In general, a novice playwright? (5)
I believe the answer is:
wilde
'playwright?' is the definition.
(I know that Wilde is a dramatist)
'in general a novice' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'general' becomes 'wide'.
'a novice' becomes 'L' (as in a learner driver with L-plates on their car).
'wide' going around 'l' is 'WILDE'.
(Other definitions for wilde that I've seen before include "He wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol" , "Author of The Picture of Dorian Gray" , "Oscar --, dramatist" , "Author of Lady Windermere's Fan" , "Oscar or Kim?" .)