[Chris O'Carroll]

For Competition No 4304, set by Gordon Gwilliams, they want complicated explanations for things that have gone wrong in life.

"If there is a mishap in our lives," the setter writes, "we are told not to invent complicated explanations and that the simplest is usually best. We want descriptions of incidents in which this practice was not followed and the unintended consequences." The rubric offers this additional hint about what they're looking for: "The judges should be able to pick up on what is probably the correct explanation not thought of by the afflicted."

Word limit is 150. Deadline is Dec. 12

comp@newstatesman.co.uk

[Jayne Osborn]

A whisper, Chris: DD?

Jayne

[Chris O'Carroll]

Sorry, Jayne. I should have said a bit more in my post. Information on this comp is posted in Deep Drills. I've done a second post here for the benefit of newer members who can't yet get past the velvet rope.

Everyone should bear in mind that anything posted in a non-private 'Sphere forum (like this one) is considered ineligible at the New Statesman. So if you're inclined to post work-in-progress entries for this comp, this is not the place for that.

[basil ransome-davies]

What's this? Bottom-of-the barrel time? Out of a misty dream some sense emerges for a while, then closes within a dream. I must try but I don't like it.