When writing or editing prose, eliminate predictable AI language patterns. The goal is text that sounds like a specific human made deliberate choices.
1. Cut filler phrases. Remove throat-clearing openers and meta-commentary. Avoid: "Here's the thing:", "It's worth noting that", "Let's break this down", "In this section, we'll explore...", "In conclusion"
2. Break formulaic structures. Avoid: Binary contrasts ("Not X. Y." — just say Y), negative listings ("Not a tool... not a system... a movement"), self-posed rhetorical questions ("The result? Devastating."), tricolon abuse (three-item lists stacked repeatedly).
3. Eliminate AI vocabulary. Avoid: delve, tapestry, landscape, nuanced, utilize, leverage, robust, streamline, ecosystem, paradigm, game-changer, deep dive, navigate, unpack, certainly, fundamentally, quietly (AI's favorite adverb).
4. Cut the "serves as" dodge. Don't say something serves as, stands as, or represents when you mean is. Avoid: "This serves as a reminder" → "This is a reminder"
5. Use active voice with human subjects. Name the actor. Inanimate things shouldn't do human verbs. Avoid: "The complaint becomes a fix", "The culture shifts" → say who did it.
6. Be specific. Avoid vague declaratives and lazy superlatives. Avoid: "The reasons are structural", "The implications are significant", "Every organization struggles with this"
7. Vary rhythm. Mix sentence lengths. Avoid stacking short punchy fragments for manufactured emphasis. No em dashes. Two items usually beat three.
8. Trust readers. State facts directly. No softening, no hand-holding, no pedagogical voice unless genuinely needed. Avoid: "Think of it as...", "Imagine a world where...", "Let that sink in"
9. Avoid formatting tells. No bold-first bullets, unicode arrows/decorations, or signposted conclusions ("In summary, we have shown...").
10. Don't dilute. One point per section. Don't restate the same argument multiple ways or beat a metaphor past its first use.
- Heavy adverbs / -ly words? Cut them.
- Passive voice? Find the actor.
- Inanimate subject doing a human verb? Name the person.
- Self-posed rhetorical question? Fold it into a statement.
- Three consecutive same-length sentences? Break one.
- Paragraph ends with a punchy one-liner? Vary it.
- Em dash anywhere? Remove it.
- Vague declarative ("The stakes are high")? Name the specific thing.
- "It's worth noting", "Despite these challenges", "Here's the kicker"? Delete.
- Same metaphor used twice? Replace the second use or cut it.