Papa in novel tries wit (6)
I believe the answer is:
esprit
'wit' is the definition.
(esprit can mean being witty)
'papa in novel tries' is the wordplay.
'papa' becomes 'P' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'novel' indicates an anagram (letters in a new or novel order).
'tries' is an anagram of 'esrit'.
'p' going within 'esrit' is 'ESPRIT'.
(Other definitions for esprit that I've seen before include "Lively wit" , "Vivacious wit" , "Sparkling quality" , "Vivacity - wit" , "Group morale is . . . . . . de corps" .)