A shot at composition (5)
I believe the answer is:
essay
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'a shot' is the first definition.
(I know that essay is a type of shot)
'composition' is the second definition.
(I've seen this before)
'at' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for essay that I've seen before include "Make an effort to write one" , "Attempt, try" , "Thesis" , "Try; dissertation" , "Test" .)