This writer had regularly discarded clues not working (4)
I believe the answer is:
idle
'not working' is the definition.
(idle means doing no work)
'this writer had regularly discarded clues' is the wordplay.
'this writer had' becomes 'id' ('I'd' refers to the person writing the clues).
'regularly discarded' means one should take alternating letters (letters removed at regular intervals).
The alternate letters of 'clues' are 'le'.
'id'+'le'='IDLE'
(Other definitions for idle that I've seen before include "Disliking work" , "not being engaged" , "Hang about doing nothing" , "without basis" , "At rest" .)