Agent skill · kmaida
deslop-writing
A style guide that removes the clichéd writing patterns common in AI-generated drafts, including habits specific to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others, in favor of clear, concrete, readable prose. Activates on any writing task: tweets, emails, articles, bios, captions, reports, copy, messages, LinkedIn posts, cover letters, README files, or any content that should read as clear, natural writing. Also activates in detect mode when the user asks whether a draft reads like generic AI prose, or asks to audit, scan, check, or flag a draft for slop patterns without rewriting it. Enforces banned vocabulary, structural variety, punctuation discipline, accuracy rules, and voice calibration. Technical documentation (product docs, guides, references, READMEs, help text) additionally follows the Apple Style Guide. Use when the user says "deslop" about any text or writing, or says "write," "draft," "rewrite," "tighten this," "make this sound natural," "anti-slop," or any variation of wanting clean, readable output.
What it needs
About 12k tokens when loaded.
What this skill does
Deslop Writing: Anti-AI-Slop Writing Directive v4 A style guide for clear, concrete prose. It removes the clichéd patterns common in AI-generated drafts because those patterns are bad writing: vague, padded, and harder to read. Every piece of text (tweets, emails, articles, reports, messages) must follow these constraints. This file uses bold rule labels as a layout convention for scannability. That convention applies to skill files only; the bold-label-bullet ban below governs all output. Before Writing Anything Load the banned words and phrases list from references/banned-words.md. Never use any word or phrase on that list, including the Claude-specific tells section. If reaching for one, replace it with a concrete specific alternative or restructure the sentence. Brevity Rules Never use a long sentence when a short one will do. Never use two words when one will do. Never use two sentences when one will do. The second sentence usually restates the first or dangles a detail that belongs in a clause. Merge or cut. "Token exchange scopes the credential. This means the agent only gets what it needs." → "Token exchange scopes the credential to what the agent needs." Never use long words when short words will do. Cut qualifiers and intensifiers. very, really, quite, rather, fairly, somewhat, basically, essentially, effectively, actually, generally, typically, largely, virtually, "a bit," "kind of," "sort of," "in general," "for the most part." These words soften claims without adding information; each one is the writer flinching. Delete them unless removal changes the meaning. Genuine uncertainty is different: "roughly 40%" when the number is imprecise stays, per the Accuracy rules. Collapse indirect constructions. Wordy scaffolding around a plain verb slips past the rules above because every word looks necessary. It isn't. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills kmaida/deslop-writing