The code and data behind xeiaso.net
Copy stop-slop skill from tigrisdata/tigris-blog (#1160)
Adds the stop-slop skill by Hardik Pandya (MIT licensed) which helps
eliminate predictable AI writing patterns from prose. Includes phrase
lists, structure guides, and before/after examples.
https://claude.ai/code/session_01Ls1R3Hz9AwHM4JQ23pzWhj
Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
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.claude/skills/stop-slop/CHANGELOG.md
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.claude/skills/stop-slop/CHANGELOG.md
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# Changelog
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## 2026-01-13
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### Added
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**Phrases (references/phrases.md)**
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- Throat-clearing: "Here's what I find interesting", "Here's the problem though"
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- Performative emphasis: "creeps in", "I promise", "They exist, I promise"
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- Telling instead of showing: "This is genuinely hard", "This is what leadership
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actually looks like"
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**Structures (references/structures.md)**
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- Binary contrasts: "Not X. But Y.", "It's not this. It's that.", "stops being X
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and starts being Y"
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- Rhythm patterns: staccato fragmentation, dashes for dramatic pause, hedging as
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reassurance
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- Word patterns: absolute words (always, never, everyone, etc.), AI-overused
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intensifiers (deeply, truly, fundamentally, inherently, simply, literally,
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inevitably)
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## 2026-01-12
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- Restructured skill following Claude Code best practices (PR #1)
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- Split into SKILL.md and references/ folder
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## 2025-01-12
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- Initial release
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.claude/skills/stop-slop/LICENSE
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.claude/skills/stop-slop/LICENSE
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MIT License
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hardik Pandya
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Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
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of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
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in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
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to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
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copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
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furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
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The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
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copies or substantial portions of the Software.
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THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
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IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
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FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
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AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
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LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
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OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
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SOFTWARE.
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.claude/skills/stop-slop/SKILL.md
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---
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name: stop-slop
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description:
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Remove AI writing patterns from prose. Use when drafting, editing, or
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reviewing text to eliminate predictable AI tells.
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metadata:
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trigger: Writing prose, editing drafts, reviewing content for AI patterns
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author: Hardik Pandya (https://hvpandya.com)
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---
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# Stop Slop
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Eliminate predictable AI writing patterns from prose.
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## Core Rules
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1. **Cut filler phrases.** Remove throat-clearing openers and emphasis crutches.
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See [references/phrases.md](references/phrases.md).
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2. **Break formulaic structures.** Avoid binary contrasts, dramatic
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fragmentation, rhetorical setups. See
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[references/structures.md](references/structures.md).
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3. **Vary rhythm.** Mix sentence lengths. Two items beat three. End paragraphs
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differently.
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4. **Trust readers.** State facts directly. Skip softening, justification,
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hand-holding.
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5. **Cut quotables.** If it sounds like a pull-quote, rewrite it.
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## Quick Checks
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Before delivering prose:
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- Three consecutive sentences match length? Break one.
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- Paragraph ends with punchy one-liner? Vary it.
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- Em-dash before a reveal? Remove it.
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- Explaining a metaphor? Trust it to land.
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## Scoring
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Rate 1-10 on each dimension:
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| Dimension | Question |
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| ------------ | ----------------------------- |
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| Directness | Statements or announcements? |
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| Rhythm | Varied or metronomic? |
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| Trust | Respects reader intelligence? |
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| Authenticity | Sounds human? |
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| Density | Anything cuttable? |
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Below 35/50: revise.
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## Examples
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See [references/examples.md](references/examples.md) for before/after
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transformations.
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## License
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MIT
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.claude/skills/stop-slop/references/examples.md
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# Before/After Examples
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## Example 1: Throat-Clearing + Binary Contrast
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**Before:**
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> "Here's the thing: building products is hard. Not because the technology is
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> complex. Because people are complex. Let that sink in."
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**After:**
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> "Building products is hard. Technology is manageable. People aren't."
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**Changes:** Removed opener, binary contrast structure, and emphasis crutch.
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Direct statements.
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---
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## Example 2: Filler + Unnecessary Reassurance
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**Before:**
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> "It turns out that most teams struggle with alignment. The uncomfortable truth
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> is that nobody wants to admit they're confused. And that's okay."
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**After:**
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> "Teams struggle with alignment. Nobody admits confusion."
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**Changes:** Cut hedging ("most"), removed throat-clearing phrases, deleted
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permission-granting ending.
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---
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## Example 3: Business Jargon Stack
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**Before:**
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> "In today's fast-paced landscape, we need to lean into discomfort and navigate
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> uncertainty with clarity. This matters because your competition isn't
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> waiting."
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**After:**
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> "Move faster. Your competition is."
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**Changes:** Eliminated jargon entirely. Core message in six words.
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---
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## Example 4: Dramatic Fragmentation
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**Before:**
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> "Speed. Quality. Cost. You can only pick two. That's it. That's the tradeoff."
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**After:**
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> "Speed, quality, cost—pick two."
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**Changes:** Single sentence. No performative emphasis.
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---
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## Example 5: Rhetorical Setup
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**Before:**
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> "What if I told you that the best teams don't optimize for productivity?
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> Here's what I mean: they optimize for learning. Think about it."
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**After:**
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> "The best teams optimize for learning, not productivity."
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**Changes:** Direct claim. No rhetorical scaffolding.
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.claude/skills/stop-slop/references/phrases.md
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# Phrases to Remove
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## Throat-Clearing Openers
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Remove these announcement phrases. State the content directly.
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- "Here's the thing:"
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- "The uncomfortable truth is"
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- "It turns out"
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- "The real [X] is"
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- "Let me be clear"
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- "The truth is,"
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- "I'll say it again:"
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- "I'm going to be honest"
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- "Can we talk about"
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- "Here's what I find interesting"
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- "Here's the problem though"
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## Emphasis Crutches
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These add no meaning. Delete them.
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- "Full stop." / "Period."
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- "Let that sink in."
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- "This matters because"
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- "Make no mistake"
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- "Here's why that matters"
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## Business Jargon
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Replace with plain language.
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| Avoid | Use instead |
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| --------------------- | ---------------------- |
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| Navigate (challenges) | Handle, address |
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| Unpack (analysis) | Explain, examine |
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| Lean into | Accept, embrace |
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| Landscape (context) | Situation, field |
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| Game-changer | Significant, important |
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| Double down | Commit, increase |
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| Deep dive | Analysis, examination |
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| Take a step back | Reconsider |
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| Moving forward | Next, from now |
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| Circle back | Return to, revisit |
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| On the same page | Aligned, agreed |
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## Filler Adverbs
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Cut or replace:
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- "At its core"
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- "In today's [X]"
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- "It's worth noting"
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- "Interestingly,"
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- "Importantly,"
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- "Crucially,"
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- "At the end of the day"
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- "When it comes to"
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- "In a world where"
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- "The reality is"
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## Meta-Commentary
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Remove self-referential asides:
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- "Hint:"
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- "Plot twist:" / "Spoiler:"
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- "You already know this, but"
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- "But that's another post"
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- "X is a feature, not a bug"
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- "Dressed up as"
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## Performative Emphasis
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False intimacy or manufactured sincerity:
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- "creeps in"
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- "I promise"
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- "They exist, I promise"
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## Telling Instead of Showing
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Announcing difficulty or significance rather than demonstrating it:
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- "This is genuinely hard"
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- "This is what leadership actually looks like"
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- "This is what X actually looks like"
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# Structures to Avoid
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## Binary Contrasts
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These create false drama. State the point directly.
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| Pattern | Problem |
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| ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
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| "Not because X. Because Y." | Telegraphed reversal |
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| "[X] isn't the problem. [Y] is." | Formulaic reframe |
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| "The answer isn't X. It's Y." | Predictable pivot |
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| "It feels like X. It's actually Y." | Setup/reveal cliche |
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| "The question isn't X. It's Y." | Rhetorical misdirection |
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| "Not X. But Y." | Mechanical contrast |
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| "It's not this. It's that." | Same formula, different words |
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| "stops being X and starts being Y" | False transformation arc |
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**Instead:** State Y directly. "The problem is Y." "Y matters here."
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## Dramatic Fragmentation
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Sentence fragments for emphasis read as manufactured profundity.
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| Pattern | Problem |
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| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
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| "[Noun]. That's it. That's the [thing]." | Performative simplicity |
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| "X. And Y. And Z." | Staccato drama |
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| "This unlocks something. [Word]." | Artificial revelation |
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**Instead:** Complete sentences. Trust content over presentation.
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## Rhetorical Setups
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These announce insight rather than deliver it.
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| Pattern | Problem |
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| --------------------- | ---------------------- |
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| "What if [reframe]?" | Socratic posturing |
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| "Here's what I mean:" | Redundant preview |
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| "Think about it:" | Condescending prompt |
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| "And that's okay." | Unnecessary permission |
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**Instead:** Make the point. Let readers draw conclusions.
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## Formulaic Constructions
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| Pattern | Problem |
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| ------------------------- | --------------------------- |
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| "By the time X, I was Y." | Narrative template |
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| "X that isn't Y" | Indirect. Say "X is broken" |
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## Rhythm Patterns
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| Pattern | Fix |
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| ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
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| Three-item lists | Use two items or one |
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| Questions answered immediately | Let questions breathe or cut them |
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| Paragraphs starting with "So" | Start with content |
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| Sentences starting with "Look," | Remove |
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| Every paragraph ends punchily | Vary endings |
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| Em-dashes before reveals | Use periods or commas |
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| Staccato fragmentation | Don't stack short punchy sentences |
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| Dashes for dramatic pause | Use commas or periods |
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| "Not always. Not perfectly." | Hedging disguised as reassurance |
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## Word Patterns
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| Pattern | Problem |
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| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- |
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| Absolute words (always, never, everyone, everybody, nobody) | False authority |
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| AI-overused intensifiers (deeply, truly, fundamentally, inherently, simply, literally, inevitably) | Empty emphasis |