I don't aim to equal the old masters, which is impossible. They remain as inspiration. On the other hand, I have my own space and cannot possibly produce the same kind of work. Ancient Chinese poetry is very concise and dense. In the Pond , and then your first full novel, Waiting .
Poetry largely depends on luck.
You never know when you can write the next poem. You have to let yourself live in the novel for a long time, possessed by the characters. When I am teaching, this is difficult. But short fiction is possible. You can work on a story intensely for two or three hours a day, then go to teach your class.