The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BLOTTER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
L
O
T
T
E
R
More clues leading to the result BLOTTER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Something absorbing in the writer’s study?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case something absorbing in the writer’s study? = blotter.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BLOTTER mean?
BLOTTER noun- A piece of blotting paper in a pad as a piece of desk furniture
- (law enforcement) a daily register of arrests and other events in a police station
- A register of the related events made in the form of the list of times and brief descriptions
- A portion of blotter acid.