Fi Phillips

This month's photographic inspiration is a shot of Bodelwyddan Castle in Wales, not far from where I live. It's a building that has gone through many changes - from family home, to army barracks and hospital, to school, and now split between a museum and a hotel. The castle is very, well, castle-y, with it's turrets and battlements, but internally it is also very homely. I can imagine a family living there. It's supposed to be one of the most haunted places in Wales. What do you think? Happy place or scary haunting ground? Practical and down to earth or otherworldly? What does this image inspire you to write?

The idea for this month's writing exercise sprouted on a weekend trip to a place called Bodelwyddan Castle. This is what got me thinking. My children dashed into the maze ahead of us and disappeared from view. We could hear them running along passageways, with the occasional glimpse of them through a gap in a hedge, but we didn't meet up again until we found the exit. Imagine a maze. What does it look like? What purpose does it serve? Is there a centre or just an exit? Is the entrance also the exit? Are the walls of the maze made from hedges, bricks or some other material? Is it open to the sky or enclosed by a roof? Is it joyful or frightening? Are there distractions along the way? Are there statues in your maze? Can you see the light of the sky? Do you cross waterways? Are there clues in your maze? Go on. Tell me about your maze.