Talk Normal

CommunityPopular

hexiecs

talk-normal

Stop LLM slop. A curated system prompt that cuts verbose, corporate-sounding LLM output by 56-73% (measured) while preserving information. Works bilingually (English + Chinese). Installs into your AGENTS.md as an always-on behavior modifier.

Overview

Publisher	hexiecs
Repository	`talk-normal`
Skill name	`talk-normal`
Stars	1.8K
Forks	58
Bundled files	2
License	MIT
Links	Skill source Repository

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
2 bundled files
Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.
Open source
Published by hexiecs on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Talk Normal AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/hexiecs/talk-normal.git /tmp/talk-normal
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/talk-normal/skill-hermes .claude/skills/talk-normal

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Talk Normal in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Talk Normal on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Talk Normal is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

talk-normal

A curated system prompt that stops your LLM from writing like a LinkedIn post. Measured: 73% character reduction on GPT-4o-mini, 72% on GPT-5.4, across 10 prompts in English and Chinese, without losing information.

When to Use

Run the installer once per workspace to make your Hermes agent permanently less verbose. This is not a per-turn skill — it is a one-time installer that injects always-on rules into your project's context file.

Procedure

To install or update talk-normal in the current workspace:

bash
bash install.sh

The script auto-detects your workspace config file (.hermes.md, HERMES.md, or AGENTS.md) and injects the prompt between # --- talk-normal BEGIN --- and # --- talk-normal END --- markers. The installer is idempotent: running it again replaces the existing talk-normal block in place with the latest rules. Nothing else in your config file is touched.

To remove:

bash
bash install.sh --uninstall

Start a new Hermes session to take effect.

What gets installed

The contents of prompt.md get injected into your workspace config file. The rules target the specific slop patterns that make LLM output sound corporate and padded:

Filler and hedging — banned opening phrases, no throat-clearing, no restating the question
Structural discipline — lead with the answer, match depth to complexity, bullets only when genuinely parallel
Closing patterns — no summary stamps, no hypothetical follow-up offers, no conditional next-step menus
Rhetorical tics — no negation-based contrastive framing, no plain-language restatements
Shape of comparisons — give a recommendation with brief reasoning, cap pros/cons lists

Verification

After installing, start a new Hermes session and ask a simple question like "What is Python?". The response should be 3-5 sentences with no filler phrases. Compare against the benchmarks at https://github.com/hexiecs/talk-normal for expected output.

Pitfalls

Security scanner: Hermes flags this skill as "DANGEROUS" because it modifies AGENTS.md (persistent prompt modification). This is expected — the skill's entire purpose is injecting always-on prompt rules. Install with hermes skills install --force hexiecs/talk-normal/skill-hermes.
Rules only take effect in a new session — Hermes freezes context files at session start.
If you have both .hermes.md and AGENTS.md, the installer writes to whichever it finds first (.hermes.md > HERMES.md > AGENTS.md).

Upstream and issues

Source: https://github.com/hexiecs/talk-normal
Issues and rule suggestions: https://github.com/hexiecs/talk-normal/issues

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

install.sh3 KB
prompt.md4 KB

Frequently asked questions

What does the Talk Normal AI skill do?

Why use Talk Normal on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Talk Normal is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Talk Normal in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/hexiecs/talk-normal/tree/main/skill-hermes. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Talk Normal?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Talk Normal?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Talk Normal with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Talk Normal AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by hexiecs under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

talk-normal

When to Use

Procedure

What gets installed

Verification

Pitfalls

Upstream and issues

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

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