Ref AI Writing Patterns — AI skill for Claude Code

AI Writing Patterns

Catch 24 documented AI writing patterns so your writing still sounds like you.

**Who this is for:** writers, editors, and teams who draft with AI and want their own voice in the final copy.

[](LICENSE) [](https://claude.com/claude-code) [](https://github.com/marianasmall/ref-ai-writing-patterns/commits/main)

A methodology and toolkit for detecting AI writing patterns and maintaining authentic voice when working with language models.

What it looks like


*The five pattern categories with their counts, and one real before/after pair from the [examples](examples/before-after.md).*

What This Is

When you work with AI writing tools, your content can inadvertently pick up characteristic patterns: mechanical phrases, formulaic structures, and performative language that signal "this was written by AI." This project provides:

1. A methodology for evaluating whether your writing voice prevents common AI patterns
2. A detection skill for Claude that catches 24 documented AI writing patterns
3. Integration guidance for adapting these tools to your own voice and needs

Why This Matters

AI writing assistants are useful tools, but maintaining authentic voice requires intentional effort. Generic AI outputs often exhibit patterns like:

• Surface-level descriptive verbs ("symbolizing," "reflecting")
• Weak verb substitutions ("serves as" instead of "is")
• Formulaic triplets (rule of three)
• Vapid closings with generic optimism
• Hedging language and unnecessary qualifiers

These patterns make content feel mechanical and templated, even when th