us to think of how your MC would react

If someone was going to blackmail me, three really bad things would be if they told a really personal secret that I didn't want anyone to know, if they threatened someone close to me, or maybe if they stole my favorite books and held them over a burning flame I'd do anything then!

Well, the main characters, as I've said are innocent. One of them is depressed,
one is very goody-two-shoes. Another one is pretty wild, though still innocent. And one of them is one of the most arrogant, spoiled person ever, at the beginning, who turns a little depressed later in the book. The last one has to say no to the last task .

I'd say maybe for the depressed one - I assume s/he has a reason for it, like something that happened in the past - being blackmailed with the event or whatever that caused this depression would be logical.

To the arrogant and spoiled one: blackmail with money and such? I know, a little uninventive, but I'd think that if I were spoiled and arrogant, and someone threatened to take away my money and whatever else that lead to my arrogance and spoilt attitude, that'd be hell.

Well, if the third one is a goody-two-shoes, there's nothing really that I could think of for blackmail ...

But generally, I'd also suggest blackmail as in telling them to do something that goes against everything they believe, meaning against their morals, as I think everyone has at least some morals.
Seeing that the mysterious person blackmailing them must know a lot about them to actually be able to blackmail them, I'd say he or she also knows what they think of certain topics. You know what I mean?

Hope this helped
MySunshine

Goody-two-shoes: That could be a dark secret that they've kept from everyone. I've been called a goody-two-shoes and if anyone knew my secrets, every single one of them, I'd be mortified for life.

The arrogant one: Money is an ideal thing, but maybe threatened with a family member? If they refuse that, and the person is killed, I think that'll turn them around pretty quickly.

That's all I have for now. Sorry. Hope it helped.

blackmail? find out what was most important to me, and threaten it


OR


find out whats the one thing ive always kept hidden inside myself & threaten to reveal it to everybody

A picture's worth a thousand words.

A photo that looks to put them in a compromising situation could be good.

Or a digitally altered photograph that puts them in a horrendous situation, but is believable could be used.

(If they're siblings) Threaten to reveal that they are incestuous (even when they aren't, a person with the right connections or that is manipulative/persuasive enough could turn that into a nightmare).

Convince them of a crime scene and that you've planted evidence that with a tip to the authorities would have them knocking at their door.
Or actually plant evidence at a crime scene that would lead authorities to them with the right tip.