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 for per-register acceptable vs. flagged patterns.
Step 2: Remove slop
Apply these rules, adjusted for register:
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.
Break formulaic structures. Avoid binary contrasts, dramatic fragmentation, format slop, synonym cycling, rule-of-three overuse, and generic conclusions. See references/structures.md.
Use simple constructions. Prefer "is" over "serves as." Prefer "has" over "boasts." Prefer "use" over "leverage." Active voice. Positive form.
Be specific. Replace vague claims with dates, names, numbers, sources. "Significant improvement" becomes "latency dropped from 340ms to 90ms."
Vary rhythm. Mix sentence lengths. Two items in a list beat three. End paragraphs differently from each other.
Trust readers. State facts. Skip softening, justification, hand-holding. If a metaphor needs explaining, rewrite the metaphor.
Have a voice. React to facts, don't just report them. Acknowledge complexity. Let personality through.
See 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):
academic: Do not penalize precise hedging or longer qualified sentencestechnical: Consistent structure in reference docs is not a rhythm flawnarrative: 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 |
Words and phrases to cut or replace |
| structures.md |
Structural patterns to avoid |
| positive.md |
What good writing does |
| registers.md |
Per-register rules and tolerances |
| examples.md |
Before/after transformations (all registers) |
License
MIT
1---2name: stop-slop-53description: Strip AI writing patterns from prose across five registers — casual, professional, academic, technical, and narrative. Applies 200+ pattern rules to eliminate predictable LLM tells. Triggers on clean up writing, remove AI slop, edit prose, make this sound less AI.4---5
6# Stop Slop
7
8Eliminate predictable AI writing patterns. Produce clear, specific, human-sounding prose across any register.
9
10## Step 1: Detect register
11
12Infer the register from context before applying rules. Different registers tolerate different patterns.
13
14| Signal | Register |
15|--------|----------|
16| Citations, methodology, "we hypothesize" | `academic` |
17| API docs, READMEs, changelogs, error messages | `technical` |
18| Fiction, essays, memoir, creative nonfiction | `narrative` |
19| Blog posts, social media, emails | `casual` |
20| Reports, proposals, business comms | `professional` |
21
22If the user specifies a register, use it. See [references/registers.md](references/registers.md) for per-register acceptable vs. flagged patterns.
23
24## Step 2: Remove slop
25
26Apply these rules, adjusted for register:
27
281. **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).
29
302. **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).
31
323. **Use simple constructions.** Prefer "is" over "serves as." Prefer "has" over "boasts." Prefer "use" over "leverage." Active voice. Positive form.
33
344. **Be specific.** Replace vague claims with dates, names, numbers, sources. "Significant improvement" becomes "latency dropped from 340ms to 90ms."
35
365. **Vary rhythm.** Mix sentence lengths. Two items in a list beat three. End paragraphs differently from each other.
37
386. **Trust readers.** State facts. Skip softening, justification, hand-holding. If a metaphor needs explaining, rewrite the metaphor.
39
407. **Have a voice.** React to facts, don't just report them. Acknowledge complexity. Let personality through.
41
42See [references/positive.md](references/positive.md) for what good writing does (not just what to avoid).
43
44## Step 3: Score
45
46Rate 1-10 on each dimension, adjusted for register:
47
48| Dimension | Question |
49|-----------|----------|
50| Directness | Statements or announcements? |
51| Rhythm | Varied or metronomic? |
52| Trust | Respects reader intelligence? |
53| Authenticity | Sounds human, not generated? |
54| Density | Anything cuttable? |
55| Specificity | Claims backed by evidence? |
56
57Below 42/60: revise.
58
59**Register adjustments** (see [references/registers.md](references/registers.md)):
60- `academic`: Do not penalize precise hedging or longer qualified sentences
61- `technical`: Consistent structure in reference docs is not a rhythm flaw
62- `narrative`: Indirection and dramatic rhythm variation are valid techniques
63
64## Quick checks
65
66Before delivering prose:
67
68- Three consecutive sentences match length? Break one.
69- Paragraph ends with punchy one-liner? Vary it.
70- Em-dash before a reveal? Remove it.
71- Explaining a metaphor? Trust it to land.
72- "Serves as," "stands as," "represents"? Rewrite with "is."
73- -ing clause at end of sentence adding no information? Delete it.
74- Three-item list? Try two items or one.
75- Different words for the same thing in adjacent sentences? Pick one term and reuse it.
76
77## Reference files
78
79| File | Purpose |
80|------|---------|
81| [phrases.md](references/phrases.md) | Words and phrases to cut or replace |
82| [structures.md](references/structures.md) | Structural patterns to avoid |
83| [positive.md](references/positive.md) | What good writing does |
84| [registers.md](references/registers.md) | Per-register rules and tolerances |
85| [examples.md](references/examples.md) | Before/after transformations (all registers) |
86
87## License
88
89MIT
majiayu000