doreastyles-afk Stop Slop
A skill for removing AI-generated writing patterns from prose. Teaches Claude and other language models to identify and eliminate predictable AI tells, replacing them with clear, authentic human voice.
Author: Hardik Pandya Repository: https://github.com/hardikpandya/stop-slop License: MIT
Core Philosophy
Stop Slop targets three categories of problematic patterns:
- Problematic Phrases - Throat-clearing openers, emphasis crutches, business jargon, excessive adverbs, vague declaratives, meta-commentary
- Structural Patterns - Binary contrasts, negative listings, dramatic fragmentation, rhetorical setups, passive voice
- Sentence-Level Issues - Wh- starters, em dashes, staccato fragmentation, inanimate subjects performing human actions
Eight Core Rules for Editing
1. Eliminate Filler Language
Remove throat-clearing openers, emphasis crutches, and all adverbs.
Examples of filler to cut:
- "Here's the thing:"
- "The truth is,"
- "Full stop"
- "Let that sink in"
- All -ly adverbs: really, genuinely, literally, obviously
2. Avoid Formulaic Patterns
Reject binary contrasts, negative listings, dramatic fragmentation, and rhetorical setups.
Binary contrasts: Instead of "It's not X, it's Y," state Y directly. Negative listings: Don't deny what something isn't before revealing what it is. Dramatic fragmentation: "Noun. That's it." reads as performative. Rhetorical setups: "What if we reframed this?" wastes words better spent on the actual point.
3. Employ Active Voice
Every sentence requires a human agent performing an action. No passive constructions.
Passive: "Mistakes were made" Active: "We made mistakes"
4. Demonstrate Specificity
Replace vague statements with concrete details. Avoid lazy universal terms like "everyone," "always," "really."
Vague: "People love this product" Specific: "Our top 5 clients renewed annually because of feature X"
5. Ground Readers in Scenes
Use direct address over distant narration. Prioritize tangible details over abstract concepts.
Distant: "Nobody designs this..." Direct: "You don't decide one day..."
6. Create Rhythmic Variety
Alternate sentence lengths. Prefer two items over three. Eliminate em dashes.
Monotonous: "Speed, quality, cost—pick two. That's it. That's the tradeoff." Varied: "Speed, quality, cost—pick two."
7. Respect Reader Intelligence
Present facts plainly without softening language, endless justification, or excessive scaffolding.
Over-explained: "It turns out that most teams struggle with alignment. The uncomfortable truth is that nobody wants to admit they're confused. And that's okay." Direct: "Teams struggle with alignment. Nobody admits confusion."
8. Remove Quotable Moments
Rewrite sentences that read like extracted pull-quotes. Authentic voice doesn't perform.
Performative: "What if I told you that the best teams don't optimize for productivity?" Authentic: "The best teams optimize for learning, not productivity."
Quick Assessment Checklist
When reviewing prose, check for:
- Adverbs - Cut all -ly words and hedging language (really, just, genuinely, literally)
- Passive Voice - Every main verb must have a named agent
- Inanimate Subjects - No concepts performing human actions (e.g., "complaints became fixes")
- Wh- Openers - "What makes this hard..." becomes "The constraint is..."
- Throat-Clearing - Eliminate "Here's the thing," "The truth is," "In reality,"
- Negative-Positive Contrasts - "It's not X, it's Y" becomes just "Y"
- Sentence Length Monotony - Vary from short to long to medium
- Paragraph Endings - Don't end with setup for next paragraph
- Em-Dashes - Remove most em-dashes; consolidate into single statements
- Vague Declarations - No "The stakes are high" without specifics
- Narrative Distance - Minimize telling over showing
- Meta-Commentary - Cut "Plot twist," "In this section," self-referential asides
Five-Dimension Evaluation Framework
Rate prose 1-10 on each dimension:
Directness (1-10)
Does the writing get to the point immediately, or does it circle around?
Rhythm (1-10)
Do sentence lengths vary? Does it flow naturally, or feel monotonous?
Trust (1-10)
Does it respect reader intelligence, or does it over-explain and soften?
Authenticity (1-10)
Does it sound human, or like an AI performing human voice?
Density (1-10)
Is every word necessary, or is there filler padding?
Scoring: Add up all five scores. Below 35/50 warrants revision. 45+/50 is strong.
Common Problem Patterns & Fixes
Throat-Clearing + Binary Contrast
Before: "Here's the thing: building products is hard. Not because the technology is complex. Because people are complex. Let that sink in."
After: "Building products is hard. Technology is manageable. People aren't."
Filler + Unnecessary Reassurance
Before: "It turns out that most teams struggle with alignment. The uncomfortable truth is that nobody wants to admit they're confused. And that's okay."
After: "Teams struggle with alignment. Nobody admits confusion."
Business Jargon Stack
Before: "In today's fast-paced landscape, we need to lean into discomfort and navigate uncertainty with clarity..."
After: "Move faster. Your competition is."
Dramatic Fragmentation
Before: "Speed. Quality. Cost. You can only pick two. That's it. That's the tradeoff."
After: "Speed, quality, cost—pick two."
Rhetorical Setup
Before: "What if I told you that the best teams don't optimize for productivity? Here's what I mean..."
After: "The best teams optimize for learning, not productivity."
Phrases to Remove
See references/phrases.md for comprehensive lists across these categories:
- Throat-Clearing Openers
- Emphasis Crutches
- Business Jargon
- Adverbs (all -ly words)
- Meta-Commentary
- Performative Emphasis
- Telling vs. Showing
- Vague Declaratives
Structural Patterns to Avoid
See references/structures.md for detailed guidance on:
- Binary Contrasts
- Negative Listing
- Dramatic Fragmentation
- Rhetorical Setups
- False Agency
- Narrator-from-a-Distance
- Passive Voice
- Weak Sentence Starters
- Rhythm Patterns
- Lazy Word Choices
How to Use This Skill
In Claude Code: Add this folder as a skill, then reference these rules when editing or reviewing prose.
In Claude Projects: Upload SKILL.md and references to your knowledge base.
In Custom Instructions: Copy the eight core rules into your system prompt.
Via API: Include this SKILL.md in system prompts for text processing tasks.
Typical Workflow
- Write or receive prose
- Review against the Quick Assessment Checklist
- Score across the five dimensions
- Identify problem patterns using the structures list
- Rewrite to eliminate filler and strengthen voice
- Aim for 40+/50 on the evaluation framework
License
MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute.
Resources
- Repository: https://github.com/hardikpandya/stop-slop
- Article: "Stop Slop: A Claude Skill for Stripping Robotic AI Writing Patterns" by Artem Daniliants
- Related Skills: anti-slop-skill (for code), deslop (scientific writing)