Reject AI slop on purpose

Goal: Name and delete empty AI phrases—keep concrete lines that sound like you.

Best for: Any draft that reads like a brochure, a motivational poster, or a press release nobody asked for.

Slop is not “Name and delete the empty phrases that make writing” Slop is unearned generality: world-spanning openers, empty metaphors, hype verbs, throat-clearing. Build a hit list. Make the model return cleaned text plus the removed phrases so you can see the crime scene.

Scene tip: Run the slop pass on the draft you planned to paste into Slack in the next ten minutes.

Why beginners skip this

Filler props the stage until a reader asks “specifically?”—run the AI-slop checklist first.

Step 1 — Keep a living hit list

Keep a living hit list of empty starters to ban by default (English delve/tapestry/unlock; Chinese 赋能/打造闭环).

• In today’s fast-paced world…
• Delve / tapestry / landscape (as empty metaphor)
• Revolutionize, seamless, game-changer, cutting-edge
• It is important to note that…
• Unlock your potential…

Chinese extras often worth banning: 赋能、打造闭环、开启全新篇章、深度链接、抓手（空用时）.

Edit this draft: delete slop phrases on my list; replace with concrete nouns and verbs. Return cleaned text + removed phrases. Do not add new claims.
My list: [paste]
Draft: [paste]

Step 2 — Landing-line cleanup

Draft opens "In today's rapidly evolving landscape…"
Slop pass with my proof: "status meeting 30→12 min Thursday." Removed list.

Step 3 — Make slop rejection a habit

Save the hit list next to your prompt templates (version it). When a new annoying phrase appears twice, add it.

Scan this draft for slop not already on my list. Propose ≤5 new ban candidates with one-line reasons. Do not rewrite yet.

Draft smells like AI: "In today's fast-paced world…" + three vague benefits.
Run reject-slop pass: delete clichés, force one concrete example from my notes: "cut status meeting from 30→12 min last Thursday."
Return cleaned draft + removed list.

Keep it real

Run this guide’s Practice now on work you will actually ship this week—not a fictional scenario. Dated notes beat perfect theory.

Kill the fillers

Ban delve/tapestry/landscape/robust. Replace one vague noun with a concrete one you mean.

Do not bookmark-only

Finish Practice now, then tick this guide on your path. Titles unread are not skills.

One concrete noun

Replace the vaguest noun in the draft with something you can point at in the real world.

Close the loop

Write one line: next time “be more professional” is the only anti-slop ask, I refuse to start edits.

Opener: "In today's rapidly evolving landscape…"
Slop pass; keep proof "meeting 30→12 min Thursday." Removed list.
Context: real workstream this week (Asia/Shanghai). Name actual files/people.
Constraints: no invented metrics/owners/prices; label Unknowns; stop before send/delete/pay.
Done check: I can mark pass/fail in one minute on the output.

Red flag

Shipping empty filler; “delve/landscape” pile-on—name and cut three fillers.

Save this card

Card: Name and cut empty AI filler—keep concrete lines that sound like you. Keep this beside the tool; read before you start.

Before you start

Name the reader and freeze facts on paper for “Name and delete the empty phrases that make.” If outline bullets do not exist yet, stop before prose. Guide: writing-reject-ai-slop. Keep the real job visible the whole time; a blank box means stop and fetch the artifact first.

How to use this week

This week run the reject-slop list on a real draft: cut filler, passive→active, keep one concrete noun per paragraph; read aloud before stop.

Pitfalls

Temptation: skip the habit for writing-reject-ai-slop to save five minutes.
Job still: Name and delete the empty phrases that make
Smallest correct pass: Done visible · checkable artifact · Unknowns [?].
Boundaries: draft only; no silent send; no invented metrics.
Return: artifact + refuse-line said aloud.

Practice now

Specificity meter: each paragraph needs one concrete noun (Asia/Shanghai).

Cliché bin: list three banned phrases for this draft (Asia/Shanghai).

Concrete noun pass: replace three abstractions with nouns you can point to (Asia/Shanghai).

Slop-cut drill: delete three empty intensifiers; replace with facts (Asia/Shanghai).

Slop drill: delete three fluffy phrases from a draft; replace with concrete nouns (Asia/Shanghai).

Thin-spot drill: rewrite the Save card with real nouns from your work (repo, doc, inbox). Generic placeholders fail the drill.

Tonight run the reject-slop list on a real draft: cut filler, passive→active, keep one concrete noun per paragraph; read aloud before stop.

One sentence takeaway

Name nouns, numbers, and passives to cut—“more professional” is not an instruction.

Next

Negative constraints · Voice consistency · Landing copy loop · Outline before prose

主动干掉 AI 套话

目标： 删掉 revolutionize、seamlessly、unlock potential 一类空话，换成读者可检验的具体好处。

适合： 落地句或邮件开场读起来像宣传册的人。

清扫要返回两样：清理后的句子，以及删掉的短语列表。清完不要再堆新形容词。

为什么新手跳过

空话撑场面一时好看；读者一问「具体呢」，场面就垮，先跑 AI 腔清单。

步骤 1——维护一份活的打击名单

维护一份活的打击名单：英文 delve / tapestry / unlock 类，中文「赋能」「打造闭环」类，默认可禁。

• In today’s fast-paced world…
• Delve / tapestry / landscape（空洞隐喻时）
• Revolutionize, seamless, game-changer, cutting-edge
• It is important to note that…
• Unlock your potential…

中文常值得禁：赋能、打造闭环、开启全新篇章、深度链接，以及空用的「抓手」。

编辑这篇草稿：按我的名单删除套话；换成具体名词和动词。返回清理后正文 + 删除短语。不要加新说法。
我的名单：[粘贴]
草稿：[粘贴]

步骤 2——落地页句子清理

请删掉套话：「In today’s fast-paced world, we revolutionize your workflow seamlessly to unlock your potential.」
产品语境：面向新手的免费双语 AI 指南。
请换成具体好处。返回清理后的句子，以及删掉的短语列表。

步骤 3——把拒套话变成习惯

把打击名单存在提示词模板旁边，并做版本；某个讨厌短语出现两次，就加进去。

扫描这篇草稿，找名单里还没有的套话。最多提议 5 个新禁词，各一行理由。先不要整篇重写。

把这份指南用到我的真实情况：[landing line full of revolutionize]。边界：不编造事实。请返回产物，以及我应跑的 3 项检查。

保持真实

用本周真要交付的工作做「现在就练一次」，别编假场景。带日期的实操笔记，比完美理论有用。

杀掉填充词

禁用 delve/tapestry/landscape/robust。把一个含糊名词换成你真正想说的具体词。

不要只收藏

先做完「现在就练一次」，再在学习路径上打勾。只收藏不练，标题变不成技能。

一个具体名词

把草稿里最含糊的名词换成现实中能指给别人看的东西。

闭环

写下一行：下次只用「更专业一点」当删浆糊，我拒绝开改。

红旗

把「更专业一点」当删浆糊指令，套话只会换皮留下；要点名词、数字、被动句再砍。

保存这张卡

记下：编辑轮或译→本地化里管用的一句改法。标上日期。

开始前

先写清读者与事实清单，再让模型动笔。

本周怎么用

本周对一篇真稿跑拒浆糊清单：删填充词、被动改主动、每段留一个具体名词；读出声再停。

常见坑

现在就练一次

今晚就练：对一篇真稿跑拒浆糊清单：删填充词、被动改主动、每段留一个具体名词；读出声再停。

一句话带走

点名词、数字、被动句再砍；「更专业」不算指令。

下一步

反向约束 · 统一语气 · 落地页文案循环