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avoid-ai-writing In Practice

The avoid-ai-writing skill audits and rewrites text to remove AI-isms — the patterns that scream "AI wrote this." This page is the practical playbook for when and how to use it.

When to reach for it

The Script Writer is mostly good at producing natural-sounding scripts — but not perfect. Subtle AI patterns sneak through:

  • Overuse of "delve into" / "navigate the complexities of"
  • Hedging language ("It's worth noting that...")
  • Symmetrical three-part lists where one would do
  • Generic openings that don't commit to anything
  • Em-dash flourishes used as rhythm crutches

Run avoid-ai-writing on:

  • Any new script before approval
  • Long-form copy (Drive doc descriptions, captions, email DMs)
  • Client-facing text where AI tells are reputationally bad

Don't run it on:

  • Technical specs (the stiffness is fine)
  • Compliance language (the formality is intentional)
  • Already-tight writing that doesn't need it

How to invoke it

You: audit this script for AI-isms, rewrite anything that sounds artificial:

     [paste script]

Claude: [returns rewritten version with a note on what changed]

Or directly on a saved script:

You: clean up the AI-isms in Assets/XYZG3/script.md

Claude: [reads the file, returns rewrites with diff annotations]

What the rewrite looks like

The skill returns:

  • A rewritten version of the input
  • A summary of changes — phrases swapped, hedges removed, structure tightened
  • Optional: specific change rationale if you ask for it

You can accept the full rewrite or cherry-pick specific changes.

A concrete example

Input (AI-flavored draft)
"In today's fast-paced world, many women find themselves navigating the complexities of menopause. It's worth noting that this transition can be challenging — both physically and emotionally — but with the right support, you can absolutely thrive."
Output (cleaned)
"If you're going through menopause, you already know — it's a lot. Hot flashes, mood swings, sleep that just stops working. Most women handle it alone. You don't have to."

What changed:

  • "in today's fast-paced world" → cut (generic opener committing to nothing)
  • "navigating the complexities of" → "going through" (3 words doing the work of 5)
  • "It's worth noting that" → cut (hedge, AI tic)
  • "both physically and emotionally" → replaced with specifics (hot flashes, mood swings, sleep)
  • "with the right support, you can absolutely thrive" → "You don't have to" (direct, less inspirational fluff)

The rewrite is roughly half the length of the original and lands much harder.

When to integrate it into the pipeline

Two integration points worth considering:

After Stage 2 (Script Writer)
Automatic pass through avoid-ai-writing on every script before user approval. Costs nothing; catches drift. Worth setting up as a default.
Before final delivery
Re-audit the script after any edits. Especially after Lvl 1 dialogue variants — the Script Writer's variant mode sometimes introduces fresh AI patterns.

The Manager can be configured to do this automatically, or you can invoke it manually:

You: before approving the script, run avoid-ai-writing on it.

Claude: [runs the skill, presents the cleaned version for approval]

Voice preservation

A risk with aggressive rewriting: flattening voice. If a creator has a specific style (warm, conversational, slightly verbose), the skill's default tightening might strip that.

If voice preservation matters:

You: clean the AI-isms but keep the warm conversational tone — don't
     make it too punchy.

Claude: [runs with voice-preservation flag, milder rewrite]

The skill responds to explicit voice direction. By default it tightens; with direction, it tightens within your voice constraints.

What avoid-ai-writing isn't for

Use case Better tool
Translating a script The Script Writer Mode 2 — translation
Cutting a script for time The Script Writer (ask for a shorter version)
Fact-checking claims Compliance review against the product file
Removing compliance violations Brand file's banned words list, enforced by the Script Writer
Improving a hook structure Research + creative template (Chapter 9)

avoid-ai-writing is specifically about how the words sound — natural vs. AI. Other issues need other tools.

Frequency

Common patterns:

  • Daily content production — run avoid-ai-writing on every new script
  • Bulk variant production — run it on the canonical variant; the per-account customizations are usually short enough to inspect manually
  • Translations — run after translation; the target-language pass may introduce new patterns
  • Long-form — always run

Skip when:

  • The text is already short and tight
  • You're producing a quick test gen and don't need polish
  • The audience expects formal language (technical / B2B)

When you're ready

You've reached the end of Chapter 10. You can now:

  • Map each agent in the cast to what they do at depth
  • Understand the prehook as a distinct structural element
  • Know when PiP composition is the right format
  • Apply the storyboarding logic (8-second constraint, word budgets)
  • Read a .nbflow file's schema when you need to
  • Recognize when a pipeline variant (AI Self / voice cloning) applies
  • Use avoid-ai-writing to keep scripts sounding human

→ Next: Chapter 11 — Create a Video From Scratch. The full doing chapter — apply everything from Chapters 1-10 to take a fresh brief through to delivered videos.