autojanet/skills/stop-slop/references/structures.md

Structures to Avoid

Binary Contrasts

These create false drama. State the point directly.

Pattern	Problem
"Not because X. Because Y." / "Not because X, but because Y."	Telegraphed reversal
"[X] isn't the problem. [Y] is."	Formulaic reframe
"The answer isn't X. It's Y."	Predictable pivot
"It feels like X. It's actually Y."	Setup/reveal cliche
"The question isn't X. It's Y."	Rhetorical misdirection
"Not X. But Y." / "not X, it's Y" / "isn't X, it's Y"	Mechanical contrast
"It's not this. It's that."	Same formula, different words
"stops being X and starts being Y"	False transformation arc
"doesn't mean X, but actually Y"	Negation-then-assertion crutch
"is about X but not Y"	False distinction
"not just X but also Y"	Additive hedge

Instead: State Y directly. "The problem is Y." "Y matters here." Drop the negation entirely.

Negative Listing

Listing what something is not before revealing what it is. A rhetorical striptease.

Pattern	Problem
"Not a X... Not a Y... A Z."	Dramatic buildup through negation
"It wasn't X. It wasn't Y. It was Z."	Same structure, past tense

Instead: State Z. The reader doesn't need the runway.

Dramatic Fragmentation

Sentence fragments for emphasis read as manufactured profundity.

Pattern	Problem
"[Noun]. That's it. That's the [thing]."	Performative simplicity
"X. And Y. And Z."	Staccato drama
"This unlocks something. [Word]."	Artificial revelation

Instead: Complete sentences. Trust content over presentation.

Rhetorical Setups

These announce insight rather than deliver it.

Pattern	Problem
"What if [reframe]?"	Socratic posturing
"Here's what I mean:"	Redundant preview
"Think about it:"	Condescending prompt
"And that's okay."	Unnecessary permission

Instead: Make the point. Let readers draw conclusions.

Formulaic Constructions

Pattern	Problem
"By the time X, I was Y."	Narrative template
"X that isn't Y"	Indirect. Say "X is broken"

False Agency

Giving inanimate things human verbs. Complaints don't "become" fixes. Bets don't "live or die." Decisions don't "emerge." A person does something to make those things happen. AI loves this because it avoids naming the actor.

Pattern	Problem
"a complaint becomes a fix"	The complaint did nothing. Someone fixed it.
"a bet lives or dies in days"	Bets don't have lifespans. Someone kills the project or ships it.
"the decision emerges"	Decisions don't emerge. Someone decides.
"the culture shifts"	Cultures don't shift on their own. People change behavior.
"the conversation moves toward"	Conversations don't move. Someone steers.
"the data tells us"	Data sits there. Someone reads it and draws a conclusion.
"the market rewards"	Markets don't reward. Buyers pay for things.

Instead: Name the human. "The team fixed it that week" beats "the complaint becomes a fix." If no specific person fits, use "you" to put the reader in the seat.

Narrator-from-a-Distance

Floating above the scene instead of putting the reader in it.

Pattern	Problem
"Nobody designed this."	Disembodied observation
"This happens because..."	Lecturer voice
"This is why..."	Same
"People tend to..."	Armchair sociologist

Instead: Put the reader in the room. "You don't sit down one day and decide to..." beats "Nobody designed this."

Passive Voice

Every sentence needs a subject doing something. Passive voice hides the actor and drains energy.

Pattern	Fix
"X was created"	Name who created it
"It is believed that"	Name who believes it
"Mistakes were made"	Name who made them
"The decision was reached"	Name who decided

Instead: Find the actor. Put them at the front of the sentence.

Sentence Starters to Avoid

Pattern	Fix
Sentences starting with What, When, Where, Which, Who, Why, How	Restructure. Lead with the subject or the verb.
Paragraphs starting with "So"	Start with content
Sentences starting with "Look,"	Remove

Wh- openers become a crutch. "What makes this hard is..." becomes "The constraint is..." or better, name the specific constraint.

Rhythm Patterns

Pattern	Fix
Three-item lists	Use two items or one
Questions answered immediately	Let questions breathe or cut them
Every paragraph ends punchily	Vary endings
Em-dashes	Remove. Use commas or periods. No em dashes at all.
Staccato fragmentation	Don't stack short punchy sentences
"Not always. Not perfectly."	Hedging disguised as reassurance

Word Patterns

Pattern	Problem
Lazy extremes (every, always, never, everyone, everybody, nobody)	False authority. Use specifics instead of sweeping claims.
All adverbs (-ly words, "really," "just," "literally," "genuinely," "honestly," "simply," "actually")	Empty emphasis. See phrases.md for full list.