One of the biggest misconceptions related to the horror genre besides the overuse of jump scares is that there can be no evidence of warm human emotion hidden within the text.  Critics of horror novels use this excuse often as to why they do not like the material they are presented with.  Besides the constant psychological scare tactics, they see it as a mere excuse to depict murderous crimes in modern media.  These people see it as a messed up way writers can depict graphic subjects such as indescribable violence, mental instability, bodily horror, and gruesome murder without worrying about censorship.  Basically, the horror genre to these individuals is equal to the rumored dark web's messed up content.  It is the true depiction of the malevolence of humanity.

  What these critics fail to see is the actual purpose behind the writing of such horror novels.  As proven by masterpieces in the past such as Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus and Jekyll and Hyde, horror novels are created with more than just violence in mind.  They depict the worst and the best of mankind, using the advantages of the horror medium's creative diversity to better depict their messages to wider audiences.  In Mary Shelly's masterpiece Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, the reason Victor Frankenstein's monstrous creation is crazily violent is that no one ever gave him the time to truly be accepted into normal human society.  The scientist just ditched the monster briefly after its creation, leaving the creature to roam the world alone with no one to guide him.  Shelly is depicting metaphorically the message that humanity needs to better accept those who are different. Through her own words we can interpret that if the monster had any affection in the past, it would not have committed unspeakable crimes in the first place.  It is a message that can relate to anyone with a birth defect or a disability, allowing more people to realize that these social outcasts deserve equal love and attention.  As for Jekyll and Hyde, the message is to never let personal desires overwhelm you.  The reason Henry Jekyll is eventually consumed by the hideous alternate form of Edward Hyde is that he let his selfishness rule over the emotional responsibility he had towards others.  Metaphorically, the vain form of Edward Hyde kills Doctor Hastie Lanyon, a close friend of the doomed Henry Jekyll and leaves another of his friends Gabriel John Utterson to replay the horror forever in his head after discovering Jekyll's secrets upon his death.  Author Robert Louis Stevenson wanted to teach the importance of putting our self needs to the side in favor of helping out the ones we truly care about.  Both horror novels were created with the intention of pulling on the reader's heartstrings and making society as a whole hopefully a better place to live in.

  More times than not, horror novels are created with true heart.  Just scaring the audience is a simple one-time trick that at best will guarantee in a few years your book will be completely forgotten.  Giving the book a message to carry alongside it makes the novel more memorable and solidifies the tale in the public eye for years to come.  We remember the iconic horror novels in our popular culture today because of the heart each of them was secretly hiding.  Human love was the dagger that killed the grim, horrific Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's classic novel.  Friendship was the ultimate weapon against Pennywise in Stephen King's novel It.  Even the book Dante's Inferno spreads the message that karma always comes in the wake of people who lie, cheat, or hurt others.  Horror novels can be a strong medium to surprisingly devote powerful emotional messages to the public.

  However, not every horror writer knows of the deeper emotional context their content can have.  They misinterpret these story avenues as a way to just freak out the audience as best as they can.  As a result, most modern horror novels have followed the trend of becoming dull stories about the grim end of the world.  Whether it is from zombies, human carelessness, or disease, the story always stays annoyingly repetitive.  All they spell out is doom, more doom, even more doom, and depression.  Those in the trend who beat the repetitive cycle are those who still remember the emotional possibilities of the horror genre and depict it strongly throughout their work.  In works such as Watt Pad user Crimson_Graves's novel Dog Days, heart is the moving factor for the characters' survival against the rabies-like zombie virus that has affected massive amounts of humans and animals. They work together to survive the ordeal, going in groups to better fight off the infected or get vital resources. Thus, it sticks out from the crowd massively with scenes that truly get you emotionally invested.

A simple ounce of human emotion inside a horror novel is a strong resource to better get your writing more out there. People better remember emotional fueled storylines and forget generic jump scares overnight. It is why so many classical horror novels today are fondly remembered by millions of readers. Having a strong motivator towards your writing just guarantees better success overall.