Dive Into 10 Screenwriting Tips From Robert Eggers

I’m fresh out of a great Nosferatu screening at the New Beverly in Los Angeles and incredibly excited to be talking about Robert Eggers.

For years, Eggers has captivated audiences with his horror movies. They’re scary, funny, exciting, and wonderful to look at.

Now, How To Screenplay has compiled a list of ten of his screenwriting tips so that we can learn from his process.

Let’s dive in.

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10 Screenwriting Tips From Robert Eggers 

1. Embrace What is Uniquely You 

The best way to get your ideas onto the page is to embrace who you really are. Eggers does this with all his films, showing us a piece of himself.

2. Find a Harmonious Balance of Opposites in Your Writing 

Think about the characters in Eggers movies, they all have their opposites. you have warriors on vengeance missions only to discover peace. You have innocent insurance men who find vampires, and their seemingly innocent wives who called on them. Two lighthouse keepers who behave like the odd couple. Find your opposites and build from there.

3. Avoid Writer’s Block by Doing Research 

The more you research something that interests you, the more you can use that to motivate your writing. At some point, you’ll have learned a lot and will be spilling over with ideas for your screenplay.

4. Don’t Start writing With a Message or Intention In Mind 

Don’t lead with the theme up top. Just sit and write your story. Let the symbolism and the deeper meanings come out as you finish. You rewrite when you find those things. But concentrate on the first draft. Then go back and add them.

5. It’s Absurd to Think About How Well You Follow a Traditional Structure Makes You a Good Storyteller

We love talking about the three-act structure and the five-act structure. I love using a beat sheet and an outline. But there is some freedom in just writing the story you want. Let it guide you, and don’t worry about hitting the pages that matter.

6. Wherever and Whenever Your Story Is Set, The Convos and Arguments, and Other Elements Must feel Relatable Today 

One of the big questions I ask about some of the biopics I read and other period pieces is, “Why now?” Why does this story have to be told now? What can we glean from it in modern times that makes it connect with us? I feel like Eggers answers this time and time again.

7. Be Extremely Meticulous With Your Writing 

Do the work. There are no fast solutions. You have to pick the right words and continue to refine and refine. This is a marathon, not a sprint. So be meticulous. Test what gets the story across.

8. Historical Accuracy is Not Important to Filmmaking 

It’s hard to believe Eggers said this, because I find the details in his pieces to be so enthralling and worldbuilding. But he did. It also makes a lot of sense. Accuracy should never get in the way of a good story. Your job is to be a storyteller first.

9. To Get Your First Feature Produced, Make a Proof of Concept 

We love a good proof of concept here at No Film School. I find Hollywood to be a bit enigmatic when it comes to how to get your first movie made. Anything you can do to support your case really matters. So go out and shoot something that can aid your pitches.

10. When Writing, Don’t Think about How You’ll Get it on Camera

I am guilty of this a lot. We wonder how we’ll get the shot instead of just writing the best scene possible. Do not limit yourself when writing. Write it the way that’s best, and then figure it out later. You never know what can happen when you add collaborators to the mix. So just write the best version you can now.

Summing Up 10 Screenwriting Tips From Robert Eggers

Now that you have all these tips, you have to jump back into writing. Consider this part of the research procrastination.

We’re excited to see where these tips send you and to watch the eventual films that spring from them.

Let me know what you think in the comments.