prose-fix

Prose Fix

Scan the target file(s) for formatting issues, typos, and weak prose. Fix in place without changing the author's voice or intent.

What to Fix

Formatting

Issue	Replace with
Em dash — (with spaces)	Period, comma, colon, or parentheses depending on context
Em dash — (no spaces)	Split into two sentences or use comma
Double spaces	Single space

Typos

• Misspelled words
• Wrong word form (e.g. "teh" → "the", "dont" → "don't")
• Missing apostrophes in contractions

Sentence Clarity

• Remove filler words ("very", "just", "really", "basically", "actually")
• Split run-on sentences into two
• Flatten weak constructions ("is able to" → "can", "in order to" → "to")

Rules

• Read the file before editing
• Never change the author's voice, tone, or meaning
• Never rewrite a sentence that is already clear and direct
• Preserve technical terms, code references, and proper nouns exactly
• Do not add words — only remove or substitute
• One pass: formatting first, then typos, then clarity

Workflow

1. Read the file
2. Grep for — to list formatting issues
3. Edit all issues in one pass per category
4. Grep again for — to confirm none remain
5. Report a summary of what was changed by category

Scope

• Works on any .md or .txt file
• If no file is specified, ask the user which file to fix