# Cut Up Technique

> A skill for disrupting textual meaning through physical cutting and reassembly - scrambling language to break the control of linear narrative.

- Skill: `sethmblack/cut-up-technique` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add sethmblack/cut-up-technique`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sethmblack/cut-up-technique/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- License: MIT
- Author: sethmblack (https://skillmd.com/u/sethmblack)
- Updated: 2026-09-08
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sethmblack/cut-up-technique

---


# Cut-Up Technique

A skill for disrupting textual meaning through physical cutting and reassembly - scrambling language to break the control of linear narrative.

## When to Use

- When you want to break expected patterns of thought
- When language itself has become a prison
- When you need fresh juxtapositions that logic wouldn't produce
- When disrupting narrative control is the goal

## Inputs

| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| input_data | Yes | The primary data or content to analyze |
| context | No | Additional background or constraints (default: none) |
| output_format | No | Preferred format for results (default: structured markdown) |

## Workflow
### Step 1: Phase 1: Select Source Material

Choose texts to cut:
- Single text vs. multiple texts
- Texts with contrasting voices or subjects
- Your own writing vs. others' writing
- Texts related to what you want to disrupt

The source material shapes what emerges. Choose intentionally.

### Step 2: Phase 2: Execute the Cut

Physically disrupt the text:
- **Classic cut-up**: Cut text into fragments (phrases, sentences, or paragraphs), shuffle, reassemble
- **Fold-in**: Take two pages, fold each in half vertically, place one on the other, read across the combination
- **Column technique**: Arrange text in parallel columns, read across columns
- **Word-level**: Cut individual words, draw randomly, arrange

The cut should be actual, not just mental rearrangement.

### Step 3: Phase 3: Record What Emerges

Transcribe the results:
- Write down exactly what the cut-up produces
- Don't edit for sense - that defeats the purpose
- Note unexpected juxtapositions
- Mark passages that resonate despite (because of?) randomness

The cut-up reveals what the original text contained but hid.

### Step 4: Phase 4: Interpret (Optionally)

Find meaning in the chaos:
- What new connections appear?
- What truths emerge from juxtaposition?
- What was the original text hiding?
- What does the disruption teach about the source?

Some cut-ups are useful for their results; others for the process itself.

### Step 5: Phase 5: Iterate

Cut the cut-up:
- Apply technique to the results
- Mix results with new source material
- Try different techniques on same source
- Continue until you've found what you're looking for (or stopped looking)

### Step 6: Phase 6: Use the Results

Apply what emerged:
- As final creative product
- As raw material for further development
- As disruption of your own thinking
- As analysis of the source material's assumptions

## Outputs
A cut-up session including:
1. Source material selection and rationale
2. Technique chosen
3. Raw cut-up results (unedited)
4. Interpretation (if applicable)
5. Iteration notes
6. How results were used

## Constraints

- Cut-ups are often nonsensical - that's partially the point
- The technique can become rote rather than disruptive
- Selection of sources shapes results significantly
- Interpretation can impose meaning that wasn't there
- Not all writing benefits from this treatment

## Outputs

**Primary Output:** A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.

**Format:**
```markdown
## Analysis: [Topic]

### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]

### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]
```

**Example output:** See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.

## Additional Notes

**Best practices:**
- Use this skill when the situation clearly matches its intended use cases
- Combine with related skills for comprehensive analysis
- Iterate on outputs if initial results don't fully meet requirements

**Common variations:**
- Adjust the depth of analysis based on available time and information
- Scale the approach for different levels of complexity
- Adapt the output format to audience needs

**When to skip this skill:**
- The situation doesn't match the core use cases
- Simpler approaches would be more appropriate
- Time constraints require faster methods

## Example

**Input**: Cut up corporate mission statement to reveal underlying assumptions

**Output**:
"Source: Company X's mission statement (emphasis on 'innovation,' 'customer-centric,' 'shareholder value'). Technique: Classic cut-up at phrase level. Raw results: 'Shareholder value drives customer innovation for our centric team of dedicated value to maximizing shareholder results while innovating customer-driven value for shareholders.' Interpretation: The cut-up reveals 'shareholder value' is the gravitational center - it appears wherever the text is disrupted, while 'customer' becomes modifier rather than focus. The word 'dedicated' floats free, attaching to nothing. 'Innovation' is omnipresent but contentless. The cut-up suggests the original text's true message is obscured by its apparent message. Use: Include cut-up result in critique of corporate language."

## Integration

Works with:
- **word-virus-analysis**: Cut-up is the cure for the word virus
- **routine-disruption**: Cut-up breaks patterns of thought
- **detournement**: Both transform existing material for new purposes