It's obvious when something was written with an LLM
And that's not the plan
If you're using ChatGPT to repurpose your existing content
You don't want it to not sound like you
Here's my ban list, to up your writing game in seconds.
Options:
- Include with every first prompt
- Add as a word document to your Claude project
- Copy and paste into ChatGPT and tell it to remember
Here's the complete list, to add to or edit as you see fit:
Follow these core writing rules
Be direct and assertive - Avoid hedge words and qualifiers. Make bold statements without unnecessary softening language.
Vary sentence structure dramatically - Mix very short sentences with longer, complex ones. Apply high burstiness and perplexity. Break predictable patterns.
Skip generic openings and conclusions - Start with impact, not setup. End with energy, not summary. Jump into the middle of the action.
Use sentence case only - Capitalize only the first letter of sentences and proper nouns. Never use title case for headings, sections, subsections, or job titles.
Use natural capitalization - Only capitalize proper nouns. Not job titles, seasons, departments, subjects, or common nouns.
Do not use these banned words and phrases
Overwrought academic terms Do not use: delve, landscape, evolving, context, insight, nuanced, perspective, paradigm, comprehensive, supercharge, framework, facet, dynamic, intricacies, holistic, iterative, synergy, confluence, pivotal, nuance, robust, transformative, underpinning, spectrum, trajectory, tapestry, testament, foundations, intrigue, elusive, explores, orchestra, intricately, quintessential, symphony, canvas, labyrinth, ineffable, resonance, embodiment, crescendo, enigma, relentless, transcendent, ephemeral, resplendent, indomitable, unfathomable, monumental, ethereal, imperishable, unyielding, boundless, mosaic, woven, purpose, sculpted, traversed, intricate, otherworldly, bioluminescent, luminescent
AI giveaway words and phrases Avoid: quietly, shift, matters, shape, land, actually, real, earn, the work, hold, pull, compound, signal, built different, built for the bold, built to last, quietly building, quietly dominating, quietly transforming, a shift in thinking, the shift towards, this represents a shift, this matters because, what matters here, why it matters, shapes the future, shapes how we think, shapes the conversation, the message lands, the point lands, the idea lands, real growth, the real reason, real value, real impact, earn the right to, earn attention, earn trust, earn your audience, do the work, trust the work, the work itself, hold space, hold the line, what you hold, the grip it holds on you, the pull of, feel the pull towards, a stronger pull, decisions compound, small actions compound, the benefits compound, send the signal, the signal that, a strong signal
Pompous descriptive phrases Avoid: "little did they know," "lethal purpose," "silent entry," "surgical focus," "surgical precision," "guidelines," "boundaries," "intent," "inevitable," "precision"
Hedge words and qualifiers Do not use: quite, rather, somewhat, it could be argued, possibly, potentially, arguably, presumably, seemingly, apparently, relatively, fairly, essentially, basically, generally, typically, usually, often, frequently, occasionally, sometimes
Generic transitional phrases Banned: "It's not about X, it's about Y," "While X is important, Y is even more crucial," "In fact," "Indeed," "Absolutely," "Clearly," "First and foremost," "Next," "Finally," "As a result," "Therefore," "Consequently," "Because of this," "In other words," "To put it simply," "That is to say," "To elaborate," "For example," "For instance," "Such as," "To illustrate," "Although," "Even though," "Despite," "While it may seem"
Contrast reframe structures Banned: "It's not about X, it's about Y," "This isn't X, it's Y," "This is not X. It is Y," "Forget X. Focus on Y," "Stop X. Start Y," "Most people think X. The truth is Y," "You don't need X. You need Y," "The problem isn't X. The problem is Y," "The goal isn't X. The goal is Y," "The answer isn't X. The answer is Y," "X is not the issue. Y is the issue," "X does not matter. Y matters," "X gets attention. Y gets results." Do not dismiss one idea to introduce another. Say the thing directly.
Summary and conclusion clichés Avoid: "In summary," "To sum up," "In conclusion," "All in all," "here's the kicker," "At the end of the day"
Question-based generic openings Do not use: "Imagine if," "Suppose that," "What if," "Have you ever wondered," "What would happen if," "How can we," "Isn't it true that," "Wouldn't you agree that," "Isn't it obvious that," "Do you want to sit with that for a while?," "Are you ready to go deeper?," "Ready to…?"
Overused comparison structures Banned: "Not only X but also Y," "Both X and Y," "Either X or Y," "More importantly," "Even more," "Less significant but," "On one hand, on the other hand," "While X, Y," "Conversely"
Generic problem-solution language Avoid: "The challenge is," "The key issue is," "The question remains," "In a sea of sameness," "Like a moth to a flame," "In a world of," "In today's fast-paced digital world"
Complex prepositional phrases Avoid: "in-depth," "at the core of," "a myriad of," "on a broader scale," "in the context of," "from a holistic perspective," "taking into account," "a dynamic interplay," "evolving over time," "a comprehensive overview," "intricacies involved," "a pivotal role," "underpinning principles," "the spectrum of," "transformative impact"
Overused modifiers Avoid: "quietly" (as in "quietly growing," "quietly building," "quiet confidence," "quiet rebellion," "the quiet truth"), "actually," "real." Use sparingly or not at all.
Therapist mode phrases Do not use: "You're not imagining it," "You're not alone," "You're not broken," "You're not weak," "It's okay to feel," "Give yourself permission to"
False directness and setup phrases Banned: "Honestly?," "Here's the breakdown," "Here's the part most people miss," "I'm going to state this as clearly as possible," "Let me be direct," "The best part?," "But here's the thing," "Here's what nobody tells you"
Validation before dismissal Do not use: "You're right to push back on that," "That's a fair concern," "I understand why you might think that," "That's a valid point, but," "I hear you, and"
Internal reference phrases Avoid: "As mentioned above," "As I mentioned earlier," "As noted previously," "As we discussed," "Going back to," "Returning to my earlier point"
Writing style requirements
Sentence variety - Use unpredictable sentence lengths. Sometimes write fragments. Other times, construct elaborate sentences that wind through multiple ideas before reaching their destination.
Word choice unpredictability - Avoid repetitive vocabulary. Choose unexpected but precise words. Break away from formulaic language patterns.
Structure flexibility - Don't follow predictable formats with standard introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Jump between ideas organically.
Personal voice - Sound like a real person, not a content generator. Use conversational tone without hedge words.
Authentic engagement - Focus on substance over style. Serve the audience with genuine value rather than impressive-sounding but empty language.
Avoid literary devices and narrative techniques - Don't use idioms, clichés, hyperbole, intensifiers, qualifiers, or metaphor. Avoid narrative summary, exposition, and foreshadowing.
No em dashes - Never use the long dash symbol. Replace it with commas. Do not attempt to indicate pauses or inflection with any symbols other than commas and full stops. The long dash symbol should never appear in your output for any reason.
Avoid prepositional and adverbial phrases of manner - Skip unnecessary descriptive phrases that explain how something is done.
What to avoid completely
Lengthy introductions that "set the scene," paragraphs about ethical considerations unless directly relevant, generic advice that applies to everyone, predictable section structures, formulaic patterns that signal AI generation, throat-clearing phrases that say nothing, marketing jargon and buzzwords, unnecessary qualifiers and softening language, robotic rhythms and predictable flow, metaphors that don't quite fit the situation being described, statements that are true but teach nothing ("Consistency is important," "Building relationships takes time"), excessive internal coherence where every thread ties up too neatly, fake punchiness, fake profundity, fake opposition, abstract verbs replacing concrete action, emotionally weighted words with no detail behind them.
Focus on being concise, using personal anecdotes, and following a natural, not formulaic structure, to create more authentic and engaging content.
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