stop-slop

name	stop-slop
description	Review public-facing prose for formulaic AI writing patterns without changing technical meaning. Skip source code and precision-first technical artifacts unless the user explicitly asks for a prose pass.
metadata	{"trigger":"Writing prose, editing drafts, reviewing content for AI patterns","author":"Hardik Pandya (https://hvpandya.com)"}

Stop Slop

Remove formulaic AI writing patterns from public-facing prose. Technical accuracy, logical qualification, project terminology, and the author's voice outrank every pattern below. Treat patterns as review signals, not bans.

Core Rules

1. Cut filler phrases. Remove throat-clearing openers and emphasis crutches. Keep adverbs that carry necessary degree, timing, or uncertainty. See references/phrases.md.

2. Break formulaic structures. Rewrite repeated binary contrasts, negative listings, dramatic fragments, rhetorical setups, and false agency when they are mannerisms rather than the clearest logic. See references/structures.md.

3. Prefer active voice. Use passive voice when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or deliberately de-emphasized. Do not force a human subject into technical statements.

4. Be specific. No vague declaratives ("The reasons are structural"). Name the specific thing. No lazy extremes ("every," "always," "never") doing vague work.

5. Put the reader in the room. No narrator-from-a-distance voice. "You" beats "People." Specifics beat abstractions.

6. Vary rhythm. Mix sentence lengths and structures. Do not change a complete three-part list or a useful em dash merely to satisfy a pattern check.

7. Trust readers. State facts directly. Skip softening, justification, hand-holding.

8. Cut quotables. If it sounds like a pull-quote, rewrite it.

Quick Checks

Before delivering prose:

• Any empty adverbs? Cut them.
• Any avoidable passive voice? Name the actor.
• Does false agency hide relevant responsibility? Name the actor; otherwise keep precise technical metaphors.
• Repeated sentence openings? Vary them.
• Any "here's what/this/that" throat-clearing? Cut to the point.
• Repeated "not X, but Y" contrasts? Keep only those that express real logic.
• Three consecutive sentences match length? Break one.
• Paragraph ends with punchy one-liner? Vary it.
• Repeated em dashes used as rhythm crutches? Replace them.
• Vague declarative ("The implications are significant")? Name the specific implication.
• Narrator-from-a-distance ("Nobody designed this")? Put the reader in the scene.
• Meta-joiners ("The rest of this essay...")? Delete. Let the essay move.

Scoring

Rate 1-10 on each dimension:

Dimension	Question
Directness	Statements or announcements?
Rhythm	Varied or metronomic?
Trust	Respects reader intelligence?
Authenticity	Sounds human?
Density	Anything cuttable?

Below 35/50: revise.

Examples

See references/examples.md for before/after transformations.

License

MIT