petekp/de-slop

De-Slop

Strip AI writing patterns from text to restore natural, human-sounding prose.

Based on Wikipedia: Signs of AI writing and WikiProject AI Cleanup.

When to Use

• Editing any prose that sounds like chatbot output
• Reviewing drafts generated with AI assistance
• Self-check before publishing AI-assisted writing
• When text feels "off" but the reason is hard to pinpoint

Process

Step 1: Diagnose

Read the full text before changing anything. Load references/word-list.md and references/structural-patterns.md to identify which patterns are present.

Categorize findings into three severity levels:

Red — Immediate tells (fix first)

• Chatbot leakage ("I hope this helps", "Certainly!", template blanks)
• Grandiose filler ("stands as a testament", "in today's fast-paced world")
• Synonym cycling (same entity referred to by 4+ different names)

Yellow — Statistical signals (fix in clusters)

• 3+ words from the overused word list appearing in close proximity
• Rule of three used more than twice
• Tailing participle phrases ("emphasizing the significance of")
• Em-dash density higher than ~1 per 200 words

Green — Structural patterns (require rewriting, not word swaps)

• Relentless balance (every section same length)
• Uniform register (no tonal variation)
• Generic specificity (hypothetical examples, no real names)
• Excessive hedging (qualifiers every third sentence)
• Risk aversion (no specific claims, no edge)

Present the diagnosis as a brief summary before making changes. Example:

Diagnosis: 4 red flags (chatbot leakage, grandiose filler), 7 yellow signals
(word clusters in paragraphs 2, 5, 8), 2 green patterns (relentless balance,
uniform register).

Step 2: Fix Red Flags

Remove or replace all Red items. These are unambiguous AI artifacts.

Chatbot leakage: Delete entirely.

Grandiose filler: Replace with plain statements or delete.

• "stands as a testament to" -> "shows" or "is"
• "plays a vital role in shaping" -> "shapes" or "affects"
• "in today's fast-paced world" -> delete (it never adds meaning)

Synonym cycling: Pick one term and stick with it. Use pronouns for variety.

Step 3: Fix Yellow Signals

Work through clusters. The goal is not to ban specific words but to break up detectable patterns.

Word clusters: Replace overused words with plain alternatives.

• "delve into" -> "look at" / "examine" / (often just delete)
• "leverage" -> "use"
• "robust" -> "strong" / "solid" / (ask: is this adjective needed at all?)
• "nuanced" -> "detailed" / "complicated" / (often delete)
• "landscape" -> name the actual domain
• "multifaceted" -> drop it; describe the actual facets instead
• "crucial" / "pivotal" / "paramount" -> "important" or delete

Copula avoidance: Restore simple verbs.

• "serves as" -> "is"
• "features" / "offers" / "boasts" -> "has"

Transition abuse: Remove mechanical connectives.

• "Moreover," / "Furthermore," / "In addition," -> start the sentence without them, or use "and" / "also"

Rule of three: Break at least half of them. Use two items, or four, or one.

Tailing participles: Rewrite as separate sentences or delete.

• "..., emphasizing the importance of X" -> delete, or: "X matters because..."

Step 4: Fix Green Patterns

These require actual rewriting, not substitution.

Relentless balance: Redistribute weight. Expand important sections. Trim or collapse unimportant ones. A 3-sentence paragraph next to a 12-sentence paragraph is fine.

Uniform register: Inject tonal shifts. A blunt short sentence after a complex one. A casual aside in a technical passage. Let the writing breathe.

Generic specificity: Replace hypothetical examples with real ones, or remove examples that add nothing.

Excessive hedging: Remove qualifiers that don't reflect genuine uncertainty. If something is true, state it without "often" / "generally" / "can be."

Risk aversion: Sharpen claims. Add an opinion. Allow an imperfect sentence to stand if it has energy.

Enthusiasm gap: Vary paragraph investment. Spend more words where the writer (or subject) is more interesting.

Step 5: Final Read

Read the entire edited text once more. Check for:

1. Overcorrection — Did fixes make the text choppy or too informal? Restore where needed.
2. Meaning preservation — Does every sentence still say what it originally meant?
3. New patterns — Did edits introduce their own repetitive patterns?
4. Voice consistency — Does the text sound like one person wrote it?

Principles

• Prefer plain words. "Use" over "leverage." "Is" over "serves as." "Important" over "crucial."
• Prefer short sentences. Break long compounds. Not every thought needs a clause.
• Preserve meaning. Never change what the text says, only how it says it.
• Don't over-correct. Some em dashes are fine. An occasional "furthermore" is fine. The goal is to break patterns, not ban words.
• Real > hypothetical. A named example beats "consider a scenario where..."
• Uneven > balanced. Spend more words on what matters more.
• Specific > vague. "Response time dropped from 200ms to 50ms" beats "significantly improved performance."