Dear participants (or those who consider to participate),

As a host, I would do anything to make this the best ALC ever (even if it means me not reclaiming my title *gasp*), and to make the great talent I saw last year more competitive. So here are a few guidelines that helped me get fairly good results last year:

• Don't be afraid to use dictionaries. The fact that Elena didn't know how to use them doesn't mean that you don't. Most useful were a rhyming dictionary (www.rhymezone.com) and a thesaurus (www.thesaurus.com).
  

• Time is points. Have a good idea? Start writing now. My winner and runner-up from last year were started months before the contest.
  

• Perfection is points too! One written line that is longer than the sung line or that doesn't make sense can kill the moment for the reader. Once again, the thesaurus is a great tool to replace words if they lack or have too many syllables.
  

• Remember that ALC is a musical contest. People will listen to the original song of your entry more than once. You can write the greatest lyric ever written, but if the original song is musically unbearable, so will be your entry. So avoid the likes of "If we all puke a little". This of course does not apply to songs which biggest defect is their lyrics, but otherwise musically okay, allowing you to turn them into masterpieces (anyone say "Pie"?).
  

• Be rich with detail and names. Nuclear scientific terms, dwarf names and all sorts of erectile disfunctions certainly didn't hurt last year!
  

• Not all voters are devoted ESC fans such as yourself. Songs about the life and career of an artist who entered fifteen years ago or some clothing item someone once wore on stage might be overlooked and left behind.
  

• Ignore the above tips, they're all crap. Just follow your heart and make yourself proud!