Stop Slop

Stop Slop

Eliminate predictable AI writing patterns. Produce clear, specific, human-sounding prose across any register.

Step 1: Detect register

Infer the register from context before applying rules. Different registers tolerate different patterns.

| Signal | Register | |--------|----------| | Citations, methodology, "we hypothesize" | academic | | API docs, READMEs, changelogs, error messages | technical | | Fiction, essays, memoir, creative nonfiction | narrative | | Blog posts, social media, emails | casual | | Reports, proposals, business comms | professional |

If the user specifies a register, use it. See [references/registers.md](references/registers.md) for per-register acceptable vs. flagged patterns.

Step 2: Remove slop

Apply these rules, adjusted for register:

1. Cut filler phrases and AI vocabulary. Remove throat-clearing openers, chatbot artifacts, significance inflation, and words that appear 100-1,000x more in LLM output than human text. See [references/phrases.md](references/phrases.md).

1. Break formulaic structures. Avoid binary contrasts, dramatic fragmentation, format slop, synonym cycling, rule-of-three overuse, and generic conclusions. See [references/structures.md](references/structures.md).

1. Use simple constructions. Prefer "is" over "serves as." Prefer "has" over "boasts." Prefer "use" over "leverage." Active voice. Positive form.

1. Be specific. Replace vague claims with dates, names, numbers, sources. "Significant improvement" becomes "latency dropped from 340ms to 90ms."

1. Vary rhythm. Mix sentence lengths. Two items in a list beat three. End paragraphs differently from each other.

1. Trust readers. State facts. Skip softening, justification, hand-holding. If a metaphor needs explaining, rewrite the metaphor.

1. Have a voice. React to facts, don't just report them. Acknowledge complexity. Let personality through.

See [references/positive.md](references/positive.md) for what good writing does (not just what to avoid).

Step 3: Score

Rate 1-10 on each dimension, adjusted for register:

| Dimension | Question | |-----------|----------| | Directness | Statements or announcements? | | Rhythm | Varied or metronomic? | | Trust | Respects reader intelligence? | | Authenticity | Sounds human, not generated? | | Density | Anything cuttable? | | Specificity | Claims backed by evidence? |

Below 42/60: revise.

Register adjustments (see [references/registers.md](references/registers.md)):

• academic: Do not penalize precise hedging or longer qualified sentences
• technical: Consistent structure in reference docs is not a rhythm flaw
• narrative: Indirection and dramatic rhythm variation are valid techniques

Quick checks

Before delivering prose:

• Three consecutive sentences match length? Break one.
• Paragraph ends with punchy one-liner? Vary it.
• Em-dash before a reveal? Remove it.
• Explaining a metaphor? Trust it to land.
• "Serves as," "stands as," "represents"? Rewrite with "is."
• -ing clause at end of sentence adding no information? Delete it.
• Three-item list? Try two items or one.
• Different words for the same thing in adjacent sentences? Pick one term and reuse it.

Reference files

| File | Purpose | |------|---------| | [phrases.md](references/phrases.md) | Words and phrases to cut or replace | | [structures.md](references/structures.md) | Structural patterns to avoid | | [positive.md](references/positive.md) | What good writing does | | [registers.md](references/registers.md) | Per-register rules and tolerances | | [examples.md](references/examples.md) | Before/after transformations (all registers) |

License

MIT

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: tdimino
• Source: tdimino/claude-code-minoan
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://www.minoanmystery.org

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.