stop-the-slop

name	stop-the-slop
description	Final audit to strip AI patterns from prose. Run after drafting, before publishing. Makes text sound human.

Stop the Slop

Final-pass audit to catch AI patterns that slip through drafting. Run this AFTER your content is drafted, BEFORE publishing.

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When to Use

This skill is a final audit, not a drafting tool.

Workflow position:

Draft content → Recursive editing loop → Score 8/10+ on all criteria → RUN THIS SKILL → Publish

If this skill finds issues → return to editing loop, fix, re-run.

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Pattern Reference

Load these files for the full pattern list:

1. banned-phrases.md — sentence structures, transitions, dramatic language, openings, closings
2. patterns.md — the 10 AI tells (false agency, narrator voice, wh- openers, etc.)
3. examples.md — before/after transformations

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Structure Checks

Beyond individual patterns, check these:

Narrative Over Framework

Slop	Clean
"Observe: He reads. Orient: He synthesizes."	"He reads constantly, then synthesizes across domains."
"Step 1: ... Step 2: ... Step 3: ..."	Walk through it as prose
Labeled sections for every point	Let structure emerge from content

Rhythm

• Two consecutive sentences same length → break one
• Stacked short punchy sentences → vary lengths
• Em-dashes for dramatic pause → use periods
• Every paragraph ends punchily → vary endings

Endings

End on action or truth. Not:

• Rhetorical questions
• "Let that sink in"
• Profound-sounding summaries
• Keynote energy

Good endings: "For now, you have to post everywhere." / "Speed of iteration beats size of team." / "That's the constraint."

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Specificity Gate

After pattern checks, verify:

• At least one real number (vetted, sourced — never invented)
• At least one named person, company, or concrete example
• No vague claims doing work that specifics should do

Rule: If you don't have a real number, don't invent one. Vague is better than fake-specific.

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The Audit Checklist

Run before publishing. All must pass.

Pattern Checks:

• No false agency (objects doing human verbs)
• No narrator voice (reader is in the room)
• No Wh- sentence openers
• No vague declaratives (specifics named)
• No negative runway buildup
• No three-item lists (two or one)
• No question endings
• No over-explanation (trust reader)
• No adverbs (-ly words killed)
• No passive voice hiding actors

Structure Checks:

• Narrative flow, not labeled framework
• Rhythm varies naturally
• Ending is action or truth

Specificity Checks:

• At least one real number or named example
• No invented statistics

If ANY check fails → return to edit, fix, re-run audit.

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The Final Test

Read it aloud.

• Sounds like explaining to a peer over coffee → Pass
• Sounds like a LinkedIn post → Fix it
• Sounds like a presentation → Fix it
• Sounds like performing expertise → Fix it

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Examples

See examples.md for before/after transformations organized by pattern.