Put it down to being a writer (7)
I believe the answer is:
ascribe
'put' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'a writer' is the wordplay.
'writer' becomes 'scribe' (scribe is a kind of writer).
'a'+'scribe'='ASCRIBE'
'it down to being' is the link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ascribe that I've seen before include "Attribute (something to a cause)" , "Attribute to, say, an old writer?" , "Attribute or credit to" , "put down" , "Attribute to specified source or cause" .)