What To Do, What To Do?

As a writer, but foremost a mother, my time is usually a bit more limited than would be ideal for getting those creative juices flowing and onto the page. Recently, I have found that my fiction WIP is neglected in favor of writing poetry.  While poetry does take significant time and effort, it does not take as much research, and hours of plot/character development prior to even starting the writing process. To this end, I have pieced together a small anthology of poetry that I will publish shortly (so yes - please do be on the lookout). What I love about poetry is the raw images and ability to be much more free of traditional writing constraints (at least as a free verse poet - I tip my hat to those poets among us that toil for hours to meet specific syllabic line requirements). It seems much easier for me to feel accomplished in refining the mind dump that was the initial draft and churning out a polished poem - all in the few precious hours after my children have gone to bed, but before I too am beckoned by the need for sleep.

I do worry, however, that slipping into a diet solely of poetry and feeling accomplished every single night will make it all the more difficult to return to my WIP. Somehow working for hours on a few pages of a novel, with no end in sight, sounds a bit daunting to say the least.  Yes, yes - I know, one day at a time.  I do have the general path mapped out for where I want to take my novel, it's just all of the junctions that are making me tug at my collar.

Since I am a first time novelist, and still unsure of my footing as a writer, I fear that I am going about this craft of writing all wrong.  Is there a right way to write a novel?  Is there a right way to write period? When do you start to feel like you are actually a writer, and not a sixth grader who is shadowing a real writer on career day? Many other writers blog that you are a writer by simply writing. This statement brings a bit of comfort ... but then again maybe they are just saying that to make all of us aspiring writers feel better. Arg- over-thinking the whole thing .. brain short circuiting ... off to get a cup of coffee, put on my big girl panties, and do some writing - because I AM a writer.      Right?