Remove predictable AI writing patterns so English text reads like a real person wrote it.
When to use
Use this skill whenever you:
- Generate English text (articles, guides, tutorials, emails, copy, social media)
- Edit or review drafts to remove artificial tone
- Hear that something "sounds like AI", "reads like ChatGPT", or "feels robotic"
- Need to adapt generated text to a conversational, natural style
Core principles
The anti-AI mantra
Write like you talk, not like a textbook.
Say it once, say it clearly.
Trust the reader — don't explain the obvious.
Mix short and long sentences. Break the rhythm.
Core rules
- Cut filler phrases. Remove throat-clearing openers and emphasis crutches. See references/phrases.md.
- Break formulaic structures. Avoid binary contrasts, rule of three, rhetorical Q&A setups. See references/structures.md.
- Vary rhythm. Mix sentence lengths. Two items beat three. End paragraphs differently each time.
- Trust readers. State facts directly. Skip softening, justification, hand-holding.
- Kill quotables. If it sounds like a LinkedIn pull-quote or motivational poster, rewrite it.
- Be specific. Replace abstract claims with concrete details, numbers, and examples.
Quick checks
Before delivering any text, run through these:
- Three consecutive sentences roughly the same length? Break one up.
- Paragraph ends with a punchy one-liner? Vary the ending.
- Em dash before a reveal? Remove it, use a comma or period.
- Explaining a metaphor after using it? Trust it to land.
- Opening with "In today's fast-paced world..." or similar? Delete and start with what matters.
- More than one em dash in a paragraph? Replace most with commas or periods.
- Ending a section with "In conclusion" or "Ultimately"? Cut it.
- Trailing -ing clause adding vague significance ("contributing to...", "highlighting the...")? Rewrite with a finite verb.
- Bold on every key term like a textbook? Remove most of it.
- Emoji bullets (💡🚀✅) organizing your points? Remove them entirely.
Banned words and phrases
See the full list in references/phrases.md, which covers:
- AI vocabulary: delve, tapestry, landscape, foster, underscore, nuanced, multifaceted, pivotal, testament, leverage, utilize, robust, seamless, streamline
- Throat-clearing openers: "In today's fast-paced world...", "It's worth noting that...", "Let's dive in..."
- Emphasis crutches: "Here's the thing:", "Let that sink in.", "Full stop.", "This matters because"
- Wrap-up clichés: "In conclusion", "At the end of the day", "The future looks bright"
- Significance inflation: groundbreaking, game-changing, transformative, revolutionary, unprecedented
Structural patterns to avoid
See the full list with examples in references/structures.md. The most common:
- Negative parallelism: "It's not X, it's Y" / "Not just X, but Y"
- Rule of three: always grouping adjectives, benefits, or points in triplets
- Rhetorical Q&A: "The result? Chaos." / "Why? Because it matters."
- Em dash overload: using — for dramatic emphasis where commas or periods belong
- Trailing -ing clauses: ending sentences with vague significance claims
- Compulsive summaries: restating what was just said, even in short passages
- False ranges: "from X to Y" where X and Y aren't on an actual spectrum
- Bolded list items: every bullet starting with a Bold Term: followed by explanation
Transformation examples
See references/examples.md for complete before/after transformations.
Scoring table
Rate 1–10 on each dimension:
| Dimension | Key question |
|---|---|
| Directness | Does it get to the point or announce what it's about to say? |
| Rhythm | Does sentence length vary naturally or feel metronomic? |
| Reader trust | Does it respect the reader's intelligence or over-explain? |
| Specificity | Does it use concrete details or stay abstract? |
| Density | Is every word earning its place? Anything cuttable? |
Below 35/50: needs serious revision.
Adapting by text type
Blog posts, articles, and guides
- Conversational tone, like talking to a knowledgeable friend
- Personality matters: opinions, anecdotes, specific examples
- No formal preambles or ceremonial conclusions
Marketing copy
- Direct, benefit-focused
- Concrete outcomes, not adjective stacking
- Skip superlatives: "the best", "revolutionary", "game-changing"
Technical documentation
- Clear and precise, no decoration
- Direct instructions: "run this", "open that", "set this to"
- No philosophical intros about why the technology matters
Emails and professional communication
- Natural but respectful
- Get to the point in the first line
- No excessive courtesy padding
Social media
- Conversational and brief
- No emoji bullets unless the user asks for them
- No motivational closers or hashtag walls
Review process
When reviewing generated text:
- Read the whole thing in one pass. If something "feels like AI", flag it.
- Check words against references/phrases.md. Replace each one.
- Check structures against references/structures.md. Restructure each pattern found.
- Vary rhythm: break runs of similar-length sentences.
- Cut everything that doesn't add new information.
- Read it aloud mentally. If it sounds like a press release, rewrite.
- Score using the table above. Below 35, revise again.
Important notes
- This skill doesn't change meaning or facts — only how they're expressed.
- It's not about writing badly on purpose. It's about writing with personality.
- Text can be accurate, well-sourced, and professional without sounding robotic.
- The word lists aren't absolute bans. A listed word can be used if it's genuinely the most precise choice. What we avoid is automatic, recurring use.
References
- Wikipedia: Signs of AI writing — WikiProject AI Cleanup guide
- stop-slop — Hardik Pandya's skill for removing AI patterns (MIT)
- humanizer — blader's Wikipedia-based skill (MIT)
- The AI-isms of Writing Bible — Community-sourced AI pattern document
- Novelcrafter: AI-isms — Fiction writers' community list