Preserve and can ineptly? Everyone initially keeping at it (12)
I believe the answer is:
perseverance
'keeping at it' is the definition.
(to keep at something is to persevere with it)
'preserve and can ineptly? everyone initially' is the wordplay.
'and' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'ineptly?' indicates an anagram (I've seen 'ineptly' mean this (I've seen this in other clues)).
'initially' suggests taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'everyone' is 'e'.
'preserve' put after 'can' is 'canpreserve'.
'canpreserve' anagrammed gives 'perseveranc'.
'perseveranc'+'e'='PERSEVERANCE'
(Other definitions for perseverance that I've seen before include "Persistence, indefatigability" , "Tenacity, doggedness" , "Steady persistence" , "Continuing endeavour" , "Determination" .)