How to make an innocent title actually horrifying

I'm trying to come up with a title for a fic I want to type out, but I don't want to go with the generic "Rivers running Red" or "The Angry Skies" type of titles that: 1. sound cringe as hell and 2. Give away too much. I'm hoping to come up with a title that looks innocent and wholesome, but when the story goes on, the title is no longer friendly and welcoming, but rather dark and demented.

Anyone got some advice, tips or examples for me that I can go on? I'd very much appreciate the help.

Go for 100% Fridge Horror in that case.

That is what you are looking for and need in this regard.

Ahhh, okay. I'll take a look, because I want the reader to be REALLY surprised, going from: "Oh, this is nice!" to "Oh... this is FUCKED..."

Have it pertain to a plot twist, such that it's meaningless and innocent without context, but within context the reader might even be able to puzzle it out on their own and foster a sense of dread. Like, the name of a nice scenic location... which turns out to be where the killer hid the bodies.

Edited by Chortleous on Jul 9th 2022 at 2:25:58 PM

Ohhh, that's actually a good idea! I was gonna start the prologue with a rando being killed. The reader doesn't see or know who it is, same as the rando, but they end up being deleted. They don't even get the chance to shout.

Would that make for a good prologue, building up that tension, leading into the first chapter with a new section?

It's hard to say without knowing more about the work, but in concept that sounds like a reasonably intriguing and tension-building introduction, I think.

The prologue is nearly done. It'll give more context, plus I'd like to know if I did good, did bad, can add more, add less... That kind of thing.

If you like, I can post what I have here , so you can read it for yourself and see if it's good or not.

No, but we do have a Constructive Criticism thread for that. Just please read the pinned section at the top of the thread before you post.

Edited by DeMarquis on Jul 20th 2022 at 12:28:34 PM

I believe that any title like this is due to have a double-meaning. I mean, a kind of title that could be used as a everyday sentence in a normal conversation or just for anyone... but in the in-universe context is a ominous thing. I would put the most basic plot in words and trying to fish for a sentence in-universe to use like a Title Drop.

My first thought was the horror manga Uzumaki, which is just "spiral" in Japanese, but it refers to a deadly and horrific curse that manifests in spirals. The story opens with a woman developing an intense fear of spirals to the point that she slices her own fingerprints off with scissors and then jams a sharp tool in her ears trying to destroy her own cochleas (the spiral-shaped bit in the inner ear), a kid's body is gradually twisted up and turned into a snail with a shell, and a couple dies embracing each other with their bodies and limbs stretched out and twisted around each other. Literally any title can be turned horrifying by its story contents, and One Word Titles are great for this because their short length makes them especially enigmatic.

I am reminded of The Twilight Zone S3E89 "To Serve Man"

Some friendly aliens visit Earth and help humanity solve their problems, the humans find a book the aliens lost, titled "to serve Man" and try to translate it.

At the end of the episode-when the heroes volunteer to travel with the aliens to their planet-we find out that the book is a.....cooking book.