There's no tried and tested method for doing well in ALC (short of changing your surname to Gladnikoff), but here are a few tips from last year's winner, Martin F., that might help you along the way:

ALC has been going for a while now. It can be difficult to come up with a lyric about an entirely new subject (though do try!), but people will generally reward an "old" topic done well and with a new twist. (Unless it's about farting.)

At the same time, it's probably wiser to avoid basing your lyric on a song that's been "AL-ed" a million times before. There's a terribly useful list of all previous entries here - so if you're new to the competition, take some time to leaf through its glorious history. You never know what inspiration you might find.

Bear in mind that people vote according to different criteria - how well the lyrics fit with the melody, whether they're laugh-out-loud funny, whether the subject matter is particularly original or well-observed, whether Saturn is moving into Libra that day... You're never going to please everyone, so the main thing is that you like what you've created.

You can't know what other people have been writing until the semi-finals begin, but it's advisable to try and stay away from the screamingly obvious, particularly when it comes to lyrics about the most recent ESC - there's a reason Harrow's "three entries or more" warning is called "angel - chiara"...

Using colourful and varied language is a definite bonus (but don't forget: there are no words that rhyme with "angry", "husband", "neutron" or "sandwich"). Thesaurus.com, RhymeZone and Wikipedia may be useful allies.

Once you have your lyric, sing it back to yourself! If you find yourself tripping over lines or phrases, other people will almost certainly have the same problem, so don't be afraid to re-write and re-write again if you need to. The most successful ALC entries tend to be those that are outright enjoyable to sing along to.

Above all, have fun! It's not always easy to send your "baby" out into the world for the rest of the MB to judge, but ALC is a great laugh and you can't beat a bit of healthy competition. And who knows? Next year it could be you writing these tips!