humanizing-writinglisted

# Humanize Writing ## Overview Writing reads as AI-generated more from *shape* than word choice: uniform sentence rhythm, safe generic claims instead of specific checkable ones, templated structure. Fix the shape first. Word-level tells (delve, em dashes) are real but decay fast and are the weakest lever. Full sourcing: `reference/research.md`. ## Write this way - **Commit to specific, checkable claims.** Replace "plays a significant role" or "experts say" with the actual fact and its source. Unknown? Say it plainly, not dressed up as more authoritative. - **Use the plain verb.** "Is," not "serves as/stands as/represents." One strong verb, not a padded phrase. - **Vary sentence rhythm on purpose.** Don't let every sentence or paragraph land at the same length. - **Default to commas or periods.** Save the dash for genuine emphasis or interruption, not as filler between clauses a period handles just as well. - **Reach for concrete, physical, checkable detail over abstraction** ("nubby, arthritic fingers" beats "profound personal struggle"). - **Cut hedge-intensifiers**, not just banned nouns: rather, very, little, pretty. - **Let structure follow the content, not a template.** Triadic lists, rhetorical questions, "Despite these challenges..." pivots: fine when earned, not as a default shape. - **Never invent facts, numbers, or sources to sound more specific.** Specificity has to come from something true. - **Match the voice already established:** a codeb