| BLOUNT | Humorist Roy ___ Jr. (the writer, not the standup) |
| TRIREME | Before me, writer's not the first to amend galley |
| MAYWEATHER | Floyd ___ Jr, The Ring's "Fighter of the Year" in 1998 and 2007 |
| JACQUELINENOVAK | Comedian with the standup special "Get on Your Knees" |
| MULANEY | John with the standup special "Kid Gorgeous" |
| EYEUP | Appraise report of the writer, not lying (3,2) |
| STYMIE | Block and pen belonging to the writer, not new |
| LOYD | ----"Boo" Gentry, Jr., the trainer of Proud Clarion, winner of the 1967 Kentucky Derby (4) |
| CUBA | ___ Gooding Jr. (The People v. O. J. Simpson star) |
| IMPASSE | The writer's not in a dead end |
| AIMLESS | Article by the writer's not so lacking in purpose |
| RATCHET | Mechanical device used by fantasy author, not the first or the last |
| CRITERIA | Author not the first in US agency for standards (8) |
| ENAMELLER | US author not the first to entertain celebrity artist |
| RECITER | One storytelling author, not the first to hold church up |
| SWIFT | Writer not slow to go on the air |
| AMISDUNNART | English writer not quite right? Not quite |
| ROPEDIN | Writer, not entirely enthralled by French sculptor, forced to help out (5,2) |
| SMALLARMS | French writer (not English) on board with rifles (5,4) |
| PRIESTLY | Clerical writer (not English) (8) |
