Pause in the middle and take number for author (6)
I believe the answer is:
austen
'for author' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Author of 11 ' mean 'austen' so perhaps 'author' could also mean 'austen')
'pause in the middle and take number' is the wordplay.
'in the middle' indicates the central letters.
'and take' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'number' becomes 'ten' (ten is a kind of number).
The central letters of 'pause' are 'aus'.
'aus'+'ten'='AUSTEN'
(Other definitions for austen that I've seen before include "Jane - - (lit.)" , "Mansfield Park author" , "Persuasion writer" , "Jane, author of 'Pride and Prejudice'" , "Author of 11" .)