skills/slop-pattern-repair/references/repair-playbook.md

# Repair playbook

## Lexical filler

**Problem:** generic opener, emphasis crutch, business jargon, vague importance language, filler transition.

**Repair:** delete it. If the remaining sentence loses necessary meaning, replace it with the concrete claim already present elsewhere in the draft.

## Binary contrast

**Problem:** a mechanical negation exists only to set up the "real" point.

**Repair:** state the useful claim directly. Keep contrast only when both sides are substantively necessary.

## Negative reveal

**Problem:** several negations build artificial suspense.

**Repair:** lead with the positive claim, then add only the contrast that changes understanding.

## Faux insight

**Problem:** the prose claims uncommon insight before showing ordinary reasoning.

**Repair:** delete the status claim. If the idea is strong, it will survive.

## Unsupported authority

**Problem:** anonymous consensus, research, experts, reports, or audiences support a claim.

**Repair:** name the source if supplied. Otherwise remove the attribution or flag the evidence gap.

## Importance puffery

**Problem:** the sentence labels something important instead of showing what changed.

**Repair:** use the concrete event, mechanism, consequence, constraint, or result already in the draft.

## False agency

**Problem:** an abstract noun performs a human decision or responsibility in a way that hides the actor.

**Repair:** name the actor when known. If the actor is irrelevant or unknown, use a clear construction without inventing one.

## Robotic rhythm

**Problem:** several adjacent sentences share length, syntax, or punch-line shape.

**Repair:** vary only the region that creates the pattern. Combine, split, or reorder based on meaning. Do not add decorative variation.

## Rhetorical scaffold

**Problem:** question-answer pairs, previews, recaps, or "think about it" lines exist only to manufacture movement.

**Repair:** keep the answer or the useful claim. Preserve a real question when the reader is expected to answer it.

## Fake-profound ending

**Problem:** the ending becomes a slogan or abstract reversal.

**Repair:** delete it and end on the last concrete point, implication, or next action already earned by the piece.

## Short-line stacking

**Problem:** ordinary prose is split into a cluster of tiny standalone lines or micro-paragraphs, often 2 to 12 words each, so every thought receives artificial punchline weight.

**Repair:** group lines by meaning, then combine related thoughts into natural sentences or fuller paragraphs. Keep a short standalone line only when it has a real job: a deliberate pause, a genuine turn, a headline, dialogue beat, UI label, lyric/poetry line, or user-requested format. Do not solve the problem by making every paragraph long.

## Formatting slop

**Problem:** headings, bold, emoji, bullets, tiny sections, or excessive line breaks decorate a short piece rather than organize it.

**Repair:** convert to ordinary prose or keep only structure that improves navigation or carries intentional rhythm.

## Overcorrection check

After repair, look specifically for a second-order failure:

- forced slang
- random profanity
- unnecessary fragments
- exaggerated casualness
- deleting useful uncertainty
- removing every adverb or passive construction
- replacing one repeated formula with another repeated formula
- making every paragraph equally short

If any appears, undo or soften the repair.