In Hilary Mantel's novel "A Place of Greater Safety," the author explores themes of ambition and the unstoppable momentum of one's ambitions, likened to the experience of running downhill. The metaphor suggests that once a writer engages deeply with their craft, it becomes a relentless pursuit, much like the inevitable forward motion experienced when descending a slope.

This comparison captures the exhilarating yet challenging nature of writing, where creativity flows freely, but the writer must maintain pace, facing both the thrill and the pressure to keep producing. Mantel implies that the act of writing can become an all-consuming journey that is difficult to pause or abandon.