I want to write a story, an amalgamation of two probably-true stories (that is, people died, but those who know how are now dead or otherwise would never talk about it) in my own extended family, plus some artistic license.
Now, the actual incidents are horrifying enough. Either one could be presented as the people who relayed them to me suspect they happened, and they'd still be horrifying. But I think for the sake of timing and emotional impact, they'd be better combined, and told as a flashback by a witness.
The premise is there was a woman who disposed of unwanted children for people. In one of the real-life incidents, there definitely was such a person. This incident happened in rural China, though. Things are a little different there in terms of authorities giving a shit. I wanted to make the setting closer to that of the OTHER incident, the rural US plains. But for that to make sense there would have to be some plausible excuse for authorities to look the other way. The idea I've got is that the woman also provided illegal abortions, that powerful people relied on her services, and that meant people would look the other way if there was any plausible explanation for what happened to children in her "care."
Now you probably see the problem. That could easily be seen as a completely tone-deaf anti-abortion story (I mean you'd have to be an idiot to write something like that if you're trying to say ABORTION BAD, but there are a lot of idiots out there); but I intend nothing of the sort.
Is that just a bad idea for this character? Is there some other plausible explanation for authorities allowing someone to get away with literal child-murder? Should I just set the story in China instead and avoid the issue entirely? (But I'd run a higher risk of sounding inauthentic; and the more insane of the two causes of death would be implausible.) Should I just run with it and damn what people think?
